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Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

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Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#1

Post by 00000000005 »

In the old days, corporate rebels could almost secretly - but often simply openly and casually - run special projects to create new and innovative software.

Modern software processes make this impossible. It would be deeply frowned upon, likely a sacking offence, to create software outside the tightly controlled process.

Does this mean anything? I don’t know. But what it does mean is any company that runs an organized process has no chance of “random innovation”. That concept, which was common in “the old days”, is gone.

Modern organized software development kills innovation.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#2

Post by glanzwulf »

But at the same time it's so much easier (and even encouraged) to do your own thing. There are startups popping up daily.

So whilst modern "cog in the machine" software development kills innovation within the company, we live in an age where "anyone" could build the next facebook.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#3

Post by austincheney »

I largely disagree not from a policy position but in practical terms. In most major employers modern software processes allow for major time gaps in delivery and productivity. That time can be spent on anything regardless of employer blessing. Although personal projects created in these time pockets do not carry the endorsement of the employer they are often silently blessed as no cost innovation.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#4

Post by 00000000005 »

austincheney wrote: post #3

I largely disagree not from a policy position but in practical terms. In most major employers modern software processes allow for major time gaps in delivery and productivity. That time can be spent on anything regardless of employer blessing. Although personal projects created in these time pockets do not carry the endorsement of the employer they are often silently blessed as no cost innovation.

So in non-corporate speak, the company is so slow, and the workload on developers so light, you have time to do whatever you want?

Wouldn’t dedicating that time to a project benefiting the company be an admission that you’re under utilized and slacking off?

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#5

Post by austincheney »

00000000005 wrote: post #4
austincheney wrote: post #3

I largely disagree not from a policy position but in practical terms. In most major employers modern software processes allow for major time gaps in delivery and productivity. That time can be spent on anything regardless of employer blessing. Although personal projects created in these time pockets do not carry the endorsement of the employer they are often silently blessed as no cost innovation.

So in non-corporate speak, the company is so slow, and the workload on developers so light, you have time to do whatever you want? Wouldn’t dedicating that time to a project benefiting the company be an admission that you’re under utilized and slacking off?

Under utilized yes, but slacking off no. An employee is beholden to the work assigned to them. Large pockets of availability occur for developers when either a developer is substantially more productive than their peers or when internal processes limit increased productivity. In either case the developer is doing all they can to do their job with plenty of availability remaining for personal work.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#6

Post by rini17 »

austincheney wrote: post #5
00000000005 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So in non-corporate speak, the company is so slow, and the workload on developers so light, you have time to do whatever you want? Wouldn’t dedicating that time to a project benefiting the company be an admission that you’re under utilized and slacking off?

Under utilized yes, but slacking off no. An employee is beholden to the work assigned to them. Large pockets of availability occur for developers when either a developer is substantially more productive than their peers or when internal processes limit increased productivity. In either case the developer is doing all they can to do their job with plenty of availability remaining for personal work.

Are there any corporations that explicitly tolerate personal work during work time?

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#7

Post by 00000000005 »

glanzwulf wrote: post #2

But at the same time it's so much easier (and even encouraged) to do your own thing. There are startups popping up daily. So whilst modern "cog in the machine" software development kills innovation within the company, we live in an age where "anyone" could build the next facebook.

The message however is this: An organized software development process kills innovation

That’s true for startups as well as big companies.

A company of four people could have a dead software process just because it’s super organized, with jira, tickets, sprints, user stories, CI/CD, testing deployment and monitoring.

The more organized your software process, the more dead it is, in terms of creativity and innovation.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#9

Post by 00000000005 »

xg15 wrote: post #8

"Corporate rebels", wow. What exactly are they rebelling against? The fact that the companies' ROI could still be higher?

It’s hard to explain now, but in the old days it mattered. Sometimes software was written by employees just because they wanted to, because they thought it was a good idea, and it wasn’t planned and organized and ticketed and budgeted and scheduled.

And sometimes it saved the company.

Re: Tell HN: There’s no room for skunkworks in modern software development

#10

Post by emptyparadise »

00000000005 wrote: post #9
xg15 wrote: post #8

"Corporate rebels", wow. What exactly are they rebelling against? The fact that the companies' ROI could still be higher?

It’s hard to explain now, but in the old days it mattered. Sometimes software was written by employees just because they wanted to, because they thought it was a good idea, and it wasn’t planned and organized and ticketed and budgeted and scheduled. And sometimes it saved the company.

Employment for life is long gone. People with good skills are best off applying their abilities to their own projects. The company will not save you, why should you save the company?
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