[Info-vax] OT: Is Software Management Obsolete?

[Arne Vajhøj]

Neil Rieck wrote:
> Is Software Management Obsolete?
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-berry/is-software-management-ob_b_241970.html
> 
> Quote: What DeMarco seems to be saying -- and, at least, what I am
> definitely saying -- is that control is ultimately illusory on
> software development projects. If you want to move your project
> forward, the only reliable way to do that is to cultivate a deep sense
> of software craftsmanship and professionalism around it. The guys and
> gals who show up every day eager to hone their craft, who are
> passionate about building stuff that matters to them, and perhaps in
> some small way, to the rest of the world -- those are the people and
> projects that will ultimately succeed.
> 
> This applies to many big corporation projects as well as Ontario's
> recent eHealth debacle.

There is a lot of both correct and new ideas in that, but the
correct ideas are not new and the new ideas are not correct.

* Highly skilled people produce better results than less skilled
   people.

* Enthusiasm is a major driver for becoming highly skilled.

* Highly skilled people require less supervision and coordination
   than less skilled people.

* The best coordination with the least overhead is when a single
   person can do it all.

That is true. Not just for software development but for all kinds
of work.

But management (supervision, coordination, planning etc.) is
needed on projects where a single person can not do it all.

Arne