Real Developers Ship
If you are a developer and you are not shipping, you’re in the danger zone. I believe it’s mostly your fault, and it’s time to act.
Nothing new
It’s been told before. Famous blogs have said the same thing :
- In Hacker News Real Programmers ship without any explanation, as if it meant it all.
- In Coding Horror Version 1 Sucks, But Ship It Anyway Jeff Atwood stresses the benefits of shipping early.
- In Coding Horror again Shipping Is Not Enough Jeff Atwood goes one step further and explains that we need to create software that is going to be used.
- In his fatherly advice to new programmers Chuck Jazdzewski’s says “You don’t get paid to program, you get paid to ship.”
What does it really mean ?
If you are not shipping, are you really developing something ? Maybe it’s more some kind of research project, or maybe you are just there for learning ? Real Developers know what they are in for.
If you are not shipping because the quality is too bad, that’s because you’ve been developing poor quality software … Real developers write quality software. (BTW, shipping bug fixes is not shipping)
If you are not shipping because you don’t have yet enough features, that’s because your MVP is not small enough (despite the current Skateboard metaphor, this is not an MVP). So Real developers follow lean (startup) principles.
If you are not shipping because it’s much work, that’s because you did not automate delivery. Real developers use continuous delivery.
If you are not shipping because someone else said so, maybe it’s time to convince her. Real developers know how to deal with people.
If you are not shipping because you are in a shitty environment … Real developers work on their skills to be able to quit when needed.
Shipping above all else
My point is that every developer or organization containing developers should put shipping value as their absolute priority, and things should get a lot simpler.
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