Steve Neiderhauser

Trends for Software Engineers

Global Knowledge lists 10 areas of growth for software professionals.  The skills for a software engineer have shifted to the following set:

Cloud-based applications will be big in the coming years, and that means software engineers will need new skills to design, develop, and implement programs that run in the cloud environment. Those who are familiar with Windows Azure, Google App Engine, VMware's Spring Framework, Force.com, and other cloud development platforms will be a step ahead of the game.

Demo or Die

There I was, leading a Scrum team that wanted nothing to do with giving a sprint demo − A demo where the team shows the software created during a two week sprint.  This isn't a negotiable point in Scrum because if you skip the demo you have no feedback to improve your product and make great software.

Jeff Sutherland discusses demos and how one of his teams received too much feedback, almost giving up on demos.

What about my team?  They gave the demo, and the customer loved it.  The initial demo fear evaporated and the team gave demos like clockwork.

Agile Portfolio Management

Jochen Krebs tells us how to manage an Agile Project Portfolio.  Of course this approach helps managers be more flexible compared to traditional portfolio management.

In the traditional model, managers say "No" to a project after it has become a troubled and wayward child.  In an Agile Portfolio, managers say "Yes" to projects at each review period. Remember, Agile values working code so if a project is canceled, completed user stories become part of the code base and can be used in other projects.

And if your organization wants to release in a stepwise fashion,  Agile Portfolios allow you to release software even if the entire backlog of features has not been completed.

Lean with Options

Lean software development takes concepts from Toyota's Lean Manufacturing system and applies them to software.

In this InfoQ article, you will learn how Real Options can be used with Lean.

Real Options strategic thinking helps you to defer commitments to the last responsible moment.  Here are some ways to frame problems as options:

• Option to Wait
• Option to Learn
• Option to Switch

At one time I heard Real Options described as a competitive advantage:  "It's like playing a game of ice hockey and your team is wearing skates while the other guys are wearing tennis shoes."

Nancy Duarte Ted Talk

In an iTunes guitar lesson, Colbie Caillat refers to guitar chords as shapes − Same shape, two frets up.  Colbie recognizes patterns.  She takes melodies and shapes and turns them into winning songs.

No need for Nancy Duarte to fret about her Ted Talk.  She also recognizes patterns. While researching how story concepts can be used in presentations she found the hidden shape of great presentations.

What does the shape look like?  Watch her scintillating talk from TEDXEast to see it.  She goes on to compare Steve Jobs' iPhone launch presentation with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.  Guess what?  The shapes match.

People who master their craft often find patterns.  And the great ones organize and present those shapes and patterns to us in a thrilling story.

Technical Debt

If you've ever waited for an IT department to deliver new features for your business application only to find a product riddled with bugs, you know what technical debt is.  Technical debt is like consumer debt.  Too much and you're inflexible.

You can't take your dream vacation, or buy a new car or even afford tuition at the community college.  You're unable to enjoy life's new features.

Alan Shalloway, CEO of Net Objectives, explains why technical debt limits software's new features. He uses the metaphor of a pipeline to show that when technical debt increases, the interest penalty is fewer and fewer new features.

Who Manages Agile Development

In the Scrum software methodology the development team is self managing.  That means a project manager doesn't tell them how to do their job.  You see, the team manages itself.

Truth is, in Scrum there is more micromanagement than in traditional project management. Mike Cohn explains this in his post − Agile is all about micromanaging.

Scrum or Extreme Programming provides a frame that creates a fast feedback loop with team members, allowing self management.  Consider Mike's example of Pair programming and how it eliminates the tendency of programmers to add cool features that are not within the project's scope.