Author Archives: Evelyn Van Kelle

What you see is all there is. Getting out of your comfort zone pays off.Understanding social heuristics in this ‘IT-world’ does too. Last May, at NewCrafts Conference in beautiful Paris, I got out of my stage-comfort zone for the second time. After a great experience at Domain Driven Design Europe in Amsterdam, I went on stage againContinue reading “Unleashing Social Super Powers – Part 1”

Let’s celebrate heuristics where we can. Especially in software development. I’ve been on stage quite a few times now, where I usually talk about balancing socio-technical complexity. There’s a lot of focus on social dynamics, human interaction and communication in these talks, but a large portion focuses on the more technical side of things. JustContinue reading “Trust your gut. But sometimes, think twice.”

And why we should never stop learning new things I’ve been grappling with this question for some time now. And it turns out to be quite complex. Lots of influencing factors, dependencies and subquestions. Luckily, complexity triggers me. Specifically my need to learn new things. I can probably blame my father for this curious habit,Continue reading “How can we collaborate in a shared reality while creating software systems?”

Enhance overall code quality through a blend of interpersonal communication and tool-based analysis. Software quality takes time. And good quality products come from properly working feedback loops. Timely feedback can mean clarity over confusion; a validation of assumptions can mean shorter development cycles. For example, let’s say you have a project that needs to beContinue reading “Strong feedback loops make strong software teams”

Do you ever feel that others just don’t get what you meant or do the exact opposite of what you where asking for? Frustrating as it is, part of it can probably be blamed on you. Enter feedback loops. Being well aware that this is a universal theme, I will focus specifically on feedback loopsContinue reading “Your key to happiness: Feedback Loops”

Making sense of the socio-technical mashup that is called the IT-world In an attempt to make sense of this world in general, and the IT-world in particular, we all use shortcuts and stereotypes. When joining a software consultancy company, I quickly learned that there is ‘business’ and ‘IT’, which are two very different things andContinue reading “Hey, where did my comfort zone go?”

Your developers need formal training and certification Now that software affects almost every aspect of our lives, it’s easier than ever to see the importance of high-quality coding. And since coding is obviously a craft, such craftsmanship needs clear criteria to assess its quality. However, there seems to be no consensus about what software qualityContinue reading “Better Software Quality Requires Stronger Coding Skills”

Lessons for All of Us Via Yahoo Unless you’re 10 years old and have never created an online account anywhere, there’s a good chance that your data has been in the hands of hackers at some point. Oh, especially if you’ve ever had a Yahoo account. In case you missed the news, Yahoo recently said that accountContinue reading “Best Practices for Keeping You Out of the Headlines for a Data Breach”