Communications

Getting Your Point Across: Tech Team and Non-Tech Team Communication Tips

One of the biggest obstacles for many organizations, in any industry, is the bridging the communication gap between technical and non-technical teams. First, let’s take...more.

Working Effectively with Offshore Teams

Many companies offshore the development of computer applications or supplement their software teams with remote developers. This arrangement can provide significant cost savings, but other...more.

Estimation for Fun and Profit (but mostly for sanity)

When taking on a large project, one of the most difficult tasks a software crafter faces is breaking it down into manageable, deliverable pieces. If...more.

A Good Craftsman Never Blames His Tools

The old adage states that a good craftsman never blames his tools, but what if he knows there is a better tool out there for...more.

How to hire a software developer

In recent years, various code schools have flooded the developer markets with hordes of beginners. These schools have done a great job of introducing people...more.

The Stress of Communication

Communication is hard, especially in the software industry that has for whatever reason preferred introverts for decades. That stereotype is slowly eroding, but it doesn’t...more.

Refactoring as a Feature Tax

Tax season is here. For many of us, that means filing a tax return to see how much money we get back after any excess...more.

The Hidden Costs of Leaving a Monolith

Have you read any blog posts about splitting a Rails monolith into microservices? Or listened to a podcast or watched a talk? Odds are you've...more.

Caring about coding

alexandru codreanu dario garcia lucas giudice
30 Oct 2015
Craftsmanship
Communications
Consulting

As a programmer I spend a lot of time in front of the computer. But despite appearances, I am not there. I am not in...more.

Optimizing the Sustainable Pace

Sustainable pace is an early Extreme Programming concept that was intended to protect programmers from going on “death marches” to meet deadlines that are arbitrary...more.

Program Like a Debater: Character, Commitment, Team Work, Hard Work

During my time as a debater, I had the privilege of working under the greatest coach in the history of college debate: Larry Scott Deatherage....more.

Introducing 8th Light London

When I moved from Chicago to open 8th Light’s London office in January of 2014, 8th Light already had a couple of clients in the...more.

The Multitasking Misnomer

What do you mean I can’t multitask? I can multitask—just ask me! I think I’ve perfected the art form. Like other expert multi-taskers, I got...more.

[Un]Planned Obsolescence in Software

Every time I walk to the 8th Light office from Union Station, I end up looking at Old Chicago Main Post Office in awe. Originally...more.

To meet or not to meet

TL;DR - Show up to a meeting with presence and respect, or find a way to not go at all. A meeting can feel like...more.

Using relationships to build your business

I always keep an extra Wisconsin shirt in my car. I grew up in Wisconsin, and I’m an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers...more.

Identifying and avoiding the cargo cult

On small teams, most processes are informal. Everyone has a clear stake in the outcome, and if the work is getting done, who cares how?...more.

When the going gets tough, craftsmen stay tougher

Our team greeted the end of the workday with a long, collective sigh. After banging their heads against a wall for two days, Nathan and...more.

They Won't Be Interested

"They won't be interested in looking at code. All they care about is the UI." If you work professionally as a developer, I'm willing to...more.

Three Short Sentences

The Project A few years ago, I was tasked with the migration of data across build, staging, and production environments. It was heavy with software...more.

Software Craftsmen Are Arrogant, Slow, and Dogmatic

What does it mean to be a software craftsman? You can read the Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship and draw conclusions; but if you posed that...more.

Avoiding the Drift to Low Performance

Estimates are a fundamental part of our business. We rely on them to schedule our workflow and to communicate honestly and openly with clients. We...more.

Stand-ups are Broken, but Should They be Fixed?

Recently I was working with a team of two other developers, remote from each other. I noticed that in the morning they would have a...more.

Finding Team Dignity

In his recent post, Doug Bradbury claims that aiming for gender equality runs the risk of further homogenizing our culture. Instead, he suggests that we...more.

