Abi Noda

In this episode, Abi is interviewed by Laura Tacho about the new paper he co-authored with Dr. Nicole Forsgren, Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, and Dr. Michaela Greiler. Abi and Laura discuss the pitfalls of some of the common metrics organizations use, and how the new paper builds on prior frameworks such as DORA and SPACE to offer a new approach to measuring and improving developer productivity. Discussion topics:(2:20) Laura’s background(3:59) Laura’s view on git metrics(11:05) What developer experience (DevEx) is (14:37) How the authors came together for this paper (18:55) How DORA and SPACE are different(22:38) Limitations of DORA metrics (24:43) Employing the DORA metrics at GitHub(27:47) What the SPACE framework is(30:44) Whether to use DORA or SPACE or both(33:54) Limitations of the SPACE framework(37:29) The need for a new approach (38:46) What the new DevEx paper solves (40:13) The three dimensions of developer experience (40:54) Flow state (43:10) Feedback loops(43:52) Cognitive load (44:51) Why developer sentiment matters(47:58) Using both perceptual and workflow measures(50:59) Examples of perceptual and workflow measures (54:05) How to collect metrics (59:47) How other companies are measuring and improving developer experience(01:02:56) Advice for earlier-stage or growing organizationsResources for learning more about the DevEx framework:Read the new paper on ACM QueueRead Abi’s announcement about the new paper Read how top companies measure developer productivity Connect with Abi and Laura Sign up for Laura’s course, Measuring Development Team PerformanceConnect with Laura on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Abi on LinkedIn or Twitter

CTO Laura Tacho and CEO Abi Noda discuss DORA, SPACE, and DevEx frameworks, their benefits, and challenges. They share insights on choosing the right framework, using DORA effectively, and practical applications in organizations.

In this conversation with Abi Noda, founder and CEO of DX, they dive into the critical aspects of Developer Experience (DevEx) and its profound impact on productivity. Abi shares insights from his previous venture, Pull Panda, and emphasizes the complexities of measuring developer productivity. He discusses innovative strategies to balance efficiency metrics with a positive work environment, the importance of qualitative feedback from developers, and the evolution of tools aimed at enhancing team performance in an ever-changing tech landscape.

Abi Noda, Co-founder & CEO @ DX returns to the show to discuss his latest research on measuring & improving developer productivity, and provides a practical, developer-focused framework to give you clear, actionable insights into what to measure and where to focus in order to improve developer productivity. Abi reveals the inspiration behind his whitepaper / research, elements of their new DevEx framework, and how eng leaders can implement it into their org’s practice in order to increase developer productivity. We also cover the evolution of measuring developer experience (including output metrics, DORA & SPACE frameworks) and the benefits / shortcomings of each approach. In addition, learn not only the importance of having a dedicated DevEx team, but also how to implement these insights if your org isn’t ready to have a dedicated team yet.ABOUT ABI NODAAbi (@abinoda) is the CEO and co-founder of DX, the world's first developer experience management platform. He was previously the CEO and founder of Pull Panda, which was acquired by GitHub in 2019. At GitHub he led research collaborations with Dr. Nicole Forsgren, McKinsey, and Microsoft Research, which was the impetus for founding DX."Oftentimes, organizations that are larger that get started with these types of measurements in their framework, they're really surprised. They realize that, 'Oh man, there's all these opportunities we didn't even realize and developers are telling us these are the most important things. These aren't the things we're working on and we need to shift our focus.' So, I think there's a huge opportunity to refocus by getting a holistic picture of the developer experience.”- Abi Noda   Join us at ELC Annual 2023!ELC Annual is our flagship conference for engineering leaders. You’ll learn from experts in engineering and leadership, gain mentorship and support from like-minded professionals, expand your perspectives, build relationships across the tech industry, and leave with practical prove strategies.Join us this August 30-31 at the Fort Mason Center in San FranciscoFor tickets, head to https://sfelc.com/annual2023SHOW NOTES:The background behind Abi’s developer productivity research & why it matters (2:50)The evolution of measuring developer productivity (5:50)Moving beyond output metrics to DORA (and how that fell short of solving engineering measurement problems) (7:43)Challenges, drawbacks, and limitations to current measurement approaches (like DORA & SPACE) (11:51)What is the SPACE framework & how it manifests in eng orgs (15:14)Distinction between measuring the notion of productivity vs. focusing on measurements that improve productivity (17:07)Overview of Abi’s new DevEx framework & examples of it in use (19:52)Recommendations for frontline managers, ICs, engineers, etc. to apply the DevEx framework (22:26)How DevEx uncovers blind spots (like requirements quality) (24:21)When engineering orgs should consider separating out productivity (27:44)Strategies for broad-scope leaders to apply the DevEx framework (29:21)Using local teams to address specific DevEx issues (31:30)Why the VP of Eng / org leadership’s values drive developer experience (33:00)Tips for implementing the DevEx framework as a startup vs. mature company (35:06)How Abi is incorporating DevEx strategies into his own company @ DX (37:47)What positive developer experience looks like within an eng team (39:35)The most important step a team w/o a DevEx team can take (41:29)Rapid fire questions (43:17)LINKS AND RESOURCESAbi’s new DevEx whitepaper - “DevEx: What Actually Drives Productivity” by Abi Noda, DX, Margaret-Anne Storey, University of Victoria, Nicole Forsgren, Microsoft Research, Michaela Greiler, DXObviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It - Obviously Awesome goes beyond teaching you what positioning is and why you should care. It gives you a step-by-step process that any startup can follow to position their product, service or company. This book will teach you how to find your product’s “secret sauce” and then sell that sauce to those who crave it.Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind - The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's mind-one that reflects a company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

