Muddling through or conscious engagement.
I have seen two distinct attitudes that shape the ethos of organizations developing software and the quality of their products.
The first attitude is "muddling through". As the name suggests, in this model of product development, there is no need for experts in any area (technical, domain, management). This model is followed either by large service organizations, who have accidentally stumbled upon a product or by start-ups who feel their idea is unbeatable and there is no possibility of competition.
This attitude is characterized by late nights, long meetings and general fumbling around that occasionally delivers results -- of questionable quality. It is *the* way of working for most of Indian IT.
Conscious engagement is the other style.This style is characterized by small, self-managed teams of individuals who are very competent in their skill -- be it technology, domain or management. This the way most start-ups that make their way to success begin.
One thing that makes this style stand out is how RARE it is. It is rare for a number of reasons. The most prominent reason of course, is that it is VERY hard to find half-way decent professionals in the field of technology. Those that are good at what they do are also very picky, which makes it harder still. What also makes this style a rarity is the fact that "management" is usually threatened by competence. "We don't need superstars" is an oft-heard refrain -- when actually 5 superstars can replace 25 mediocre technical folks and the 4 equally mediocre managers who "manage" them.
However, when conscious engagement is achieved in a team, success, I believe is inevitable.
I have seen two distinct attitudes that shape the ethos of organizations developing software and the quality of their products.
The first attitude is "muddling through". As the name suggests, in this model of product development, there is no need for experts in any area (technical, domain, management). This model is followed either by large service organizations, who have accidentally stumbled upon a product or by start-ups who feel their idea is unbeatable and there is no possibility of competition.
This attitude is characterized by late nights, long meetings and general fumbling around that occasionally delivers results -- of questionable quality. It is *the* way of working for most of Indian IT.
Conscious engagement is the other style.This style is characterized by small, self-managed teams of individuals who are very competent in their skill -- be it technology, domain or management. This the way most start-ups that make their way to success begin.
One thing that makes this style stand out is how RARE it is. It is rare for a number of reasons. The most prominent reason of course, is that it is VERY hard to find half-way decent professionals in the field of technology. Those that are good at what they do are also very picky, which makes it harder still. What also makes this style a rarity is the fact that "management" is usually threatened by competence. "We don't need superstars" is an oft-heard refrain -- when actually 5 superstars can replace 25 mediocre technical folks and the 4 equally mediocre managers who "manage" them.
However, when conscious engagement is achieved in a team, success, I believe is inevitable.
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