Wearing The Pants

I remember the first day I was bold enough to wear pants to work. I remember hiding in my office all morning, worried about what...more.

Individuals, Not Groups

Doug asked a couple of thought provoking questions in his recent blog post about gender equality: What is unique about women that make them not...more.

Yes, you can speak at a conference

It was RailsConf in 2007. Micah and I were between sessions, with me following him everywhere because he knew people and I did not. We...more.

How is Pairing Working?

Pair programming always works. To explain why, we will take a look at an important study which explains how people learn in social contexts. The...more.

Five Years of Raising the Bar

Five years ago, a handful of us nervously deployed a little application that held some pretty lofty ideals for the future of software development. We...more.

We are Principled: 11th Edition

We show respect for our customers and fellow software crafters. We do not act unprofessionally or unethically. —from the 8th Light Principles of Productive Partnerships...more.

Courage vs. Cargo Cults

During the Second World War, both the Japanese and United States armies set up bases on remote islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands’ inhabitants,...more.

Yes, and...

Saying “no” is hard, even if it’s to a close friend. In a professional environment, however, it can be important and often far more difficult....more.

Stuck in the Muck

In 1826 Marc Isambard Brunel and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a father and son engineering team, sought to build a tunnel under the Thames river in...more.

I Am Not An Island

One of our core values at 8th Light is Community. We believe that no craftsman is an island. They engage with a team and the...more.

Another Kind of Intelligence

Back when I started grad school, one of my housemates asked me to help her with a project. For a Sociology class, she had been...more.

Mindfulness and Stress Relief

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is an attentive awareness of the reality of things in the present moment. Learning how to be mindful brings the wisdom...more.

Set the Tone With Project Setup

In The Pragmatic Programmer, Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas talk about software entropy and the broken windows theory. The premise of the broken windows theory...more.

Do More of What you Want at Work: Productive Partnerships

I had a drink in my hand and spotify was playing ‘The Neighbourhood’. I sat back on my couch and thought about my career. Ultimately...more.

Honesty Under Pressure

“We're behind, but it’s important to show that we can deliver these features.” “Now is the time to show how good of a job we...more.

Reflections on the 8th Light Principles - Stretching your Boundaries

As craftsmen, we admire and encourage a sustainable pace. We also encourage ourselves to always be learning, to always be expanding our knowledge and abilities....more.

We are Principled: 10th Edition

We partner with our customers to understand their business. We do not propose solutions until we are sure we have found the right problem. —from...more.

We are Principled: 9th Edition

We communicate our progress honestly and openly with our customers. We do not conceal or embellish. —from the 8th Light Principles of Productive Partnerships My...more.

What is a Bug?

A while back I wrote a little about bugs. I got a few questions and objections and the most common one goes something like this:...more.

We are Principled: 8th Edition

Steadily Adding Value We estimate with diligence. We do not let fear or pressure make us promise what we can’t deliver. Estimation is Difficult As...more.

We are Principled: 7th Edition

We work at a sustainable pace. We do not burn out. —from the 8th Light Principles of Steadily Adding Value At 8th Light, we devote...more.

We are Principled: 6th Edition

We take responsibility for the correctness of our code by testing it thoroughly. We do not tolerate preventable defects. —from the 8th Light Principles of...more.

We are Principled: 5th Edition

We teach anyone with a willingness to learn. We do not hoard our knowledge or practices. —from the 8th Light Principles of A Community of...more.

We are Principled: 4th Edition

We embrace differences of opinion and personality. We do not allow our current practice to impede improvement. —from the 8th Light Principles of A Community...more.

We are Principled: 3rd Edition

We humbly demonstrate our expertise by delivering quality software. We do not inflate our abilities or claim expertise where we have none. —from the 8th...more.

We are Principled: 2nd Edition

We always apply our best efforts to complete our work. We do not make excuses. —from the 8th Light Principles of Steadily Adding Value Everyone...more.

