Books

Summary: David B Black Books on Software

This is a brief description of the Building Better Software Better series of books. I wrote the books to explain the non-standard methods of producing great software that I first discovered over a couple decades of writing code in various environments, and then observed in small groups of programmers over a couple decades of VC investing. It's the only way to explain how tiny teams can beat industry giants at their own game. It's not about everyone being a so-called 10X programmer -- it's about working smarter.

Here is the story of the background of writing the books.

https://www.blackliszt.com/2015/10/secrets-of-software-super-developers.html

Software Business and Product Strategy

Here is a summary with links to my posts on software innovation and growth strategies.

https://www.blackliszt.com/2023/07/summary-software-innovation.html

Here are some of the business and product strategies described in the book, including links to the book:

https://www.blackliszt.com/2016/07/innovation-stories.html

https://www.blackliszt.com/2016/04/software-business-and-product-strategy-book.html

https://www.blackliszt.com/2016/05/innovation-from-startup-to-success.html

Wartime Software

Building bridges for civilian use takes years and thousands of people. Building bridges in wartime takes hours – it’s done under enemy fire, and the load and quality requirements are higher. Most software is built the way bridges are in peacetime. Some groups  -- those who are “under fire” or just don’t have time or money to do it the “right way” -- build software using wartime rules – software that is better than peacetime software. They do this not by cutting corners, but by following a different set of rules and methods.

Best to start: http://www.blackliszt.com/2012/03/bridges-and-software-in-peace-and-war.html

Summary of posts with links: https://www.blackliszt.com/2023/07/summary-wartime-software-to-win-the-war.html

Book: https://www.blackliszt.com/2013/05/wartime-software-book-available.html

Project management

The title is the Disease of Software Project Management, because project management has in fact been a disaster for software. The idea that software development should be managed by generic project management techniques is accepted nearly universally -- the only disputes are about which of the many minor variations to choose. This book is a deconstruction of project management, its origins and its application to software development. If phrases like "that will probably take us three sprints to get done" spring from your lips without sarcasm, you need to read this book. The core idea is that all forms of project management optimize for expectations, while in wartime you optimize for speed.

Best to start: http://www.blackliszt.com/2010/10/software-project-management-dates-are-evil.html

http://www.blackliszt.com/2013/03/software-comparing-waterfall-and-agile.html

Summary of Posts: https://www.blackliszt.com/2023/04/summary-software-project-management.html

Book: http://www.blackliszt.com/2012/10/software-project-management-book.html

Software QA

Things are done faster in wartime, but that's only possible if they're done differently. QA is one of the key areas of difference. There are core ideas to understand, and detailed methods that are different, involving different skill sets than are normally involved in QA.

Best to start: http://www.blackliszt.com/2012/04/a-simple-framework-for-software-quality-assurance.html

Summary of Posts: https://www.blackliszt.com/2023/04/summary-software-quality-assurance.html

Book:  http://www.blackliszt.com/2012/10/software-quality-assurance-book.html

People

Managers tend to apply the same templates to managing software people that they apply to everyone else. They foolishly think they can manage people who are doing something they don't understand and can't even see. This book covers some of the things that are unique to software people.

Best to start: http://www.blackliszt.com/2014/10/joe-torre-and-software-development.html

               http://www.blackliszt.com/2014/01/who-makes-the-software-decisions.html

               http://www.blackliszt.com/2013/11/people-and-substance-in-software-management.html

Summary of posts: https://www.blackliszt.com/2023/05/summary-software-people.html

Book: http://www.blackliszt.com/2015/03/software-people-book-just-published.html

 


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