Comments on: FlexDev http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/ Lidor Wyssocky's Blog on Optimizing Software Development Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:57:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on FlexDev by: Business Process Management Software Html http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-34851 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:46:29 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-34851 <strong>Purchasing Inventory Management Software for Process Manufacturing Businesses</strong> Reducing inventory management costs is an essential and integral part of any business, but none more so than in the process manufacturing business. Proper inventory management can make a real difference in obtaining and retaining a competitive edge in ... Purchasing Inventory Management Software for Process Manufacturing Businesses

Reducing inventory management costs is an essential and integral part of any business, but none more so than in the process manufacturing business. Proper inventory management can make a real difference in obtaining and retaining a competitive edge in …

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: Lidor Wyssocky http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-12175 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 11:07:28 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-12175 Of course you are right, Alistair. If it wasn't clear, the FlexDev "marketing" stuff should not be taken too seriously. What should be taken seriously is the fact that common sense is often abandoned in favor of marketing hypes or theological debates. You quoted me as saying "everything is allowed", but that refers just the pool of options. Of course some solutions are better than others... but in a certain context. If you know this, and you analyze your needs and constraints properly, you won't let the garbage in: you will filter it out. You will then have a better chance of succeeding than by sticking to a certain process as described by what could be best referred to as a cult. Lidor Of course you are right, Alistair.

If it wasn’t clear, the FlexDev “marketing” stuff should not be taken too seriously. What should be taken seriously is the fact that common sense is often abandoned in favor of marketing hypes or theological debates.

You quoted me as saying “everything is allowed”, but that refers just the pool of options. Of course some solutions are better than others… but in a certain context. If you know this, and you analyze your needs and constraints properly, you won’t let the garbage in: you will filter it out. You will then have a better chance of succeeding than by sticking to a certain process as described by what could be best referred to as a cult.

Lidor

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: Alistair Cockburn http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-9112 Sat, 24 Feb 2007 01:49:41 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-9112 Lidor --- I keep hoping you will notice the little self-contradiction you've gotten yourself into. The moment you named your (non-)methodology "FlexDev", you immediately bought into the exact problem you mention in the paragraph below... simply substitute "FlexDev" for the phrase "any other methodology name". &#62; It's a catch-22 --- if you don't name it, no one can refer to it; if you do name it, you immediately get trapped in theological discussions, as has happened on this page. If you allow anything, then you allow more garbage than you intend; if you exclude anything, then you are back to the theological arguments. Welcome to the club. Alistair Cockburn Lidor — I keep hoping you will notice the little self-contradiction you’ve gotten yourself into. The moment you named your (non-)methodology “FlexDev”, you immediately bought into the exact problem you mention in the paragraph below… simply substitute “FlexDev” for the phrase “any other methodology name”.

>

It’s a catch-22 — if you don’t name it, no one can refer to it; if you do name it, you immediately get trapped in theological discussions, as has happened on this page. If you allow anything, then you allow more garbage than you intend; if you exclude anything, then you are back to the theological arguments.

Welcome to the club.

Alistair Cockburn

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: technical - uttaruk.com » Flexible Software Development (aka FlexDev) http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-7550 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:14:53 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-7550 [...] Lidor Wyssocky had a post about the way process should be grown out of project needs and he calls that Flexible Software Development (or FlexDev). He basically argues that people should not be bought into any kind of development processes (e.g. RUP, XP, Scrum) or practices (e.g. TDD, pair programming), instead they should just work out a process of their own during the development life-cycle, depending on the project needs. This can be summarized by the following statement of Lidor [...] […] Lidor Wyssocky had a post about the way process should be grown out of project needs and he calls that Flexible Software Development (or FlexDev). He basically argues that people should not be bought into any kind of development processes (e.g. RUP, XP, Scrum) or practices (e.g. TDD, pair programming), instead they should just work out a process of their own during the development life-cycle, depending on the project needs. This can be summarized by the following statement of Lidor […]

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: Buu Nguyen’s Blog » Blog Archive » Flexible Software Development (aka FlexDev) http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-7548 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:42:33 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-7548 [...] Lidor Wyssocky had a post about the way process should be grown out of project needs and he calls that Flexible Software Development (or FlexDev). He basically argues that people should not be bought into any kind of development processes (e.g. RUP, XP, Scrum) or practices (e.g. TDD, pair programming), instead they should just work out a process of their own during the development life-cycle, depending on the project needs. This can be summarized by the following statement of Lidor [...] […] Lidor Wyssocky had a post about the way process should be grown out of project needs and he calls that Flexible Software Development (or FlexDev). He basically argues that people should not be bought into any kind of development processes (e.g. RUP, XP, Scrum) or practices (e.g. TDD, pair programming), instead they should just work out a process of their own during the development life-cycle, depending on the project needs. This can be summarized by the following statement of Lidor […]

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: Tom Harris http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-2013 Sat, 30 Sep 2006 22:18:52 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-2013 Here's another one: http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/Crosstalk/2003/07/sheard.html Ends with A truly successful effort will result when a company develops specific solutions to its specific concerns. Here’s another one:

http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/Crosstalk/2003/07/sheard.html

Ends with

A truly successful effort will result when a company develops specific solutions to its specific concerns.