We are Principled: 1st Edition

We continually master a variety of technologies and techniques. We do not let unfamiliarity dissuade us from using the best tools. —from the 8th Light...more.

Mythical Man Month - The Cliff Notes

If you've ever worked on a software development project under a time crunch, then you may have heard the phrase "mythical man month." This phrase...more.

Counting Mistakes

Have you ever watched an interview with a successful product creator? I have, and lots. Typically the interviewer will ask what mistakes the entrepreneur has...more.

An Apprentice's Community

If there is anything which life as a student has taught me, it is how to learn. Prior to my start as an apprentice, I...more.

How to be a great pair

The absolute best code I’ve ever written was when I’ve been most compatible with my pair. It wasn’t that long ago, and I was relatively...more.

Call for Translators

Two years ago, when Agile Alliance started a translation project for their manifesto, I was fortunate enough to be one of the translators of the...more.

Environment Activist

You just found your dream home: it’s vastly spacious, a gym-sized pool with twin jacuzzis, a massive home-theater and game room, along with riverside boat...more.

In Search of Diversity

In the year 627 AD, a Buddhist monk was concerned with the translation quality of Chinese Buddhist scriptures; he decided to take a trip to...more.

Your Diet and Workplace Productivity

Take a second and think about how many teaspoons of sugar you may have eaten today. I know it's 5:30pm and I've had about 4...more.

Accepting New Methods in the Digital World

Integrating old obsolete office skills with the new high tech world is continually being done today. If we take a step back in time to...more.

You're Going To Be Wrong

Being wrong sucks. Unfortunately, being wrong is a fact of life for developers. Personally I have chosen the wrong technology for the task at hand,...more.

Effective Leadership Through Communication

Being a professional developer means that you are responsible for delivering software on time that works. It's a satisfying job - you solve the problem...more.

Entrepreneur's Guide to Buying Custom Software

This blog is for non-technical people looking to purchase custom software. Purchasing software is very difficult and very expensive. It is a decision that is...more.

Oh, it's not that hard

Scenario: We are sitting in a planning meeting and a business stakeholder asks one simple question. “How hard would that be?” What answer do we...more.

Collaborative Partnerships

It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind , too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. Charles Darwin...more.

Deliberate Practice

“Education comes from within; you get it by struggle and effort and thought.” — Napoleon Hill We all know the feeling of flow while coding....more.

Questions and Developers

Have you ever had a question you wanted to ask, but didn't? Have you ever asked a question then immediately regretted asking it? Have you...more.

Apprenticeship Over College

I interviewed a bright young woman today who is graduating from high school this spring among the top of her class. Despite having several generous...more.

Craftsmanship Begins With You

What does it take to be a professional? This week, we held series of events to kick off the launch of the 8th Light Florida...more.

A few fallacies, for your consideration

Lately I've been fascinated with the idea of logical fallacies, and especially problems in arguments that may at first glance seem reasonable. Now, clearly not...more.

What Careless Code Says

There is a certain type of bug that, when it appears as a result of my code, causes me deep embarrassment. This type of bug...more.

Warming Up

Many of us admire other professionals, such as musicians and athletes. We even emulate them in our own profession by practicing. What about that time...more.

Craftsmen, Painters, and Monks

Once there was an emperor who wanted to make a temple in his capital holier and more elegant. His servants looked far and wide and...more.

How To Keep a Handle on Your Software Development Return on Investment

The Statistics of IT projects going over budget and over schedule are alarming. According to an exhaustive study of over 1400 IT projects from the...more.

Effective Customer Consultant Relationships

As a customer, how can you get the most out of your consultants? As a consultant, how can you deliver what your customers really want?...more.

8 Things You Ought to Know If You Do Not Know Anything About Hiring A Software Developer

“The one absolutely solid place to store your capital today — if you know how to do it – is in software developers’ wallets.” ...is...more.

Fixed Feature

Time and materials vs. fixed bid is the classic duo of billing models in software services business. Time and materials puts all the pressure on...more.

