Software Engineering for Muggles

Have you ever tried to explain software engineering to someone who’s never written a line of code? It’s surprisingly hard, because unlike building a house, software projects rarely go according to plan. They end up more like… the Weasley house from Harry Potter.

What starts as a simple, sturdy home becomes an ever-expanding, slightly chaotic structure of extensions, workarounds, last-minute rooms, and “temporary” solutions that somehow end up permanent. Software engineering isn’t about a single big construction project, it’s an ongoing journey of planning, building, testing, and fixing. Using the Weasley house as a metaphor, I’ll explain why we’re always “renovating” (maintenance), why swapping out doors (libraries) means checking the versions of the hinges and door frames, and how, in software, we can simply “copy the whole house” to test new windows — without anyone catching a cold.

After this session you will never struggle again explaining software engineering concepts to your mum, your non technical friend, or your nephew again. Give it a try!