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: Tom Harris http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-2012 Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:44:54 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-2012 Watch out -- FlexDev is getting popular. But seriously, here's another clear thinker: http://ryan-technorabble.blogspot.com/2006/09/try-your-best-agile-and-why-we-cant.html He ends with At best, you could come up with a new group, like “The Workable Code Movement™”, that’s a subset of practices if that’s what you want. Watch out — FlexDev is getting popular.

But seriously, here’s another clear thinker:

http://ryan-technorabble.blogspot.com/2006/09/try-your-best-agile-and-why-we-cant.html

He ends with

At best, you could come up with a new group, like “The Workable Code Movement™”, that’s a subset of practices if that’s what you want.

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: FlexDev - Pliant: ¿llega la era post-ágil? ¦ METODOLOGÍAS ÁGILES http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-1098 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 07:58:54 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-1098 [...] FlexDev: afirma que se debe de implementar el desarrollo óptimo para cada proyecto. Nada de tener un proceso estático que se aplique a todos los proyectos. Dependiendo del proyecto, se implementa un proceso. [...] […] FlexDev: afirma que se debe de implementar el desarrollo óptimo para cada proyecto. Nada de tener un proceso estático que se aplique a todos los proyectos. Dependiendo del proyecto, se implementa un proceso. […]

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: pliantalliance.org » FlexDev, Pliant, Post-Agilism, FooBar http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-756 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:08:08 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-756 [...] I&#8217;ve come across yet another independant redefinition of what pliantalliance.org is getting at. It comes from Lidor who once again hits the nail on the head with FlexDev. FlexDev is defined as &#8220;creating the optimal process for each project&#8221;. Brilliant. [...] […] I’ve come across yet another independant redefinition of what pliantalliance.org is getting at. It comes from Lidor who once again hits the nail on the head with FlexDev. FlexDev is defined as “creating the optimal process for each project”. Brilliant. […]

]]> Comment on FlexDev by: BD http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-733 Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:15:39 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/05/10/flexdev/#comment-733 Thanks for your idea Lidor. I agree with you completely that projects are best developed using no predefined process at all - instead, just let the team create their own process, along with whatever practices that bring about the highest possible productivity. The point is that a mature team will know what to do to get things done and any kind of predefined procedures will only serve, more or less, as a burden. Nonetheless, my point is that it is not easy at all to find teams with leaders/managers who can be of that mature. I'm working in one of the largest outsourcing software shops in Vietnam, and have seen enough incompetent leaders and managers who never quite get what process really means - and thus, there is no way they can create a good process for their own projects (i.e. "what the heck is refactoring that you're talking about, the code works and just leave it alone, we need to code new features asap my dear boys!!!"). For those teams, it's better to have excellent software people around the world to define a bunch of principles and practices (and called them with names as XP, or Scrum etc.), writing books them (and even bringing hype about them) so that the less capable people can learn about them. I don't say those less capable people can get the much, if any, from doing that, but at least this will definitely help some of them learn something or two about the current state of software engineering - and thus hopefully they can move towards FlexDev. Thanks for your idea Lidor. I agree with you completely that projects are best developed using no predefined process at all - instead, just let the team create their own process, along with whatever practices that bring about the highest possible productivity. The point is that a mature team will know what to do to get things done and any kind of predefined procedures will only serve, more or less, as a burden.

Nonetheless, my point is that it is not easy at all to find teams with leaders/managers who can be of that mature. I’m working in one of the largest outsourcing software shops in Vietnam, and have seen enough incompetent leaders and managers who never quite get what process really means - and thus, there is no way they can create a good process for their own projects (i.e. “what the heck is refactoring that you’re talking about, the code works and just leave it alone, we need to code new features asap my dear boys!!!”).

For those teams, it’s better to have excellent software people around the world to define a bunch of principles and practices (and called them with names as XP, or Scrum etc.), writing books them (and even bringing hype about them) so that the less capable people can learn about them. I don’t say those less capable people can get the much, if any, from doing that, but at least this will definitely help some of them learn something or two about the current state of software engineering - and thus hopefully they can move towards FlexDev.

]]>