Scrum Alliance’s Post

A way to decrease defects to get better results..

In 2023, it's rarer to hear folks say it, but I still get people - particularly from traditional QA backgrounds - making the case for testing later in the development cycle (even going as far as "Just ship it and the users can test it for us"). There are good reasons why this is bad advice. We've known for decades now that the cost of fixing a bug rises exponentially the more time elapses before it's discovered. Scott Ambler perhaps explains it best in this post that correlates the cost of changing code with the length of the feedback loops involved. https://lnkd.in/ehpSXaRb If I make a change to the code I'm working on and my fast-running developer tests fail immediately, it's a small job to fix it. I don't need to wait for the bug to be reported. I don't need to wait for the fix to be scheduled. I don't need to reacquaint myself with that code. I don't need to wait for someone downstream to tell me the fix worked. I don't need to wait for the next release for the fix to make it into the product. I can fix it there and then. And if I can't, I can just revert the code back to the last working state if I've got my version control seat belt on. If I make a change to the code and it's picked up days or even weeks later by a QA team, I've already moved on. Now, fixing that bug is a kerfuffle. And if it slips through QA and makes it into the hands of end users, a major kerfuffle. Testing later multiplies the cost of removing bugs. So much so that it's not at all uncommon in that approach for teams to end up doing almost nothing but bug fixing after a while. Development of new features and potentially valuable changes grinds to a halt. As does the delivery cycle, as stabilising the product to make it fit for release takes longer and longer. This is the value proposition of developer testing. More bugs discovered sooner. Ideally, as soon as they're introduced. This is why it's treated as a foundational skill in the Code Craft Academy road map I've been developing, alongside version control (seat belts for programmers) and refactoring. We can shift testing even further to the left in our dev process, introducing testing into design (e.g., acceptance testing with UI mock-ups, and guided inspection using sequence diagrams), and even into the requirements discussions. I encourage teams to bring testing experts into discussions with customers about what we expect the software to do. An edge case missed in a requirements meeting that would have taken moments to address can become a big deal if it makes it into a working product. In the 90s, methodologies recommended testing software "early and often". In the spirit of Extreme Programming, where we turn all the dials up to 11 or down to zero, we should test continuously and right from the start. And testing experts should be on hand throughout. A testing expert* is worth 100x in a requirements chat what they're worth in traditional pre-release QA. * Note my use of "testing expert" instead of "tester"

Is #agile a good thing, at least in #softwaredevelopment? It can be, in the right environment. But it can also be a very bad thing in the wrong one. This article summarizes pretty well what agile programming can be at its worst. https://lnkd.in/gS9g83VA

Observability for Agile Development: Why It’s a Game Changer, by Markus Westergren. "Feedback is at the core of agile development. We strive to improve and shorten the feedback loops wherever we can. We do code reviews, ask for customer feedback, and run automatic test suites to locate regressions in functionality and performance. However, there is an often overlooked feedback loop where we can gain important insights." Read more: https://lnkd.in/dWijd5gx #observability #agile #programming #otel #java #kotlin

Interesting! A few recent conversations / articles here on LinkedIn got me thinking... One colleague is investigating the possibility that CI/CD might be the key practice (or first principle) for the delivery of value. Another colleague posted an article describing BDD, TDD, and CI/CD as the most important practices towards effective software development in a "post-Agile" world. And there have been numerous mentions recently of the awesome power of TDD. What's interesting to me is the resurgence of attention on developer/engineering practices! Less attention being paid to the daily scrum, the sprint, estimation, or other non-engineering-focused team practices (however important). Huh. Imagine that. What if the true keys to successful delivery of valuable software were known to us Extreme Programming (XP) aficionados for almost 30 years! Shocking. Truly shocking. One might even say "INCONCEIVABLE!" 😜 Here's an old article I wrote about four of those XP practices: Test-first (TDD and or BDD), CI and/or CD (depending on the needs of the consumers), continuous collaboration (pair and/or ensemble programming), and refactoring. (Don't misunderstand me: There are certainly others that are less code-centric, like collective stewardship, buffer time, continuous learning, and retrospectives [IMHO *the* defining "Agile" practice]. Sharing this because I'm wanting to amplify this trendy trend back to my good old XP days!) https://lnkd.in/gmJTbN8

