A reading list of short essays covering what I learned from running software projects for three decades.
1. Fundamentals
Under this heading, the articles focus on helping the reader to understand fundamental principles underpinning all software projects.
The Pyramid of Goodness for Research and Development Organizations
A practical framework for thinking about resource allocation in software companies as a thermodynamic system
Creating Software Through Experiencing the Domain
Seven steps for bridging the gap between human experience and software engineering
The Three Eras of Knowledge Objects
Future-proof technology innovation requires the innovator to have a future perspective
The Three Fundamental Principles of Software Projects
Three vitally important things I learned building software for 30 years — explained in five minutes.
2. From an idea to marketability
Under this heading, the articles focus on helping the reader clearly see how ideas are nothing but cost until they are built and are made marketable, and how on each step along the way the cost keeps exponentially growing.
Thinking about Ideas as a System: Ideas as Cost
Ideas are generally thought of as having value, but in fact, ideas only have cost.
Thinking about Ideas as a System: Evaluation of Ideas
How great ideas can be bad ideas, and a guideline for going beyond
Thinking about Ideas as a System: Effective Communication
Guidelines for a culture where the right ideas thrive
3. Sustainability leadership in engineering
Under this heading, the articles focus on introducing a novel framework for engineers and engineering leaders to think about the relationship engineering work has with sustainability. Even though the articles use advertising technology projects as an example, the framework is applicable to all data intensive fields.
Moving Towards Ecologically Sustainable Advertising: Introduction
Sustainability aspirations often become misguided by lack of available relevant information and the general difficulty of understanding complex systems
Moving Towards Ecologically Sustainable Advertising: The Five Fives
A practical outline for thinking about emissions caused by software systems
Moving Towards Ecologically Sustainable Advertising: The Actual Method
Whereas in the Five Fives we outlined the framework for understanding sustainability in online advertising, in this article, we introduce the actual method for achieving it through optimizing the Five Aspects.
4. Miscellaneous writings
Under this heading, writings on various relevant topics are included.
Data as Cost — Big Cakes are Nice if you Like Cake
If data is cost, and algos are a commodity, what is it that we should value in the coming age of automated decision making?
Five Essential Points on Data Visualization
The goal of data visualization is to act as a catalyst for some sort of behavior change, yet mostly practitioners focus on other things.
Thoughts on Pseudo Decentralization
Can you name one thing that is actually decentralized? Is centralization in itself a negative force? Can organizations between people and things work without order? This commentary attempts to answer these questions in a new light.
Demystifying Causality — How to Move from Guesswork to Knowing
If researchers agree that cause and effect is important, why is it not the standard and correlation is — the blocker, is it philosophical or logistical?
