May 31 2023 at 05:00AM
The review – Working with Coders
WORKING WITH CODERS
A guide to software development for the perplexed non-techie
By Alejandro Fernández (Linkedin)
The Software industry is changing our world. It produces a huge number of products used throughout the entire globe. The products are continuously evolving and reach every aspect of our lives. Consequently, the projects to develop such products usually have changing requirements, an enormous range of potential users, and blurry scopes, and they need continuous integration. Working with Coders provides a fresh approach to the projects to create software from the point of view of a Project Manager.
To set expectations, I must say that this is not a technical book. It is not intended to teach you how to write code or set up a website. Neither does the book comprehensively describe any agile frameworks to run software projects. However, you will discover the most common pitfalls when leading software projects and why so many (60%, according to Gartner) are not delivering the expected results.
You will understand why the (fr)agile methods, in the author's words, are as they are and what challenges they (try to) overcome. There is a lot of specific terminology that you will want to know if you plan to work on a software project.
Some chapters are exclusively dedicated to the tribe of the coders: what they work on, how they interact with other teams, what they are worried about, and what typically makes them happy. You will even find tips to face a job interview if you are in the situation to hire a coder.
The book is aimed at non-technical readers. Patrick Gleeson provides a lot of anecdotes and real examples, presenting first the problems, then suggesting possible solutions.
If you are unfamiliar with the world of software development, this is a useful introductory text. If you already have vast experience in this industry, you will likely recognize many situations narrated with a fine sense of humor and some irony that make the reading of the book very pleasant.
Please enjoy it!
WORKING WITH CODERS
ISBN-10 148422700X ISBN-13 978-1484227008 215 pgs
Patrick Gleeson defines himself as a product hacker and writer. He has worked for over a decade in the software industry as coder, web developer, R&D manager, and innovator. Currently, he offers consultancy services, and he is finishing his first novel.