Doing a Good Job

What is our job, and how can we do it better? For a while, I've wanted to write a blog about what it means to...more.

SCNA: Why Salespeople should attend!

The 2011 SCNA (Software Craftsmanship North America) conference concluded just a few days ago, and there was a large audience turnout as well as an...more.

Simplicity of Teamwork

I remember in my times as a restaurant worker that the management would always give us these rhyming platitudes that were after-school-special cheesy. One of...more.

Crafting Coffee

At 8th Light, we brew coffee like we brew code - with passion, enthusiasm and dedication. You could call it a daily ritual. Every morning,...more.

The Ways of Practice

At 8th Light, the value of practice is undisputed. Effort devoted to honing your craft pays dividends time and time again. In my last blog...more.

The Value of Practice

One of the habits that’s valued highly at 8th Light, and should be valued by professional developers everywhere, is the habit of practice. If you're...more.

Post-Agile: Standing on the shoulders of giants

This February 13th will mark a decade since the creation and signing of the original Agile Manifesto. The lean development thought leaders who came together...more.

Presence, Part 1

Hi, my name is Doug and I don’t own an iPhone and I don’t plan on buying one anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, I...more.

Goals for the growing the market of quality development

Many small software contracting companies (boutiques) have been popping up in the last few years with our company, 8th Light, featuring among them. Their fundamental...more.

Qualifications of a Craftsman

The lovely wall you see before you is the wall of my son’s bedroom, freshly stripped of wallpaper. Note the beautiful drywall exposed in some...more.

Zeroth rule of Professionalism

This blog post serves as a response to the article Software Testing Craft by Markus Gärtner, which can be found in the first issue of...more.

A Software Craftsman’s New Year’s Resolutions

There is so much to learn in this field, and the many new languages, frameworks, and APIs that are developed every day only add to...more.

Why Software Development is a Craft

Craftsmanship has been used as a metaphor for software development. Pete McBreen argues in his book “Software Craftsmanship” that craft is a better metaphor for...more.

Bug free or Free Bugs

I will not charge a client for a bug fix. Not a penny. If I make a mistake, it is my professional obligation to fix...more.

Ethical approach to Software Bugs

Software bugs are errors or omissions in the work we create. They are our mistakes as software developers. I would like to take a closer...more.

Observing a Craftsman

My path in becoming a craftsman was not through conventional academics. I did get a Bachelor degree in Computer Science. During those years of learning,...more.

Customer Interaction

At 8th Light, they follow a practice of training people through an apprenticeship period. As it is nearing the end of my apprenticeship, my mentor...more.

Maturing the Manifesto

There has been an interesting discussion happening about adding a 5th value statement to the Agile Manifesto. Uncle Bob Martin proposed this addition earlier this...more.

Some Thoughts on Software Defects

Software defects are a part of software. This is a negative subject, but I don’t want to seem like the software I write is full...more.

Promises Promises

I have three step-children and I rarely promise them anything. It’s not because I’m a horrible father, but because a promise is a fundamentally special...more.

Agile Production Support: Final brush strokes

There is no perfect software. At least I have never seen it. Bugs and minor feature changes are indications people are using your software. Real...more.

Emotional Iterations

After all the cards are written and estimated, it is time for the customers to pick the first iteration, for which they need a velocity...more.

Peer Pressure

One of the famous studies on peer pressure was the Stanford prison experiment, conducted by a team of researchers led by then Psychology professor Philip...more.

Shake Things Up

The most widespread and common greeting in the American culture is the handshake. Handshakes are shared between anyone meeting for the first time, and at...more.

Pair Me Up

I am a better pair than solo developer. For me, software is a collaborative art from the start of a project to the end. Starting...more.

Building a City

What is building software like? The common belief is that software is like engineering. Most people seem to think that building a software system is...more.

Beware the Freebie

It is unavoidable. Every story must go through these milestones of life in order. A story cannot be estimated if it has not been created....more.

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