Software is a very fluid realm, and the ebbs and flow move quickly. Moore’s Law in hardware is dragging software with it, if the software isn’t already pushing the hardware itself. Often people ask, what’s next? Days Gone By I remember when I first started as a Software Engineer back in 2000. I cut my […]
Are there fires occurring on your projects? You know the ones: We have a major delivery coming, and the testers just found 12 new defects. The user study uncovered a missing feature, and we were just about ready for delivery. Management changed the direction of the project halfway through. Oh, and, by the way, project […]
As professional football gets back in the swing of things, I’m reminded of one of the iconic plays from the sport: the Hail Mary. You have to score, but you have no time left and you’re on the wrong side of the field. So, what do you do? You throw the ball way up and […]
Burger King used to have a marketing campaign for “Have It Your Way”. For a restaurant setting, it’s nice to be able to customize the normal menu for our tastes. But what does “Have It Your Way” really mean for our software clients? What’s on the menu for a successful project? Diagnose the Problem When […]
A coworker and I were discussing issues that impact a project’s delivery or feature set. While throwing ideas around, I mentioned that we get hit by icebergs that disrupt our flow. He said, “What’s an iceberg?” Knowledge Iceberg When I typically think of an iceberg on a project, I think of a feature or epic […]
5 Ways All Software Projects are Product Replacements
I was updating my bio at work for the last few projects I’ve been on since I was between projects. I looked back at some of the projects I’ve worked on and remembered the “good ol’ times”. Some projects were executed well and the client appreciated the outcome (read: warm fuzzies), while others produced a […]
The more things change… The beginning of summer at SEP usually means new hires. While a few newbs come from other companies with experience already (so they aren’t really newbs), a lot we hire come fresh out of college. Thus, our vernacular: “Fresh Out” (noun) A new employee to the company, hired directly after they […]
When it comes to developing software, you can play buzzword bingo with the processes and methodologies thrown around: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Acceptance Test Driven Development, Feature Driven Development, etc. Some seem more vetted than others. But at the end of the day, you are the person that needs to know what’s right for you and […]
SEP is celebrating its 25th anniversary of being in business. Employees of all experiences are reminiscing on the past and speculating on the future. The Question Do you remember when someone (usually a guidance counselor or a potential employer) would ask, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m not sure why, but I always hated […]