Programmers : Change Your Code = Agile was created by 17 Dev Lead dudes. It is really sad to see Agile has completely destroyed the Dev Lead role. Now this is the case: 1) Dev Leads are completely ignored since Scrum, the screaming Agile method, only recognizes Developers. As a result Managers (i.e, Stakeholders) only talk with sanctioned abstraction: Product Owners or Scrum Masters 2) Where Dev Leads are not ignored, they are encouraged to become Scrum Masters. That is the beginning of the end of a once illustrious career. A Dev Lead is completely finished by Agile Bureaucracy by three years. Rowan Smith has labeled me as a toxic fume emitter. Do I have any evidence that this is not another polluting post? Folks I present you Kyle Simpson. Kyle is a recognized Dev Lead in the JavaScript community. He has been on the job hunt for months - no luck. In my observation it is due to no differentiation being acorded to Dev Lead role and I solely blame the Agile commoditized Feature Factory development bazaar established over the last 20+ years. Here is Kyle's latest post. = I'm insistent on finding a role/org that wants a true Principal+ engineer whơ's at least as much focused on using technical contributions (coding) to empower/enable others as they are writing lines of code. What I am finding is that many organizations *say* they believe this is important, to have highly experienced system-level thinkers who solve org-wide issues. But, these organizations really just feel that the only thing they need from their engineers, when it comes down to it, is more lines of code. IOW, they see it as one or the other: either you're technical, which means you write code, and anything else is secondary. Or you're (mostly) non-technical, in which case they value you far less since they aren't getting lines of code out of you. There's no meaningful vision for how these two can be paired in one individual. Companies can talk like they value all the other stuff besides lines of code, but their actions speak louder. They're unwilling to admit it, but for the only problems they know how to articulate, they believe they're only solvable with lots more lines of code. I don't know if I'm going to find an organization who truly values the holistic balance in focus and effort. But am definitely not going to take a job on either extreme and just fake like that's enough. It's not. So maybe that means my options for employment just don't much exist right now. But companies should value this stuff, so I'm going to keep offering it until I find something, or run out of time/options. Plans B and C are entirely different career paths, so that's on the horizon. = Satisfied with the evidence?? That is why I titled this post as: Programmers : Change Your Code Programmers - you code for others. Have you looked at the Code for your Career? Do you know this word Fungible Agile promotes Fungibility. I will rather have AI win the Code Monkey War. Good luck Kyle!

C# and Agile: Crafting Future-Proof Software in a Dynamic World 🌐✨ Ever felt like juggling while coding? That's Agile with C# in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Agile isn’t just a methodology; it’s the lifeblood of adaptable, resilient software development, especially when paired with the robustness of C#. 🔄💻 C# and Agile are akin to peanut butter and jelly — different, yet when combined, they create something exceptional. Agile’s iterative approach complements C#’s versatility, enabling rapid responses to change and fostering continuous improvement. Here’s a snapshot of my journey intertwining Agile with C# development: 🔹 Iterative Design: Embracing the SOLID principles within C#, I found that refining code incrementally led to robust and maintainable systems. 🔹 Test-Driven Development (TDD): With Agile, TDD in C# became a game-changer — ensuring that each sprint delivered not just new features but stable and bug-resistant modules. 🔹 Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD): Utilising DevOps tools compatible with C#, we could push code more frequently and reliably, keeping pace with stakeholder demands. 🔹 Scrum Ceremonies: Daily stand-ups, sprints, and retrospectives brought the team's efforts into sharp focus, aligning our C# development with business objectives. Real-world example? Imagine creating a mobile app with Xamarin in C#. Agile’s flexibility allowed us to pivot when user feedback demanded a UI overhaul, without derailing the project timeline. As Martin Fowler states, “The design is an iterative process. You can't get it right the first time. So the only option is to get it wrong fast, and then fix it.” That’s Agile and C# for you. In an industry where change is the only constant, Agile ensures your C# projects are not just finished lines but evolving paths to excellence. Let’s exchange ideas 💡 - how has Agile shaped your development practices? Tag a colleague who’s riding the Agile wave in C# or any language for that matter! #AgileDevelopment #CSharp #SoftwareEngineering #DevOps #ContinuousImprovement #Innovation #CTOInsights #TechLeadership #agile

The Agile approach to software development has become a popular way for teams to work. And in this handbook, Adekola explains how the whole process works & why it's useful. You'll learn about Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and much more.

Welcome to Day 11/15 of Software Testing Journey , Hey Software Enthusiasts ! Today we are discussing about Test-Driven Development (TDD) 🚀 Unlocking the Power of Test-Driven Development (TDD) in Agile Environments 🚀 Ever wondered how some teams consistently deliver high-quality software at a rapid pace? One of the key practices they leverage is Test-Driven Development (TDD). Here's a quick dive into what TDD is, its benefits, and its perfect synergy with agile development practices. 🔍 What is TDD? Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a development methodology where tests are written before the code itself. This approach involves a simple cycle: Write a test for the new functionality. Write the minimum code needed to pass the test. Refactor the code for optimization and clarity. 🎯 Benefits of TDD: Higher Code Quality: Writing tests first helps in creating robust, bug-free code. Better Design: Encourages thoughtful design and modular, maintainable code. Faster Debugging: Easy to locate and fix issues thanks to comprehensive test coverage. Documentation: Tests act as living documentation for the codebase. Continuous Feedback: Immediate feedback on the impact of changes. 💡 TDD in Agile Development: TDD and agile development are a match made in heaven. Agile’s iterative approach and emphasis on continuous feedback align perfectly with TDD’s cycle of writing tests and then developing code to pass those tests. 🔄 How TDD Enhances Agile Practices: Continuous Integration: Frequent testing ensures stable, reliable code is continuously integrated. Collaborative Development: Shared tests foster team collaboration and collective code ownership. Customer-Centric: Ensures that delivered functionalities meet user needs and adapt to feedback swiftly. By incorporating TDD into your agile workflow, you can achieve a seamless, efficient, and high-quality development process. Ready to take your software development to the next level? 🚀 Warm Regards Jitesh Sharma (Embedded Firmware Developer) #TDD #TestDrivenDevelopment #Agile #SoftwareDevelopment #CodeQuality #ContinuousIntegration #TechTips

The Agile approach to software development has become a popular way for teams to work. And in this handbook, Adekola explains how it all works and why it's useful. You'll learn about Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and much more.