Rafael Oshiro

Let's talk about Trust. Recently I just finished my skipper courses, and you know what - it's so much a software development. You're - a cross-functional team of 2-8 people - with a delivery idea of moving the vessel from point A to point B. But yet, that's an extreme sport - and as with every extreme team activity - Trust is key to success. A team member has the Trust if - believe other members are doing their best in their work - believe other member's estimations/promises are true - believe other members will raise a flag once trouble appears > We can fail, but fail quickly and learn. But how do you build that in the team? The first thing you do - you become such a person. You always do your best. You try to keep your word and promises. You fail and talk about that openly. You are - the Trust deliveryman. > As a leader, you need to trust your team first to be trusted. So what do you think? - Do you have a Trust-specific task in your backlog? - How do you measure the Trust in your team? - Did you have an experience where a lack of Trust became a blocker? inspired by https://lnkd.in/dGQCPi9v #LifeIsASoftwareDevelopment

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Thanks for bringing this up Bill Doerrfeld. It's a topic we see highlighted by our larger customers. In some cases, we've seen API teams try to catalog their APIs with an Excel sheet. That never ends well. We're iterating on our internal API catalog with our customers right now, so looking forward to any insights you gather in your article!

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 🎉 Catch Viktor Grgic, the author of "Navigating Complexity of Cognitive Load in Software Product Development", who will be delivering a talk on "Overwhelmed teams and cognitive load". 🚀 Key takeaways: 1. Why reducing team responsibilities is a misguided solution that can worsen the problem. 2. How organizational structure has a large effect on the feelings of overwhelm. 🔗 Apply now to catch Viktor Grgic in the upcoming LeSS Conference Singapore 2024! https://lnkd.in/g-cqtZn8 #LeSSSG #LeSSWorks #Scrum

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https://lnkd.in/dxqQa5kn Just read a fantastic article by Christian Heilmann 👀 that I couldn't help but share. In this article, Christian passionately defends the role of frontend developers and highlights the critical importance of specialized expertise in web development. Christian perfectly captures the essence of what it means to be a frontend developer today. We're not just writing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We're crafting the very interfaces that define user experiences across all devices and browsers. His experiences with major companies like Yahoo, Bing, and Microsoft, as well as his work on browsers like Firefox and Edge, underscore the significance of having dedicated frontend professionals. One standout point was the common misconception that frontend work is somehow less "real" than backend or full-stack development. Christian dismantles this myth by highlighting the deep expertise required in performance optimization, cross-browser compatibility, and accessibility. I highly recommend reading this article, especially in an era where the push for full-stack generalists can sometimes overshadow the need for dedicated frontend expertise. It’s a powerful reminder that having specialized skills is crucial and that investing in experts can save time, money, and headaches down the line. #TechInsights #FrontendDev #LGUW #LGUW14dayschallenge

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𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞. You will waste up to 80% of your workforce if you don't understand this. Every developer's worst nightmare: Different short "check-in" meetings throughout the workday and week. Meetings (in whatever form) and unexpected interruptions are especially disruptive for this type of employee. 𝐖𝐡𝐲? They operate on a so called "maker schedule," where long, uninterrupted periods are essential for deep work and problem-solving. Meetings/calls/slack messages break this flow. For a maker, a 15-minute meeting can kill up to 4 hours of potential productive work and leads to frustration. Understanding this, is especially difficult for managers. As a manager, you operate on a different schedule. The more different people and projects you coordinate, the more you get done on a given day. Your main role is communication through messages, calls and meetings. Your schedule looks vastly different from the maker's schedule. For high developer productivity and satisfaction, you need to safeguard the time of your developers by all means. It is essential to ensure your developers have long, uninterrupted blocks to work in. This means at least 3 hours, the more, the better. Ideas on how you can foster a maker's schedule in your team: Block "deep work" time: - Explicitly reserve the first or last 4 hours of a developer's day for uninterrupted work. - Embrace asynchronous communication: Encourage developers to focus on their tasks and respond to Slack messages within a reasonable timeframe. Don't expect immediate answers during deep work blocks. - Respect deep work boundaries. Avoid unscheduled calls during these dedicated focus times. Share your own tips and tricks on fostering a maker's schedule in the comments below. 👇 #developers #productivity #deepwork #management

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Did you know that Impact Mapping has been created in Sweden by some agency to stop the Swedish government from wasting money on failing IT projects? Impact Mapping is all about making an impact and changing behaviours. If you have never heard about Impact Mapping or if you would like to learn more about it, check out my discussion with Gojko Adzic, which was recorded for Pragmatic Talks at ACE! Conference. #impactmapping #pragmatictalks https://lnkd.in/dWsgghCR

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The buzz around TDD sucks. 😱 My take: ➡ Tests are essential, but WRITING TESTS FIRST is NOT ESSENTIAL ➡ TDD is ESSENTIAL for REGRESSION TESTS - first reproduce the bug - then fix it ➡ In regular software development I rarely do TDD - and I also don't care much. More on the topic: https://lnkd.in/gMgfkc5f YMMV - What do you think? #qa #software #tdd #development #quality #cto #tech Thanks Dmitryi Serebrich for the nice discussion yesterday!

