Kevin Foster

For decades, the software industry has been obsessed with finding the perfect process. We’ve treated development like a production line, breaking it into discrete steps handled by different specialists. But this Waterfall approach is inefficient and often results in lower-quality software. Why? Because it fundamentally misunderstands what software development is.

Software development isn’t about moving predictably from point A to point B. It is a continuous process of exploration, discovery, and adaptation. The business landscape changes, our understanding of problems deepens, and the only constant is evolution. Our teams need to be built for this reality.

This means shifting our focus from creating rigid processes to forming capable, autonomous teams and nurturing an ecosystem where they can thrive.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Autonomy is Key: Teams must be empowered to make their own decisions. They work together closely, communicate directly, and should not be required to defer to outside sign-off for every choice. This ownership is crucial for motivation and innovation.
• Embrace Evolution: We make decisions in small steps, evaluate outcomes, and adjust course. Like evolution, we test different strategies, and the strongest ideas survive. We don’t need all the answers up front; we learn by doing.
• Responsibility Cannot Be Outsourced: You cannot micro-manage quality into a team. If you take responsibility away from developers, they will never learn to be responsible. Capable people can be made to look incapable by a process that stifles skill development and ownership.
• Architecture Mirrors Organization: Concepts like encapsulation, coupling, and communication apply just as much to human teams as they do to code. Build your teams with the same care you’d use to design a scalable system.
• Continuous Exploration: The goal isn’t to finish a project but to continuously explore the intent of the business and the environment it exists in. There is no final “point B,” only the next iteration of a solution.

Ultimately, no process can save an unskilled or unmotivated team. Great software is built by capable people who are trusted, empowered, and take responsibility for their work. It’s time to stop building mechanisms and start building ecosystems.