Arrow Left
profile

Tech Lead Journal Podcast

The Hard Truths of Software Development and How to Succeed - Venkat Subramaniam

Published 4 months ago • 2 min read

NEW EPISODE #174

​
“Raise the bar of the team so that they bring sustainable practices. If your code stinks, no matter how you desire to be agile, you cannot respond to the change.”
​

Dr. Venkat Subramaniam is a renowned figure in the software development community, an award-winning author and founder of Agile Developer, Inc.

In this episode, Venkat sheds light on the frequently overlooked challenges of software development and provides valuable insights for succeeding in the field. We delve into the misalignment between understanding and practising agile development, the quality gaps that exist between software developers in the industry, the essential technical practices that often get neglected, and the critical role of software architects and technical leaders in steering successful software projects and teams.

If you’re ready for some hard-hitting truths and actionable advice to elevate your software development game, this episode is a must-listen.
​

​

Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/174.
Follow @techleadjournal on ​LinkedIn​, ​Twitter​, ​Instagram​, ​YouTube​, ​TikTok​.
Buy me a coffee ☕ or become a patron 😎.
​

​
​3 Key Takeaways

​

  1. High-quality code is a prerequisite for agility.
    ​
    In software development, prioritizing sustainable technical practices is key to achieving true agility and responsiveness to change.    ​
    ​
    Organizations should focus on empowering their teams to deliver high-quality software effectively, rather than getting bogged down in ceremonies.    ​
    ​
    Bring more technical practices into agility rather than more rituals into agility.    ​
    ​
    ​
  2. A lack of mentorship perpetuates poor code quality.
    ​
    Poor code quality often stems not from developer malice or incompetence, but from a lack of knowledge and mentorship.    ​
    ​
    Working in silos exacerbates this issue.    ​
    ​
    Instead, organizations should foster a culture of mentorship, pairing more junior developers with their experienced colleagues.    ​
    ​
    This approach not only improves code quality but also strengthens overall team dynamics and knowledge sharing.
    ​
    ​
  3. Effective leadership in software development requires embracing adaptability and realistic planning.
    ​
    Setting rigid scopes and deadlines while claiming to be agile is a recipe for failure.    ​
    ​
    Leaders should foster a collaborative environment where management and development teams openly communicate and set achievable goals together.    ​
    ​
    This requires open, transparent communication and psychological safety to be in place.
    ​
    ​

​
​2 Quotes for Reflection

​

​

​
​1 Tech Lead Wisdom

​

As a leader in an organization, you can expect everything is given to you, ideally, and you can go out and win. But that's not leadership.
​
Leadership is to take the teams to where you want them to be, in spite of not having ideal conditions. And that is the key.

​

​

SPONSORS

​

Manning

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats.
​https://mng.bz/ZYlj​

​
​Tech Lead Journal Shop

Are you looking for a new cool swag?

Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available.

Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags.

​

☎️ Book a 1:1 session with me​

​

​

Tech Lead Journal Podcast

Henry Suryawirawan

A weekly podcast about technical leadership and excellence. Check out on techleadjournal.dev. Find out more about me: links.henrysuryawirawan.com.

Read more from Tech Lead Journal Podcast

NEW EPISODE #175 “All data scientists and analysts should spend more time in the business, outside the data sets, just to see how the actual business works. Because then you have the context, and then you understand the columns you’re seeing in the data.” David Asboth, author of “Solve Any Data Analysis Problem” and co-host of the “Half Stack Data Science” podcast, shares practical tips for solving real-world data analysis challenges. He highlights the gap between academic training and...

4 months ago • 2 min read

NEW EPISODE #173 “Three characteristics of an organization that is operating with maximal effectiveness are value, clarity, and flow.” Are you feeling the strain of growth? Struggling to maintain alignment and efficiency as your organization scales? In this episode, I sit down with Steve Pereira and Andrew Davis, authors of the groundbreaking new book, “Flow Engineering”. Learn why traditional scaling methods focusing on rigid coordination can actually hinder progress and how flow engineering...

4 months ago • 3 min read

NEW EPISODE #172 “The quality is connected to the risk, and the risk is connected to the testing. If we don’t keep an eye on quality, our testing and development will drift, because we are no longer building the thing that people care about anymore.” Mark Winteringham is a quality engineer and the author of “Testing Web APIs”. In this episode, discover how holistic, risk-based testing strategies can transform your software quality. Mark explains how to prioritize our testing by understanding...

5 months ago • 2 min read