Decision-making for Software Development Teams
Decision-making for Software Development Teams
Learn how to make mindful decisions in complex software ecosystems
About the Book
Decision-making is a vital skill for every senior software developer. Some of these decisions are easy to spot. For example, choosing a language or a framework for a new shiny greenfield project. Other ones are hidden in plain sight.
Alas, decision-making is often an undervalued skill that most developers do not study or train.
This book aims to introduce developers to some theoretical concepts about decisions and to put them in practice with exercises explained with real-life examples.
Table of Contents
Preface: Why a book on decision-making for developers?
Chapter 1: Decision-making anti-patterns
Chapter 2: A decision-making process
Chapter 3: Involve the right people
Chapter 4: Gather data - Business needs
Chapter 5: Gather Data - Users
Chapter 6: Gather Data - Context
Chapter 7: Choose non-functional requirements
Chapter 8: Comparing solutions
Chapter 9: A decision-making meeting: a use case
Chapter 10: Deciding how to decide
Appendix A: Interviews
Appendix B: Cynefin Framework
About the Author
About the Contributors
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
-
Preface
- Why a book on decision-making for developers?
- Who is this book for
- What does this book cover
- Bonus: My growth as a decision-maker
- The Frameworkless Movement
- Consultancy
-
Chapter 1: Decision-making anti-patterns
- 1.1 Hype-driven development
- 1.2 The usual path
- 1.3 The expert
- 1.4 Rage-driven decisions
- 1.5 The role of company culture
- Summary
-
Chapter 2: A decision-making process
- 2.1 Ingredients for a better technical decision-making
- 2.2 My basic decision-making process
- 2.3 How to design your own process
- Summary
-
Chapter 3: Involve the right people
- 3.1 The software development team
- 3.2 Explore power structures
- 3.3 Whom to involve?
- Summary
-
Chapter 4: Gather data - Business needs
- 4.1 Know the reason why
- 4.2 Business Model Canvas
- 4.3 Value Proposition Canvas
- 4.4 Elevator pitch
- Summary
-
Chapter 5: Gather Data - Users
- 5.1 The UX data journey
- 5.2 In which ways can UX design inform the development process?
- 5.3 UX designers and developers collaboration
- Summary
-
Chapter 6: Gather Data - Context
- 6.1 Knowing the “Age”
- 6.2 Knowing the team
- 6.3 Express Constraints
- Summary
-
Chapter 7: Choose non-functional requirements
- 7.1 Introducing non-functional requirements
- 7.2 Select NFRs
- 7.3 Visualizing NFRs
- 7.4 Output Versus Outcome
- Summary
-
Chapter 8: Comparing solutions
- 8.1 The Last Responsible Moment
- 8.2 The fishbowl
- 8.3 Pros/Cons/Fixes
- 8.4 Visual Comparison
- 8.5 Weighted Ranking
- 8.5.1 Fitness Functions
- 8.6 Mixing Tools
- Summary
-
Chapter 9: A decision-making meeting: a use case
- 9.1 The Setting
- 9.2 Preparatory calls
- 9.3 Check-in
- 9.4 Involve the right people
- 9.5 Gather Data
- 9.6 Choose non-functional requirements
- 9.7 My Comments
- Summary
-
Chapter 10: Deciding how to decide
- 10.1: Classify decisions: the Impact/Reversibility map
- 10.2 Choosing the right tool for the right job
- 10.3 Who should decide?
- 10.4 Transforming Decisions
- 10.5 Other methods to classify decisions
- Summary
-
Appendix A: Interviews
- Alessandro Calzavara
- Antonio Dell’Ava
- Erin Casali
- Marco Calzolari
- Lorenzo Massacci
- Francesco Tassi
- Appendix B: Cynefin Framework
- Bibliography
- Notes
About the Publisher
This book is published on Leanpub by Avanscoperta
Avanscoperta is the go-to learning space for software developers and any professional involved in the digital ecosystem.
As a publisher, we want to help some of our most innovative trainers and collaborators to formalize their wisdom in books.
We are a growing community of professionals and we share a great passion for learning: we like exchanging experiences and ideas, and exploring uncharted territories within the software world in its broadest possible meaning.
Our goal is to spread knowledge independently from the format (courses, publications, talks...) so getting into books seemed obvious.
We strongly believe that high quality always pays off. We carefully select the most relevant topics and the best trainers and thought leaders worldwide. We prefer practical teaching approaches, even in the remote scenario, with an eye for the most engaging teaching techniques. Start from the problems, not from the solutions: that’s the guiding principle we always stick to when building our educational offer.
We want to turn the software world into a better place, and we do all we can to make it happen, one step at a time, learning something new every day. That’s why our motto is We Are Learners!
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