When you think of a developer what comes to mind? A brogrammer living in San Francisco working 23 hours a day on the next Facebook? If so, you wouldn’t be alone. Like so many industries, software development is rife with stereotypes. And one that is particularly pervasive is the idea that all developers, if given the chance, would opt for a complete rewrite of an application. While it’s true that there are many software developers who do enjoy starting with a clean slate, there is also a group who loves working on making existing applications better. Rather than starting from scratch and building an 80% solution, these developers are ideal for taking over a project once it has become stable, and nurturing it for a long time. Neither developer is better. Both are needed in the software world. In this talk, you’ll learn what motivates the small but passionate group of "menders" — people who love taking an existing project and making it better over time.

1. MAKERS & MENDERS
@andreagoulet
BY ANDREA GOULET
CO-FOUNDER & CEO, CORGIBYTES
PUTTING THE RIGHT DEVELOPERS ON THE RIGHT PROJECTS

2. WHO LOVES
software maintenance?
@andreagoulet

3. @andreagoulet
“MY DREAM JOB IS CLEANING UP OTHER PEOPLE’S CODE.”
M. Scott Ford, Corgibytes CTO

4. @andreagoulet
“FIND SOMETHING EVERYONE NEEDS…AND NO ONE WANTS TO DO.”
Andrea Goulet, Corgibytes CEO

5. @andreagoulet
Sources:
[1] http://freakonomics.com/podcast/in-praise-of-maintenance/
[2] http://fedscoop.com/new-report-highlights-skyrocketed-agency-o-m-spending
[3} http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/07/cobol-and-legacy-code-as-a-systemic-risk.html
SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
• IT Infrastructure: $4 Trillion Industry.1
• Federal Government: 90% of IT
Budget Spent on Legacy Systems.2
• Finance Industry: Legacy Systems
Recognized as Systemic Risk.
3

6. @andreagoulet
SOMETHING EVERYONE NEEDS

7. @andreagoulet
Sources:
[1] Survey of hands raised at developer conferences when asked
“Who loves software maintenance?” by Corgibytes executives.
[2] https://18f.gsa.gov/2016/02/23/software-maintenance-is-an-anti-pattern/
• Only about 10% of developers
enjoy software maintenance.1
• Operations & Maintenance model
labeled as an anti-pattern.2
• Shame has dominated software
maintenance for decades.
SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE…AND NO ONE WANTS TO DO

8. @andreagoulet
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
INTRODUCTION
GROWTH
MATURITY
DEVELOPMENT
MAKING
MENDING

9. @andreagoulet
MAKERS
• INNOVATION & IDEATION
• SPEED TO MARKET
• FEATURE FOCUSED
• RAPID PROTOTYPING
• IDEA TO MVP
• 80% SOLUTION
• ENERGIZED BY BIG LAUNCH

10. @andreagoulet
MENDERS
• FIX PROBLEMS
• TACKLE TECHNICAL DEBT
• MAKING PRODUCT STABLE
• BUG FIXES & INTEGRATIONS
• BIG WINS THROUGH
MARGINAL GAINS
• SLOW AND STEADY PACE

11. @andreagoulet
MENDER-FRIENDLY CULTURE
• INTERESTING PROJECTS
• SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
• LIMITED DISTRACTIONS
• AUTONOMY AND TRUST

12. @andreagoulet
• SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE
• IMPORTANT
• INNOVATION IN TOOLING,
METHODS, OR PROCESS
INTERESTING PROJECTS

13. @andreagoulet
• ACT WITH EMPATHY
• ADOPT A GROWTH MINDSET
• COMMUNICATION IS JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS CODE
• CALM THE CHAOS
• CRAFTSMANSHIP IN CONTEXT
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

14. @andreagoulet
Hey, you got a sec?
LIMITED DISTRACTIONS

15. @andreagoulet
LIMITED DISTRACTIONS

16. @andreagoulet@andreagoulet

17. @andreagoulet
• EMPATHY
• VULNERABILITY
• SHAME
AUTONOMY & TRUST

18. @andreagoulet
MAKERS
MENDERS
WHY BOTHER?

19. @andreagoulet
CONTACT INFO
@andreagoulet
@corgibytes
corgibytes.com
legacycode.rocks