“The three core dimensions of developer experience are feedback loops, cognitive load, and flow state." Margaret-Anne (Peggy) Storey and Abi Noda are the coauthors of the recently published ACM paper “DevEx: What Actually Drives Productivity”. In this episode, we discussed how we can better measure and improve developer productivity using a developer-centric approach. Peggy and Abi first began by explaining the importance of socio-technical factors in software development. They also shared their view on the well-known SPACE and DORA metrics, and pointed out the danger of misusing and abusing the DORA metrics. Peggy and Abi then explained the three core dimensions of developer experience from their latest paper, which are feedback loops, cognitive load, and flow state. Towards the end, Peggy and Abi shared tips on how we can start measuring developer experience, including how to conduct developer surveys properly.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:04:09] First Developer Experience Paper - [00:06:19] Socio-Technical Factors - [00:07:37] SPACE & DORA Metrics - [00:13:35] Misuse and Abuse of DORA Metrics - [00:18:52] New Developer Experience Paper - [00:22:29] Developer Experience - [00:24:55] 3 Core Dimensions - [00:28:11] Optimizing Feedback Loops - [00:32:44] Cognitive Load - [00:37:06] Flow State - [00:40:32] Importance of Culture - [00:46:25] Measuring Developer Experience - [00:50:27] Conducting Survey - [00:54:29] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [01:00:10] _____ Margaret-Anne Storey’s BioMargaret-Anne (Peggy) Storey is a professor of computer science at the University of Victoria and holds a Canada Research Chair in human and social aspects of software engineering. Her research focuses on improving processes, tools, communication, and collaboration in software engineering. She serves as chief scientist at DX and consults with Microsoft to improve developer productivity. Abi Noda’s BioAbi Noda is the founder and CEO at DX, where he leads the company’s strategic direction and R&D efforts. His work focuses on developing measurement methods to help organizations improve developer experience and productivity. Before joining DX, Noda held engineering leadership roles at various companies and founded Pull Panda, which was acquired by GitHub in 2019. For more information, visit his website at abinoda.com. Follow Margaret: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/margaret-anne-storey-8419462 Twitter – @margaretstorey Follow Abi: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/abinoda Twitter – @abinoda Newsletter – newsletter.abinoda.com _____ Our Sponsors 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. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/134. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Developer experience is an approach to thinking about engineering excellence and maximizing engineering performance by increasing the capacity and performance of the individuals and the team as a whole." Abi Noda is the CEO & co-founder of DX. In this episode, Abi started by sharing what developer experience is, why it is becoming an industry trend nowadays, and the different ways of how it is being implemented in the industry. Abi explained why the traditional metrics normally used to measure developer productivity do not really work and can even provide perverse incentives. Abi then touched on the two popular researches widely known in the industry, i.e. the DORA report and SPACE framework, before then explained how DX is building on top of both researches to provide the measurements and KPIs to measure developer experience and productivity. Towards the end, Abi shared his advice on how we can start investing in improving developer experience, including when to form a dedicated team and getting the buy-in from company executives. Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:06:22] Developer Productivity Industry Trend - [00:09:14] Developer Experience for Developers - [00:11:28] Different Names of Developer Experience - [00:13:30] Traditional Metrics - [00:17:15] DORA & SPACE - [00:21:16] DX Measurements - [00:26:30] DX KPIs - [00:32:01] Starting With Developer Experience - [00:36:49] Developer Experience Team - [00:40:49] Building a Case for Developer Experience - [00:43:08] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:46:18] _____ Abi Noda’s Bio Abi is the founder and CEO of getdx.com, which helps engineering leaders measure and improve developer experience. Abi formerly founded Pull Panda, which was acquired by GitHub. Follow Abi: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/abinoda Twitter – @abinoda Website – abinoda.com DX – getdx.com Software Engineering Research – abinoda.substack.com _____ Our Sponsors Mental well-being is a silent pandemic. According to the WHO, depression and anxiety cost the global economy over USD 1 trillion every year. It’s time to make a difference! Learn how to enhance your lives through a master class on mental wellness. Visit founderswellbeing.com/masterclass and enter TLJ20 for a 20% discount. DevTernity 2022 (devternity.com) is the top international software development conference with an emphasis on coding, architecture, and tech leadership skills. The lineup is truly stellar and features many legends of software development like Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin, Kent Beck, and many others! The conference takes place online, and we have the 10% discount code for you: AWSM_TLJ. Like this episode? Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Pledge your support by becoming a patron. For episode show notes, visit techleadjournal.dev/episodes/112.

Abi Noda, CEO of a software engineering intelligence platform, dives into the crucial topic of measuring developer experience. He discusses the evolution of productivity metrics, highlighting the DevEx Framework and its roots in SPACE metrics. Abi explores how to integrate social science methodologies to create effective assessments and tackle survey fatigue by boosting engagement. He also underscores the role of leadership in fostering transparency and courage to improve overall productivity, linking these improvements to better organizational performance.

Kurt Mackey, CEO of Fly.io, and Dennis Pilarinos, CEO of Unblocked, delve into the reasons behind developer unhappiness highlighted by the 2024 Stack Overflow Survey. They discuss technical debt, the complexity of legacy systems, and the critical role of developer experience in productivity. The conversation emphasizes the need for tools that enhance clarity and reduce frustration, showcasing how Fly.io and Unblocked address these challenges. They explore measuring developer happiness and the significance of fostering a supportive environment in the tech industry.

Margaret-Anne Storey and Abi Noda discuss the misuse of DORA metrics and introduce three core dimensions of developer experience: feedback loops, cognitive load, and flow state.

Abi Noda, CEO & co-founder of DX, talks about the trend of measuring developer productivity and experience, challenges with traditional metrics, and research-based approaches to improve developer productivity.