Developing the People Who Develop Your Software
Rules are not necessarily sacred. Principles are. - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Development
Principles
No Rules
Rules constrain. Rules replace thoughtful action with thoughtless obedience.
Sure, they're good for certain things but when creativity is involved, rules can be restrictive or even downright stifling. When I'm working on code, or overseeing a team working on code, I prefer to have a framework that guides one into making intelligent choices rather than functioning by rote memorization.
Principles > Rules
Principles provide guidelines for making decisions. Rather than hard and fast rules which provide a yes/no framework, principles provide guidance but allow for nuance and variance, depending on the circumstances. While we can deviate from our principles, we should only do so with a clear and conscious choice.
In this section, I will explore and expound on the principles I have found that enable successful, consistent development.