Athletes get better when they receive good coaching. So do software developers. But the playing fields are very different, and so is the coaching.
Why it matters: As investments in software have risen, so have expectations. Your department’s budget keeps increasing–does its output?
- Visibility (observability) and pressure are not always bad things. Stars seek out bright lights. Promotions come to those who deliver under pressure.
- Stars get the spotlight, but most accomplishments are the result of a talented team. Unheralded does not mean unimportant.
- Regardless of who gets the spotlight, the efforts of the team need to be watched, and coached.
But, but, but: You can’t find or afford enough coaches to provide one-on-one real-time feedback. You need technology to provide leverage — in the form of engineering metrics.
The bottom line: The process of developing software can be made better by… software. Observability software, to be precise. Helping developers be more effective has great business value, but even more human value. What’s the value of happier employees?
