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The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

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Product Vision, Agile, and Going to the Moon

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Vision:
(noun)
a vivid mental image, especially a fanciful one of the future.

A Clear Vision

Everyone who lived before witnessing the Apollo 11 mission on July 20th, 1969, could only dream of touching the Moon. In 1865, Jules Verne, a French novelist, had that dream in the form of a novel that he titled “From the Earth to the Moon.” He told a story of a group of gun enthusiasts and their attempts to build an enormous space gun to launch three people to the Moon.

It took 104 more years for humanity to find a way to realize that dream. When it happened, it was one of humanity’s proudest achievements; a glorious moment that required an immense amount of planning and work. ... 

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Avoid Design by Committee: Generate Apart, Evaluate Together

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

The tech industry thrives on innovation. Building innovative software products requires constant design and architecture of creative solutions. In that context, I am not a fan of design by committee; in fact, I believe that it is more of a disease than a strategy. It afflicts teams with no leadership or unclear leadership; the process is painful, and the results are abysmal.

Usability issues plague software products designed by committee. Such products look like collections of features stuck together without a unifying vision or a unique feeling; they are like onions, built as a series of loosely connected layers. They cannot bring emotions to the user because emotions are the product of individual passion. ... 

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9 Software Engineering Career Mistakes To Avoid At All Costs

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Reading Time: 8 minutes

Taking risks and making mistakes is part of the learning path to greatness. Failing quickly and often is a hallmark of success. Nevertheless, aiming to avoid making the same mistake more than once should be somewhere high on your priority list.

Personal experience is the most powerful way to learn. But, knowledge acquired through other people’s experiences can shortcut your way to success and save significant pain. In particular, being aware of common mistakes that other people make can prevent falling into avoidable traps. ... 

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11 Books All Software Engineers Must Read

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Reading Time: 11 minutes

When I started coding back in 1984, there wasn’t much literature available to guide me on my learning path. One of my issues was that I was in Italy and I didn’t know a word of English. It is possible that there were books available in English, but the selection of Italian translations was insufficient. I got the majority of my early knowledge from a few translated programming books and some technical magazines.

Among the translations that were available in Italian, I remember some of the early work of Peter Norton fondly, recognizable by the full front-cover picture of himself with his arms crossed. ... 

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Making babies, emotions and code reviews

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Making a baby by typing code

A man approaches you holding a baby. He looks at the bundle with loving eyes before turning his gaze to you. “What do you think?”, he says, “He is my baby! I bathed him, dressed him and brushed his hair. I just finished, barely in time for the deadline. Isn’t he beautiful? What do you think?”

You study the child for a few minutes, without saying a word. The man waits, standing in front of you, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, moving his gaze from you to the creature in his arms, back to you. ... 

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