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December 08, 2006
How to run a large software development organization
Recently I've been thinking a lot about how to run a large software development organization. Here's what I have put together so far. I think these areas are important to focus on:
People: It all starts there, everyone says it, but you have to live this, get the right people in, set them up for success and get out of their way.
Quality: I've always experienced that asking people for the highest quality product is essential to delivering good software. There is plenty of pressure for fast, for breadth, for cheap. Holding a high standard for quality helps keep people focused on building the right thing and not the easy thing. One of the ways I drive quality is by focusing on automated testing and continuous builds.
Metrics & Methods: The right lightweight process plus the right metrics for an organization drive behavior. I like scrum/XP + bug metrics, I'm still looking for the right value metrics.
Architecture: You need to make sure that the codebase has the right architecture. So much is tied up here that it is hard to do justice to the idea. I usually make sure that the right technical oversight is in place and the people involved are empowered to enforce the correct technical architecture.
Posted by Chris at December 8, 2006 05:01 PM