Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development - Observations From a 21-Year Journey

“If someone is taking a journey, he (or she) can tell a story. Therefore I would take my staff and hat and would choose to travel.” (Matthias Claudius, 1740-1815)

The present talk was designed with exactly this, 1000-times heard (and slightly updated), german proverb in the back of the mind. It summarizes the gist of 20+ years in the software development business and outlines what the presenter identified as relevant for a productive and thriving survival out there in “the wild“. The talk covers:

1.) Characteristics of software development (aka “the complex environment”) 2.) What is experience and how do you gain it? (aka “the Dreyfus learning model”) 3.) Cognitive biases and factors of influence related to the software development process 4.) The gist of software development: “Precision, guess work, unreliable data and questionable knowledge” 5.) Observations on humans that code and Hype Driven Development (including the current hype of AI) 6.) (Almost) Eternal & current challenges of software development 7.) Technology & tools

So, have you ever been wondering why we, as a whole community of experts, so often struggle to tame the beast called software development? The “Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development” talk presents some possible answers to the question why our ongoing fight is - and will very likely remain - a tough one.

Spoiler: Most of the time it is not about what your stakeholders, or you as someone who is directly involved, think it is…