{"id":231,"date":"2011-01-10T11:15:03","date_gmt":"2011-01-10T19:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/35.225.155.113\/blog\/index.php\/2011\/01\/10\/where_software_methodology_and_business_strategy_meet\/"},"modified":"2019-10-13T12:53:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T19:53:31","slug":"where-software-methodology-and-business-strategy-meet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weinstein.org\/blog\/index.php\/2011\/01\/where-software-methodology-and-business-strategy-meet.html","title":{"rendered":"Where Software Methodology and Business Strategy Meet?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Image by pdweinstein<\/a> via Flickr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When I initially envisioned the article Web Development: Before and After the Client<\/a> (local cop<\/a>y), my initial idea was to draw a line connecting Orbit Media Studio<\/a>‘s overall business strategy, through the implementation of specific development methodologies<\/a>, to the end result of the type of service Orbit offers.<\/p>\n

Consider the description for Orbit’s method of enhancing their content management system<\/a>; “the focus is on breaking down the feature into workable steps and rapidly building them.” This incremental<\/a> process allows Orbit to keep coding solutions simple, quickly incorporate lessons learned from previous projects and sustain development of their codebase for the long term;<\/p>\n

In doing so we consider what has worked for clients in the past along with growing trends such as social media integration.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

But once a client enters the picture the goals change. A client has specific objectives, chief among them the desire for a stable website that is delivered on time and on budget. The change in goals requires a change in methodology;<\/p>\n

In this sequential development process<\/a> each step follows from the last. There is a specific beginning and ending. One step cannot be started until the previous step is completed and approved. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Thus, while these two methods have distinctly different goals unto themselves, Orbit uses both to bring about a specific end result in desired quality of results.<\/p>\n

The point that I was trying to make got me wondering. Given a set of goals would most developers, or project managers<\/a>, choose the development method(s) best suited to realizing those goals? Or would they choose the one they are most comfortable with?<\/p>\n

Sure, most project managers or software engineers would recognize the different methodologies described above and that they focus on different objectives. But what’s the most common way a development process is chosen?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, my experience over the years leads me to believe that most choose the one they know the best, is in fashion or is what is used “in-house.” In fact many places I’ve interviewed at consider development methodologies like software platforms<\/a>, they maybe an “Agile shop” just as much as they are a Mac or PHP<\/a> shop.<\/p>\n

This lack of connection between desired outcome and actual process haunts both business and technology managers in my opinion.<\/p>\n

Then again, maybe I’ve had an odd experience with my career thus far?<\/p>\n

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\nPostscript<\/b>: In perhaps an answer to my own question, while I was drafting this blog post, I came across this article, Design Driven Development<\/a>. The post, from a Boston-based web design firm, outlines a similar organic evolution of their development process.<\/p>\n


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