Engineering Excellence Archives - unblocked.engineering

Why We Need to Stop Measuring (Developer) Productivity — Part 2

September 23, 2023

Measuring developer productivity is a flawed endeavor; it often replaces uncertain realities with misleading certainties. While metrics can offer insights, they cannot directly quantify productivity. Instead of seeking elusive measures, focus on understanding and eliminating barriers to engineers’ best work. After all, nurturing an environment for outstanding work is a more valid approach to enhancing productivity.

Why We Need to Stop Measuring (Developer) Productivity — Part 1

September 16, 2023

Productivity metrics, once useful for traditional businesses, are now outdated, especially for developers. Relying on these numbers can harm businesses. Metrics can be misleading, causing negative practices. We need to prioritize trust and communication over mere numbers. This article urges a rethinking of our approach to productivity.

Company Culture determines Product Quality

September 9, 2023

Explore the link between company culture and product quality. Learn how effective communication and organizational flexibility contribute to meeting customer expectations and improving products.

Improving Developer Experience, Level 4: Optimizing Feedback Loops: Tools, Tests, and Teamwork

September 2, 2023

A responsive development environment, automated tests managed by engineers, and distinct deployments from releases are key. Embrace real-time code reviews for immediate insights. The intersection of automation, collaboration, and swift feedback defines developer success. How are your feedback loops?

Improving Developer Experience, Level 3: The Triad of Clarity, Focus, and Flow

August 26, 2023

In the world of Developer Experience, three main elements stand out: Clarity, Focus, and Flow. Clarity provides clear direction for engineers. Focus helps them concentrate without distractions. Flow is when everything just works seamlessly. When these three come together, teams can achieve top-notch results

Improving Developer Experience: Starting with Psychological Safety, Team Stability, and Work-Life Balance

August 12, 2023

Improving Developer Experience is pivotal for fostering creativity and driving innovation. Rooted in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this article delves into the essentials: psychological safety, where trust and open communication reign; team stability, ensuring productivity amidst consistent team dynamics; and work-life balance, prioritizing personal well-being alongside work responsibilities. Prioritize these, and witness enhanced performance, engagement, and overall organizational success.

Measuring Developer Experience – A Balanced Approach

August 5, 2023

Unlocking the nuances of Developer Experience (DevEx) can feel like trying to measure the immeasurable. This article delves into a balanced approach, capturing a comprehensive view of DevEx using surveys, eNPS, retrospectives, metrics, turnover rates, feedback channels, and 1-on-1s.

11 Tips to Prevent Survey Fatigue in Your Organization

July 29, 2023

This article offers 11 practical tips to combat survey fatigue, a common issue when gathering developer experience insights. Key strategies include clarifying survey purpose, simplifying content, making it engaging, reducing frequency, timing it well, and ensuring optional anonymity. These tactics aim to enhance participation, improve the quality of responses, and ultimately, derive more accurate data to enhance the developer experience within an organization. Be mindful of incentivizing, as it may affect the sincerity of responses. These strategies are designed to provide a more efficient and effective surveying approach.

Ways to Decrease Performance: Daily Standups

July 22, 2023

Teams are encouraged to experiment with new ways of working, reflecting on their processes and continuously adapting to ensure they are not merely ‘doing agile’ but truly being agile in their approach.

Exploring the concept of daily standups, this article challenges their routine use in agile teams and urges teams to question their effectiveness. Highlighting various issues such as fostering individualism, leading to irrelevant information exchange, and potentially delaying the addressing of obstacles, it sheds light on the unexpected pitfalls of this common practice.

Category: Engineering Excellence