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Principles on a wiki page... not a good strategy for organizational change. If you are part of an Architecture Modernization Enabling Team (or similar), creating documentation is a tiny part of your responsibilities. You need to get out there and spend time with teams, help them to understand and adopt principles, translate principles to their context, repeat the message until it sticks, get feedback and improve yourself... and just think about the whole developer experience. If you are looking for inspiration then look here: Truls Jørgensen & Audun Fauchald Strand. They gave an exceptional case study on this topic at QCon London 2022 (or some other time during the twilight pandemic years). https://lnkd.in/dtEmKGGi One thing I love about working at PayFit France is being part of a motivated staff engineering community that is always trying to improve in this area. #architectureModernization

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I've been doing Codewars katas in Rust to try an cement my (quite limited) knowledge and really thought I was on the right track with the top solution! The problem was to return the sum of all the numbers between a and b. - So I added a mutable sum variable on line 5. - Returned 1 value if they were the same on line 6. - Determined which value was highest/lowest on lines 9-10. - Created an inclusive range between the two on line 12... Then forgot the basics of coding on line 13! I'd been so focused on using the syntax of my new language that I forgot the basics! I failed the very first test! That had passed the values 0 and 1 - should be simple right? I think what I'd been thinking of was mapping over an array in JavaScript, or something..., because I know there are methods like next() in Rust. I thought I was being clever - how do you add one value to the next. 🤔 I ran the code, and was totally puzzling over how 0 and 1 could somehow equal 4. Then I remembered I wasn't using an array, but a simple for loop. One that, for those params, would return 1 for the first iteration, then 3 the last. 🤦‍♀️ And, of course, I didn't figure that out right away. Nope, me, being me, had to question my Rust specific code. So don't forget the basics, like little old me!

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I get super annoyed every time I hear some clown say `const` was a mistake in JS and we should all just use `let`. It's annoys me because people listen. But this is a bad take. Writing code is more about communicating to the human reader than it is instructing the computer. Most of these takes about `const` at some point make the argument that `const`s in JS are not constant. By that they mean that any otherwise mutable value assigned to that constant can still be mutated after the assignment. And they are right! But just because `const` is functionally "immutable" in some languages, does not mean it means it is in all languages, and it does not mean that in JS. In JS, `const` means a constant _reference_, not a constant value. Now you may not like that. I would much prefer a constant value type than a constant reference type -- I eagerly await Records and Tuples for that -- but that does not mean a constant reference type is without value. More than that, `const` has taken on a broad and shared industry understanding that we _intend_ this to be treated like a constant value. The no-const-ers will show code like this: ``` const someArray = []; someArray.push('New array item'); ``` Then they'll argue something like: "Isn't that confusing? I wouldn't expect that to work, but it does! `const` isn't really a constant, so we shouldn't use it." They'll then suggest that `let` is better, because it doesn't lie about what it does (set aside that in some languages, let is immutable). But what's the alternative? I've seen arguments that you have no other option but to wrap your technically mutable data structure in Object.freeze, and you must do that recursively, otherwise, you should be using let. This is absurd. It's like these nay-sayers have never heard of a convention before. Before we had private methods in JS, we prefixed methods we _intended_ to be private with `_` (`_somePrivateMethod`). There were ways that existed that we could have used to *make* those methods private, but they were cumbersome and required enough effort and indirection that readability suffered, so we all agreed to abide by the `_` prefix convention. And it worked! Would we have preferred to not have to do that? Sure. Were we all excited when we got proper private methods? Sure! But in the mean time it was a good compromise. No one was out there saying "Don't use the `_` prefix convention because it's a lie! Instead every method should be thought of and treated as public because that's what it is!" That's what is being argued about `const` though! `const` isn't perfect, by any stretch, but it's a widely understood convention that communicates to other human readers our intent and it gets the job done right now. It's certainly a hell of a lot better than not communicating that intent at all by using `let` or sacrificing readability with recursive Object.freeze everywhere. I will rejoice when Records and Tuples arrive. In the mean time, I will be using `const` heavily.

