devopsdays Minneapolis 2015 - Mary Poppendieck - The New New Software Game

We spent a lot of time over the last decade talking about teams, stories, and WIP. We laid the groundwork for a big change in the way software is developed. Now is the time to change the conversation – from process to technology. We agree that we must dramatically shorten the feedback loop from idea to outcome – but how?

It’s time to focus on the tools and techniques that make it possible for small teams to deploy small changes to large systems very rapidly and very safely. Consider architecture: we are learning how to break monolithic systems into micro services – small, independently deployable components. Look at packaging: we now have standard containers that move freely across environments. Examine reliability: contract tests have proven effective at isolating the impact of component changes.

In the end the important question is: How long does it take you to deploy a single line a code, learn something useful, and act on the information?