Additionally, software development often involves working with a team, which can present its own set of challenges such as communication, coordination, and conflicts.
The efficiency and collegiality of a software development team plays a great role in the success of the software being created. What does the structure of the ideal team look like? Many hands may make light work however, too many cooks spoil the broth. Which best describes a software development team that’s built for success?
I define a small software development team as a group of up to five individuals. A product owner accompanied by two to four developers. This is a powerful structure that does away with inter-developer beau acracies and focuses on getting the team to navigate through the scoped-out work as one powerhouse. Developers are more likely to work as a single powerhouse when they are comfortable with each other. This is achieved through the intimacy developers are exposed to in small teams. This space creates a trust that positively impacts both developers’ personal and professional headspaces within the team and by extension, the project. Developers will feel they can trust their team members’ opinions or judgments and know they will be taken seriously when asked for their own opinions or judgments. Developers are also more likely to gain personal growth, as they will not experience such a large fear factor when it comes to participating and engaging in a conversation where they are not confident or well-read on the topic. Seniors are less daunting in a smaller team and fewer eyes and ears mean less pressure around saying something technically wrong.
As the bond within the team strengthens, team members will start recognizing each other’s “developmental blind spots”. In the context of software development, developmental blind spots is defined as areas of the software development process that a team or individual may be unaware of or unable to see. These blind spots can impede the development process and hinder the ability to deliver high-quality software on time. They can be caused by a variety of factors, such as lack of knowledge or experience in certain areas, lack of communication within the team, or lack of testing or quality assurance processes. Identifying and addressing software developmental blind spots is an important aspect of software development and can help ensure the successful delivery of software.
This kind of awareness allows team members to have better oversight of specific items their colleagues may miss within their planning or coding practices as part of these “blind spots”, empowering the team to prevent these problematic situations from taking shape before they have the chance to occur. This prevention ensures that the code quality is of a high standard from early on.
Software requirements are just as important as the quality of software. The possibility that a developer may misunderstand any part of the project requirements is largely diminished within a small software development team. A small team pressurizes developers to constantly be engaged and remain focused during SCRUM ceremonies. Developers are less hesitant to ask questions in a smaller form, as their voices will not be lost in what sometimes becomes a crowded discussion in a larger team.
Additionally, it is not always guaranteed that another teammate will ask questions a developer may not have thought of themselves, thus developers in a small team are driven to have a constant and full understanding of the specified requirements as well as how these requirements fit into the broader vision of the software throughout the entirety of the project.
Software development projects are consistent in their dynamic nature, they can change frequently and unexpectedly. This can make it difficult to plan and schedule tasks, and can also lead to scope creep, which is when the requirements of a project change and grow over time. This is a fact we as developers have grown used to in the software industry. Team members will often find themselves shifted between projects time and time again or shifted from certain segments of project work as priorities change. The movement of tasks between developers becomes a very smooth process. When team members require a helping hand, are absent, or have their work re-prioritized and need to hand over incomplete work to another team member, nearly no time is wasted as the entire team has a firm understanding of the project requirements from the start of the project.
This constant depth of understanding and engagement creates a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility. Developers will share responsibility and take on work at a faster rate than a larger team. There is no hesitancy to take on certain aspects of project work due to factors such as “not being familiar” with certain software or that the work will “take ages to complete” because a finer understanding of the requirements needs to be facilitated first. Any “loafing” mentality is lowered significantly as the smaller team does not have the luxury of feeling “someone else” will complete the work they feel they are not capable or equipped to complete themselves. Additionally, any performance or behavioural issues are more likely to come to light earlier rather than later in the project. After handling any problematic instances, there will be a sense of trust within the team that every developer will pull their weight.
As much as the team’s thorough understanding benefits the developers, it additionally does wonders for the life of the product owner. Project management over a small development team is significantly more concise and easier when the development team knows what goal they are working towards. Communication between the product owner and developer team becomes constructive and efficient. This environment is conducive to quick decision-making and easy management over the moving parts of work within the project. These factors facilitate a good relationship between the product owner and the developer team. A by-product of this relationship is predictability. As the developers become more reliable, the product owner is given the capacity to be on good terms with the client and company sales team. As a bonus, a happy client equals more work, and more work equals financial positivity for the company in its entirety.
All hope is not lost if you don’t have the option to manage or be a part of a small development team. Large teams have the capacity to facilitate some of these factors by breaking the team into smaller, focused squads. The product owner may need to coordinate and communicate around more moving parts, but the power given within a small team will still be largely applicable to the developers.
Software development can be a rewarding and fulfilling field for those who enjoy solving complex problems and working with technology. It can be challenging, but those who think creatively and outside the box are best equipped to overcome these challenges. A small team has the ability to foster an atmosphere of comfort and mental freedom which in turn leads to increased creativity, adaptability, and flexibility – all valuable assets to any project, client, and company.
