License 2 Code

And oldie-but-goodie about teamwork and effectiveness.

“Team work is submission. You submit your ideas, your effort, and your ego to the work. You “lower yourself” (check your ego at the door) to become just another peer among equals. The team decides. The team implements. You’re just another guy who did his best.

Further signs of our strong developer community - minnebar is largest barcamp outside of India. And at the recent NoFluffJustStuff it was announced that Minneapolis is one of only five cities that will host two count-’em two NFJS weekends (October 12 -14, 2007). Good news for Minnebar as well - no more competing — Minnebar in the Spring, and now NFJS in the fall.

And in case you were wondering, the other cities that host two NFJS - Denver, Boston, DC, and St. Louis. Not bad company at all.

The Spawn of the Broken Build… Born from a thousand inexcusable broken builds and the anguished curses of developers calling wrath down upon those willing to roll the dice with a renegade check-in. She came, she kicked some developer ass, and she was vanquished to the circular file by a chanting mob. Rescued, pressed again into service by a band of hearty, toothless rogue developers, and dealt a final mortal blow by the silver pike of management.

Oh great spawn, where art thee? The legends are strong.

(Actually, she’s in a bag in my office awaiting another rogue band. If you know of pirates of such a need, in possession of hearty constitutions and ample sense of humor, I just might be able to conjure up a similar build spawn trophy for you. Leave me a comment with ample curses about your broken build problem, or hearty chanting for a token idol, and if you’re serious we might be able to assemble one for you in our spy works.)

Oh I was all set for an agilisto tirade when I saw a reference to Jeff Patton’s Requirements Considered Harmful… Especially given the title - I mean really - requirements… harmful? That’s like saying apple pie is harmful, sweet kisses from a baby are harmful… your mom’s hugs are harmful! I needed to read this just to get riled up! Read more »

I’m reading Good to Great right now. Yup - a business book. Not even about software or technology. Before you fret about my slide to the dark side (need I remind you I’m BLACK spy) recall that in corporate software, rarely do we write software in a vacuum. We are situated in a business environment. I recall the day back in a software process class at the U of MN where I realized that my design and coding was situated within a larger context that could have a great impact on my success or failure. Reading a business book is like taking that to a macro-level.

The book focuses on the difference between good and great companies, and how greatness often results from organizational aspects that respect the long-term corporeal benefits. Its by one of the authors of Built to Last - another book about long-term greatness in companies. I’m interested in getting others to read, or hearing from other readers, because I’m curious about the ‘trickle-down’ applicability of the concepts in the book. The book is aimed at mid-upper management, but often the concepts - leadership, rigor, discipline, and the right people - seem to have trickle-down applicability to issues a medium-sized development organization faces. Or am I just fooling myself - is it possible that excellence at lower levels of the organization is dependent on excellence above?

I just ordered what I presume to be two wildly different books:

• Rules For Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services
• The Power of Process: Unleashing the Source of Competitive Advantage

Ben Edwards introduced me to Guy’s books.
Scott Mark and James McGovern are both endorsing thie Power of Process. From Scott’s blog:

This is an interesting title - it’s a work of business fiction that helps explain some of the thinking, language, and acronyms around SOA and BPM in a lighthearted manner.  If you are a developer or just interested in technical reading this book is not for you.  However if you are a manager, enterprise architect, or another type who needs to either learn more about those topics at a high level or get some talking points to talk to a less technical audience then this book is for you.  It’s a refreshing change from a lot of drier technical books and a quick read.

“Your code is like a sword, but process is your discipline.

without the second, you cannot master the first.”

For all the hype that can sometimes be found in DHH’s loud thinking blog, a real gem can atone for rockstar coder excess. DHH’s recent post about criticism and creative motivation demonstrates a sound understanding of the heart in the creative process, and the mind’s ability to protect it. Practical yet uplifting approach to maintaining creative motivation in the face of criticism, and defining personal boundaries for what’s deemed constructive, and what’s not.