What does a modern software development team look like?
The world of software development is changing faster than ever before. New tools are coming to market every day and it’s getting more difficult than ever to keep track of them all. When you work in a typical software team, you’re competing with every other developer on the same project. The rising complexity of new technologies means that most software developers will need to learn multiple programming languages along the way; just to do their job properly. And even if you are an expert in one language, the rise of hybrid web apps means that your skillset needs to be flexible enough to adapt as software trends change. In this blog post we’ll explain how you can get started building great software with modern web technologies at scale – whether you have no experience or limited time. We’ll take a look at how you can build a cross-functional team using modern technologies like GitHub and Google Docs, and how to manage dependencies using Travis CI and AppVeyor.
This diagram shows how a modern software development team should look like. There are many configuration options within this setup, depending on your company’s specific workflow and preferences. However, these are the most common components found in most teams. – A Product Owner – responsible for the business requirements, user stories, and product vision. – A Scrum Master – responsible for the daily management of the team, including hiring and removing team members, and coordinating between all other team members. – Several Developers – responsible for building software according to the written requirements and prioritized by the Product Owner, who has authority over the entire project. – An Architect – responsible for deciding which technologies to use for each feature, and why those technologies should be used instead of other, better options. – A QA Engineer – responsible for testing each feature and verifying that the product works as designed.
Choose your tools carefully
Custom web software development has made it easier than ever to start building great software. However, the complexity of the tools you choose will have a huge impact on your productivity, and more importantly, the happiness and retention of your team members. Tools come and go, and you want to make sure you invest in technologies that will still be around in a few years. For example, if you’re building a JavaScript-centric website, you’re going to have to make some choice with your tool stack. You don’t have to choose the tools you’re most familiar with though. You can start with tools that are more contemporary, but still have a good core history and proven track record. Here are a few considerations when choosing your development tools: – Established company – The longer a company has been around, the more likely it is to survive for many years to come. Companies with a longer track record are more likely to be around for the long haul. – Extensive documentation – Many tools come with extensive documentation that can help you get started quickly, but as your team grows, you’ll probably want to write your own guides to help your teammates. – Community support – Some tools have active communities that can offer ongoing support and help. Tools with this type of community often have larger communities than tools that are less maintained. – Popularity – Which tools are used by the most people? Popular tools receive important updates, so you should make sure you choose a tool that’s likely to be around for a while. – Cost – You don’t necessarily have to choose the most expensive option, but you should choose a development tool with a cost less than $100 per developer per month.
Establish a standard CI/CD workflow
Modern software development practices often require the use of multiple tools simultaneously. For example, you’ll need a source code management solution to store your code, a build system for building your code, and a deployment solution for hosting your code. All of these components should work together seamlessly to provide maximum productivity and ease of use. There are a lot of great options for each of these components, and the best way to choose them is to start with what you already have. That way, you can see if they’re already providing the functions you need. For example, if you have a Jenkins build server, you can use that as your source code management solution. If you already have an internal or public-facing website, you can use that as your deployment solution.
Organize your codebase with source code management
Source code management tools manage the codebase and keep track of the history of every change that was made. It’s important to have a consistent way to manage your codebase, so that code reviews and code reviews are easy to do and code review issues don’t get lost. When managing source code, you want to make sure that all code is stored in a single location and that you always have a backup. You want a tool that is easy to use, supports multiple users, and has strong support for security. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing a source code management solution: – Features – Most source code management systems have a wide variety of features, but some developers prefer a simpler, more straightforward approach. – Cost – Most source code management systems can be purchased for under $50 per developer per month. However, some tools are much more expensive than others. – Support – Most source code management systems have robust customer support options, but you want to make sure that you choose a solution with a strong customer base. – Security – There are a lot of different types of security that you should consider when choosing a source code management system. You want a solution that has a strong security model, supports multi-factor authentication, and has strong encryption options.
Build strong collaboration skills
Modern software development requires a lot of communication between teammates, both internally and with customers. However, communication can be difficult when people are working in silos and not talking to each other. The best way to improve your collaboration skills is to practice doing them every day. Start by identifying the people on your team that are holding people back, and try to help them become more effective.
Manage your dependencies with Travis CI and AppVeyor
Many apps use a suite of different technologies and products to build a complete product. This can lead to problems when those products reach a breaking point, and must be updated to a newer version. You’ll want to make sure that you’re managing your dependencies by testing each update, and also by verifying that each dependency is up-to-date. The easiest way to do this is by using Travis and AppVeyor. When you’re setting up your continuous integration and continuous deployment, you want to make sure that your dependencies pass all the tests that they’re meant to pass. That way, you can be sure that each version of the code works as intended, and that each dependency is up-to-date.
Conclusion
Modern software development is evolving quickly, and the best way to keep up with the pace is by learning multiple programming languages. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re using all of the latest tools, and investing in modernising your workflow with CI/CD processes and continuous integration and continuous delivery.