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How does the daily life of an experienced software developer change when they switch from a product house to a consultancy? 🙏 More accountability – in a good way 💬 “As a consultant, I need to make sure the client finds me useful every day. I’m more in control of my work and I need to redeem the promises I make not only to the client but also to myself,” says Petri, rocket scientist #51.  💡 Working with different clients develops a more varied skill set, quicker 💬 “Previously, my role revolved around a specific product, making new ones and improving existing ones. Although the clients have similar needs, as a consultant I have a better opportunity to work with different clients without switching employers,” Petri says. 🤝 More support and help with overcoming hurdles 💬 “It’s a relief to know that the responsibility for the continuation of client relationships doesn’t rest solely upon your shoulders and that you don’t need to face challenging situations alone. Having the sales team at the Rocket by your side gives you a sense of security,” Petri says. 🧡 In addition to the above, a consultant doesn’t have just one close-knit work community but two professional homes. Read the blog to discover how the social and community-loving Sergey, rocket scientist #45, adapted to his daily life as a consultant: https://lnkd.in/dCqqaUAw #rakettitiede #LightYearsAhead

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Measuring and Monitoring API Performance: A Work in Progress Building an API isn’t just about design and integration—it’s also about making sure it performs well. At Forsler.com, we’ve realized that keeping our API running smoothly is just as important as building it in the first place. And while we’re not completely there yet, we’re working hard to put the right systems in place. Here’s what we’re focusing on: - Tracking Usage Patterns: We already have mechanisms in place to measure API usage, helping us understand how different partners interact with our platform. This data is crucial for guiding future improvements. - Monitoring Response Times: Fast APIs are happy APIs! We’re currently working on better tools to keep a close watch on response times and ensure our partners experience seamless interactions. - Setting Alerts for Issues: Things can go wrong, and when they do, we want to know ASAP. We’re building out alerts for any unexpected changes in performance, like spikes in errors or slowdowns, so we can address issues before they affect users. - Optimizing for Scalability: As more partners join and usage grows, we’re continuously adjusting our approach to ensure our API can scale while maintaining speed and reliability. It’s a journey, but we’re excited about the progress we’re making. How do you ensure your APIs run smoothly and scale effectively? Let’s share strategies and best practices for keeping APIs in top shape!

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If your teeth hurt, would you go to a psychiatrist? No? Then read further, because I AM ABOUT TO BLOW YOUR MIND!!! Proper role separation in software development teams yields a huge productivity and quality boost. Traditional separation of roles and concerns sorts developers in two main blocks: backend and frontend. Let me say plainly: this is just wrong. There are a lot more layers, and the cutting lines should be put elsewhere. The first layer is design+HTML/CSS. Professionals working in this layer create and implement the UX, both the Interaction Design and the Visual Design. The ideal situation is achieved when the designer is free to code for fastest iteration cycles. The second layer is the API layer. This spans across the frontend and backend systems. Implementing a feature at this layer requires processing data, exposing it (securely) via the API, and then consuming this data in the frontend with the right business logic. The extremely tightly coupled integration between the two requires fast iteration, and having a (sometimes bureaucratic) separation here is the worst efficiency killer. Developers here are software engineers experts in concurrency, high-frequency/low-latency processing, and security. The second layer is ridiculously complex and should be treated with respect. The third layer is the background processing layer. This is the layer that makes sure that data is synchronized between all the data sources such as external ERPs, product catalogues, CMSes, etc. as well as our own local data stores (hopefully a normalized good DB like Postgres and a document DB like Elastic). The processing here is asynchronous and in the background, so there is not a lot of pressure on high frequency/low latency even though of course incremental concurrent processing of large data syncs such as to and from an ERP must be done intelligently or you might end up with latencies of 24h (the 90's called and want their ridiculous delays back). Data people (architects/engineers/scientists) are the ideal professionals to work on this layer. Finally, DevOps. Whenever DevOps is done by a backend engineer who "likes DevOps", a DevOps fairy falls from the sky. DevOps is a specialization and should be done by experts, especially if using the mega overkill of Kubernetes: old school Linux SysAdmins are Kings and Queens here, they know how to turn a 200k a year Kubernetes into a faster, simpler, safer, 30k a year Docker cluster.

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When our initial approach as implemented doesn't yield results, new incremental ideas emerge. This thinking is too far from a managerial mindset <where the expectation is fix has to work as per paper thinking> but rather from pure engineering where the skills are in rapid experimentation and innovation on the go with CODE. #codeit

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We like JavaScript because it is often the fastest - and with AI more fast - to create custom solutions.

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"Stop creating architecture diagrams no one understands." In this interview with Björn Helgeson, VP of Engineering at Mindler, he discusses why shared vocabulary should come before technical documentation, and how it enables better business-engineering alignment. Is your architecture documentation building bridges or barriers between teams? Read Björn's interview, featured in the latest edition of Exec Engineering: https://lnkd.in/eh9SYcJh

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