Talking to friends in software orgs recently, I've been struck by commonalities across countries and sectors:
Executives are driving "efficiency," by which they mean maximizing time spent on direct value-creation activities.
BUT there's a tacit, industry-wide assumption that writing code is the only value-creating activity and that all coding generates value.
It's like everyone has prioritized instantaneous boat speed and abandoned navigation and maintenance.
Such a reckoning coming...
@Avner @c0dec0dec0de I agree and feel the same way about nixing features and products too!
Simplicity, manageability... these things are so valuable.
@elizayer @c0dec0dec0de yes! It really bugs me, no pun intended, that things like stability and, as you say, manageability are rarely considered "features" by the product managers I've worked with.
Not that they don't sometimes acknowledge their importance, mind you, just that those are considered "engineering work" as opposed to "feature work."
@Avner @c0dec0dec0de Haha, I gave a conference talk a long time ago called "The most toxic concept in product management." What was the most toxic concept? You guessed it: "feature"!
I see the separation as highly problematic... but I also acknowledge that I'm a marginal voice, getting really out of step with that community. Sigh.
@elizayer @c0dec0dec0de I would love to see that!
It also doesn't help that engineering teams often operate from the same mindset.
Elizabeth Ayer
0xC0DEC0DE07EA
Avner