Tech Lead Journal

Marcelo Calbucci, a seasoned entrepreneur and author, shares insights on Amazon’s PRFAQ framework, a strategic tool for driving innovation. He explains how this method fosters clarity and alignment through press releases and FAQs, shifting focus to customer needs. The importance of storytelling in communication is emphasized, revealing how precise writing enhances understanding. Marcelo also addresses common implementation pitfalls and practical tips for adopting the PRFAQ in any organization, making it a valuable tool for startups and product development.

In this discussion, Sriram Narayan, an independent consultant and author of 'Impact Intelligence', shares his insights on transforming initiatives into measurable business success. He highlights why many tech projects fail, debunking myths around delivery metrics and emphasizing rigorous impact measurement. Sriram introduces concepts like the 'Impact Network' and the importance of understanding both immediate results and long-term impacts. He also explores the challenge of impact attribution and the dangers of 'Measurement Debt', guiding organizations to focus on real business value.

In this enlightening discussion, Katharine Jarmul, a Principal Data Scientist at Thoughtworks Germany and author of 'Practical Data Privacy', emphasizes the critical importance of data privacy in today’s tech landscape. She delves into the concept of 'privacy by design', advocating for organizations to embed privacy measures from the start. Jarmul argues that the burden of data protection should shift from users to companies, highlighting practical techniques like pseudonymization and privacy-enhancing technologies. Her insights advocate for a more trustworthy digital future.

Sumeet Moghe, an Agile enthusiast and product manager at Thoughtworks, shares insights from his book, The Async-First Playbook. He discusses the pitfalls of excessive meetings and how async communication can boost productivity. Sumeet reveals intriguing survey results about remote work preferences and explains why companies like GitLab and Automattic thrive by prioritizing written communication. He emphasizes inclusion in async work, empowering diverse team members, and introduces the ConveRel Quadrants for effective meeting strategies.

(03:59) Brought to you by Swimm.io.⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm.Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.Stop fearing Friday and late-night deployments!Discover how the most painful part of software development—deploying to production—can become routine, safe, and even boring.In this episode, I sit down with Valentina Servile (ThoughtWorks lead developer and author of “Continuous Deployment”) to discuss the principles, practices, and mindset shift required to achieve true Continuous Deployment.Key topics discussed:The key differences between Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous DeploymentWhy “if it hurts, do it more often” is the secret to safer, faster releasesApplying Lean principles like one-piece flow and reducing batch size for higher quality and speedThe importance of removing the final manual deployment gate and automating everythingEssential minimum practices: robust automated testing, feature flags, static analysis, and zero-downtime deploymentsSeparating deployment from release with feature flags and expand/contract patternsOvercoming challenges in regulated industries, technical hurdles, and third-party integrationsThe critical mindset shift: treating production as a first-class citizen and embracing “shift left” for quality and securityCautions and advice on using AI tools in a continuous deployment workflowTune in to level up your software delivery and learn how to make deployments so routine that you’ll never dread another release.  Timestamps:(02:00) Career Turning Points(06:05) Tips for Juniors Starting Their Careers(08:00) Continuous Deployment Book(10:16) Definitions of CI, CD, Continuous Deployment(15:42) If It Hurts, Do It More Often(19:18) Why Remove The Final Manual Gate to Production(24:56) Common Challenges in Adopting Continuous Deployment(30:02) Minimum Practices for Continuous Deployment(35:17) Hiding Work-in-Progress(38:46) The Difference Between Deployment vs Release(41:40) Slicing the Work(45:10) Coordinating Changes Between Systems & Third Parties(47:58) The Importance of Backward Compatibility(50:05) The Required Mindset Shift(53:16) AI Caution in Continuous Deployment(55:35) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Valentina Servile’s BioValentina Servile is a full-stack software craftswoman and Lead Software Developer at Thoughtworks.She has worked with over a dozen companies in 5 different countries, ranging from start-up to enterprise scale. Her work has been focused on clean code, distributed systems and microservices, CI/CD practices, and evolutionary architectures in a variety of tech stacks. As a technical lead, she also coordinates delivery, and ensures a shared vision around ways of working and technical health in her cross-functional teams.Valentina is passionate about creating an engineering baseline of clean code, testing and automation as the the most fundamental enabler of Agile, Lean and DevOps principles.Follow Valentina:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/valentina-servileBluesky – @valentinaservile.bsky.social📚 Continuous Deployment – https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/continuous-deployment/9781098146719/Our SponsorsManning 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 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.Like this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/214.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

Tudor Girba, CEO of feenk and creator of the Glamorous Toolkit, dives into Moldable Development, a fresh approach to software engineering. He argues that effective software development is more about making informed decisions than just writing code. Girba highlights the inefficiency of reading legacy code and advocates for creating tailored tools to enhance workflows. He views legacy systems as untapped opportunities for value creation and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and emotional intelligence in modern development practices.

In this engaging discussion, Barry O'Reilly, a veteran architect and PhD candidate, redefines software architecture by tackling its complexities and inherent uncertainties. He critiques traditional rigid models, arguing for a more adaptable approach that embraces chaos. O'Reilly introduces Residuality Theory, focusing on how systems can survive and evolve over time. He emphasizes the importance of humility and pessimism in architecture, encouraging innovators to rethink how they design systems in an ever-changing tech landscape.

Paula Paul, a distinguished engineer and board member of the OpenJS Foundation, shares 42 years of tech wisdom. She discusses navigating massive shifts from mainframes to AI, emphasizing that embracing change is key to a fulfilling career. Paula reveals that technology is usually the easy part; managing change is where the challenge lies. She encourages a non-linear career path and reflects on open source issues like licensing and security. Her insights promote a healthier relationship with technology and highlight the importance of diversity in the industry.

Tom Akehurst, the creator of WireMock and CTO of WireMock, Inc., shares his journey from Disney software development to building a leading open-source API mocking tool. He discusses the challenges of API integration that inspired WireMock's creation and its role in enhancing developer productivity. Akehurst highlights the shift from traditional testing approaches to more modern methods like the 'testing trophy.' He also delves into the future of API testing amidst the rise of microservices and AI, offering invaluable insights for developers at all levels.

Kristine Howard, an experienced tech leader and speaker residing in Sydney, explores her inspiring journey to financial independence. She shares the importance of tracking expenses for financial freedom and mastering budgeting strategies. Listeners learn about the 4% rule for retirement readiness and smart investing tips, including index funds. Kristine also discusses the emotional transition into early retirement and highlights the unexpected joys of finding fulfillment through community involvement and personal growth.