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The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

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Software Engineering Productivity: Perception, Reality, and Fallacies

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Reading Time: 10 minutes

Engineering Productivity Is Critical

Software engineering leaders need to hire, organize, manage and lead talented and productive engineering teams. A productive team is capable of ideating, innovating and ultimately delivering what the business needs at the time it needs it.

Software Engineers are well-paid professionals and often represent the life and blood of the organization, but also one of the largest cost centers in the budget. For that reason, there is unavoidable scrutiny on the productivity of every engineering team and the allocation of its resources. ... 

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Best Strategies To Invest Your Engineering Time Wisely

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Reading Time: 11 minutes

When I started coding in 1984, there weren’t many choices of languages and technologies. Basic, C and Pascal were the main ones. Only a few books on the topic were available, and the internet didn’t exist. With such a limited choice, it wasn’t difficult to decide how to spend my learning time to become a software developer. Distractions were not a problem, and networking wasn’t much of an option either.

Over the years things changed dramatically. Today you have an incredible array of options and information to choose from. Deciding where to spend your time can be daunting. Should you become a generalist, and know a little bit of everything? Or a specialist, and know one thing well? Also, should you learn to write code at all? Are you trying to start a business, or are you trying to learn to code? What are your goals? ... 

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Understanding Accountability

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

An Easy Statement To Make

Some statements are kicked around regularly like an empty Coca-Cola can in a deserted parking lot frequented by teenagers. They become so common that you don’t even pay attention to their true meaning. Are you ready for a Deja-Vu? Here it is:

People need to be held accountable.

How many times did you hear it during a post-mortem meeting or retrospective? I lost count!

You won’t find many people that disagree with it. It is a non-controversial statement. If you say it in front of you boss, you might feel like you are winning points. It implies that you hold yourself to a high standard compared to “all those other people who are not being held accountable.” ... 

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9 Software Engineering Career Mistakes To Avoid At All Costs

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Reading Time: 7 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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The Fallacy of Extreme Tech Interviews

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Life of a software engineer.

It must have been more than 15 years ago. I was working as a developer for a company in Seattle. I spent my days writing code, designing technical solutions, leading projects, and interviewing job applicants for engineering positions. I loved my job. The interviewing part was a nice distraction from hours of uninterrupted programming sessions. It was more enjoyable than the average meeting, more social than coding, and I got to meet lots of interesting and like-minded people.

On a gloomy evening of February, my calendar informed me that I had one more thing to do before going home. I had almost forgotten. I had to interview someone for a Senior Software Engineer position. His name was Bob. ... 

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