Comments by "TheEvertw" (@TheEvertw) on "The PROBLEM With DORA Metrics" video.

Absolutely right in saying that developing software is not the same as running a factory. Developing software is the same class of work as developing a new product. No-one tries to develop new product in a "lean" way. And we shouldn't try to develop software like that either. It isn't called software development for nothing.
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I believe in metrics. Metrics like test coverage, Cyclomatic Complexity, Hot Spots for bugs & code modifications, etc. NOT in metrics that would "measure" the contribution of a human being to the team. But I agree there shouldn't be hard limits set them, but they should help prioritize the work.
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@vanivari359 Yes, many SW developers gold-plate their work. But the solution is team leads & seniour devs who keep people on track and teach them (by example) that "Good is Good Enough". Deep down, gold-plating is often a sign of insecurity. Releasing early and releasing often is the best way to cut through that insecurity.
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@KiddyCut "Lean" is a method for optimizing a manufacturing process, based on 5 principles (Defining Value, Value-Stream Mapping, Creating Flow, Establishing Pull, Continuous Improvement), some of which are vaguely applicable in SW development, but certainly not all, nor the most important. It focuses on reducing waste by manufacturing only that what is explicitly required, cutting stocks, shortening supply lines, etc. If done right, it starts with holding Top Management responsible & accountable for waste in current processes. That often means publicly humiliating the CEO, if he is reluctant to take responsibility. Which is why usually it is not done properly, and has gotten a bad name as a result.
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@jasondbaker I am pretty sure that books those interpret "lean development" as something else than that I do. The "Lean" I am referring to is "Lean Manufacturing", which is definitely not suited as a guideline for product development. It is possible to develop products in a way that makes them more suitable for lean manufacturing, but you can't apply the 5 Lean principles to product development itself. Trying to do that would quickly become a disaster. The whole premise of trying to avoid waste in a development project is plain dumb. "Waste" yields valuable lessons during development, and in many development project you must plan to waste some things to reduce risks (e.g. a proof-of-concept). Apart from half-hearted implementations, another thing that gave Lean a bad name is that it is a bandwagon expensive consultants like to jump on to, trying to flog their "wisdom". Well, unless they have the guts to publicly berate the man who is paying them for the waste in his company, I have little confidence in them.
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@jasondbaker "Agile" SW development is much older than Lean. Lean was coined only in 1988 and the 5 principles formulated only in 1996. The referenced article where waterfall was given as an example of what NOT to do, was from 1970. As I said, "Lean" has become a bandwagon. It seems that many bog-standard engineering practices are now attributed to it. The problem with this is that when someone says "I do Lean", everybody will interpret that to mean something differently. Which is why we are having this discussion in the first place. IMHO, the term Lean should only be applied to the 5 principles and their application to Manufacturing. Using it in any other context only invites confusion and misunderstanding, only helpful if you are playing BS Bingo.
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