software development

The Standup

Each morning the team gathered to speak of yesterday, today, and blockers. A new developer asked the senior, “Why do we do this every day?” The senior replied, “So that we remember we are not alone.” The developer asked, “But I am blocked by nothing and working on the same thing as yesterday.” The senior […]

The Code Generator

The developer built a tool that wrote code automatically. Thousands of lines appeared instantly. The senior developer asked, “Who understands this generated code?” The developer replied, “The generator does.” “And who understands the generator?” Sitting with the Koan Code generators represent one of the most transformative shifts in modern software development. They promise speed, consistency, […]

The Technical Debt

“We must pay down this debt!” declared the team lead. The senior developer asked, “If you pay it all, what will you owe then?” And, “Who is the creditor of technical debt?” Reflections We speak of technical debt as if it were a financial obligation, complete with interest rates and creditors waiting impatiently for payment. […]