SD Times article by Jason English
Developers write code, thereby codifying software’s internal rules and outward appearances.
Programming is not a belief system – it’s part of computer science for a reason. There is a systematic approach for improving development expertise, gathering and analyzing data, and proving or disproving that the software works. Logic and data are codified in software and in our processes around creating software.
The human influences of societal norms or religion should have little to do with the quality or performance of the software a group of developers can churn out.
Ideology precedes architecture
A particular ideology for codifying technology sets an organization apart from its peers. When team members share beliefs and behaviors, the resulting products can gain consistency in design and utility that ‘just makes sense’ to customers who resonate with the approach.
The company’s founder, or an executive can set the tone for an organization of course – think Steve Jobs or Andy Grove. But for software development, an ideology is usually more than a cult of personality.
Development teams with shared ideology can perceive and respond to opportunities and challenges as a group, like flocks of birds that seem to magically change direction.
The codification of the group’s encouraged and discouraged behaviors can take many forms, including a predilection for certain technologies or methodologies. In this sense, an ideology establishes an organizational intent that influences the architecture of delivered software.
A services methodology is not an ideology
A lot of services companies tout an overarching Agile or DevOps methodology, a ‘customer first’ mentality, or ‘proven processes’ for delivering great work. A skeptic sees these as branding exercises to give clients confidence and recruit better developers.
As analysts, we have a hard time evaluating and comparing services offerings as they relate to product value, except when they relate directly to product delivery and training, or operationalization of a SaaS solution for customers.
