CraftConf [Preview] "Empathy - The Hidden Ingredient of Good Software Development"
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The document discusses the importance of empathy in software development, highlighting that understanding user experiences and emotions is crucial for creating effective technology. It outlines core principles such as knowing oneself and others, seeking feedback, and emphasizes empathy in requirements gathering, architecture, development, operations, and leadership. The presentation concludes by reiterating that empathy is akin to a muscle that requires regular exercise to strengthen.
CraftConf [Preview] "Empathy - The Hidden Ingredient of Good Software Development"
- 3. A typical software development debacle… Me: I think we’re some missing empathy here… Dev: Is that a JavaScript framework? Empathy.js? Me: No, no – shared understanding... Dev: Is it a new communication style? RxEmpathy? Me: No, I mean thinking about the needs and feelings of your (customer|team mate|boss|internet troll) Dev: ... 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 6. @danielbryantuk • Chief Scientist at OpenCredo • Agile, Architecture, CI/CD, DevOps • Microservices, cloud, containers • Driving change through the application of technology and teams • London Java Community Associate • InfoQ Editor, DZone MVB, Voxxed… • Conference regular: Devoxx, JavaOne, QCon… 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 7. The next 30 minutes • Core principles • Empathy in the real world • Requirements gathering • Architecture and development • Operations • Leadership 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 9. Core themes in the presentation • Know yourself • Who we are determines how we see others (emotional intelligence) • The first person we must examine is ourselves • Know others • The world – with one exception – is composed of others • We can lift people up or take people down • Seek rapid feedback • No one gets it right all the time 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 13. Requirements gathering Because we’re creating software for other people 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 14. IT as conversational medium • Agile • Start with why (impact) • Design thinking • Empathy • Ethnography • Abductive thinking • Iterative user testing 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 16. Personas • Represent a major user group • Express needs and expectations • Uncovering universal features and functionality • Describe real people with backgrounds, goals, and values 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 18. Ethnography - “Get out of the building” • www.notonthehighstreet.com • “In your shoes” • Large UK retailer • “Shop floor time” • My own experiences… 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 19. Core themes - requirements • Know yourself • Identify your bias (as much as possible) • What impact am I seeking (start with why)? • Know others • Seek to understand users • Visit users in their natural habitat • Seek rapid feedback • Prototyping • Build, measure, learn 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 21. Architecture • Shared understanding • Architects must code • Risk management • Technical • Stakeholder • ‘Just enough’ upfront design 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 24. Coding • All code is communication • ”Clean Code” • Wikis and READMEs “Always code as if the person who ends up maintaining your code is a violent psychopath who knows where you live.” -Jeff Atwood blog.codinghorror.com/coding-for-violent-psychopaths/ 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 25. Systems thinking – the user journey • Understand the user journey • “Shift left” QA • Three amigos • ”Quality Advocates” • BDD and TDD • Outside in 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 26. Core themes – architecture and dev • Know yourself • Check your communication skills • Know others • Solution-focused • Think outside-in • Seek rapid feedback • Prototype 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 30. “Developer-on-call” An occasional spike to the head is a good thing... ...metaphorically speaking • You build it, you run it • Accountability • Shared responsibility • Communication 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 31. DevOps - it’s not a department • Pair with developers • Treat operators are stakeholders • Involve in standups • Communication face-to-face 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 32. Outside-in (and systems) thinking • Lineage-driven fault injection • Semantic monitoring • Avoiding alert fatigue 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk www.infoq.com/presentations/failure-test-research-netflix
- 33. Core themes - operations • Know yourself • Seek freedom and accountability • Know others • Dev-on-call / DevOps • Think outside-in • Seek rapid feedback • Semantic monitoring (systems) 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 35. Leadership • Know yourself • Big five personality traits, MBTI, meditation • Know others • Engineers (including myself) can be a funny interesting bunch! • Care about the team (their stories, journey, motivation…) • Coaching is a valuable skills • Seek rapid feedback • 360 feedback 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 38. Final thoughts • Know yourself • Who we are determines how we see others • The first person we must examine is ourselves • Know others • The world – with one exception – is composed of others • We can lift people up or take people down • Seek rapid feedback • No one gets it right all the time 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk
- 39. The rest is up to you… Thanks to all the OpenCredo team and Tareq Abedrabbo for inspiration @danielbryantuk daniel.bryant@opencredo.com www.opencredo.com 25/04/2016 @danielbryantuk