What Is A "Good Developer Experience" (DX, devex)?
Developer experience (DX) or devex is one of those buzzwords that seems to be on everyone's lips lately. But why is developer experience so important and what does a "good developer experience" mean anyway?
Sales and design teams have always stressed the importance of customer and user experience. However, when it comes to software development experience, developers are also looking for a positive developer experience, ensuring they're using the best developer tools and apis to build quality, secure software with a great ux for end users. However, it shouldn't only be spearheaded by devops and isn't only about processes, tools, and developers fixated on creating solutions. So, what is good DX about? It's about the lived challenges, the real-world scenarios, and the very human aspects influencing their day-to-day tasks.
In this article, we're diving deep into the world of DX programming and DX developer experience, focusing on three main pillars: Wellbeing, Teamwork, and Work Output. It's more than just pull requests, metrics, and the choice of programming language.
Is Developer Experience Just Another Buzzword?
Workplace wellness has evolved over the years, and developer experience stands out as a significant milestone in this progression.
Developer experience can be attributed to the growth of knowledge-based industries and changing workforce demographics. With software eating the world, developer teams have started to demand a seat at the table. They’ve become aware of the value they bring to society and want to contribute their skillset in a positive way. So, as they enter a company and begin (or continue) their careers, they bring with them the demand for a more mindful and holistic approach to their wellbeing.
Unraveling "Good Developer Experience"
Although developer experience may vary for each individual, there are certain consistent themes that define great DX. Championed by developer-first strategies, great developer experience thrives on innovation, agility, and team collaboration. When in a flow state, what's most important is that developers prefer to focus on creativity rather than fret about technical debt. They aim to eradicate blockers, bottlenecks, and dependencies that might hinder progress. Increased developer productivity is also key and this can be maximized with feedback loops within key interactions like 1:1 meetings or pulse checks.
The ultimate objective of the DX developer experience is to refine workflows, processes, and work settings, both remote and in-office, to establish a rewarding, supportive, and stimulating work atmosphere. It is only when physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing intertwine that developers can truly promise the creation of robust, dependable, and user-centered software solutions.
Now, let’s delve into the three pillars of developer experience:
Ways To Improve DX With Wellbeing
So what are some ways to improve developer experience? In the context of developer experience, wellbeing is a holistic concept that encompasses a developer's motivation, emotional state, and overall satisfaction with their work, project, and organization. It's about ensuring that developers are technically equipped, emotionally prepared, and have the drive to bring their A-game every day.
As engineering managers, enhancing wellbeing is the most important job. For me, I spend quite a bit of time creating a positive work environment where my developers feel valued, respected, and heard. It's about fostering a culture of empathy, understanding, and psychological safety, where my developers' needs and concerns are acknowledged and addressed. I also aim to show this to my dev teams right from the onboarding process.
Providing the necessary resources is a crucial aspect of uplifting developer wellbeing. Developers need the right tools, technologies, and training to do their job effectively. But it's not just about physical resources; it's also about providing emotional support and ensuring developers have a healthy work-life balance. This means implementing flexible work hours, remote work options, or wellness programs that focus on mental and physical health.
Regular check-ins are a great way to learn about your developers' needs and concerns. I do this with meetings or just casual conversations. The goal is to create a safe space where developers can share their thoughts and feelings.
Surveys are good too to gauge mood and wellbeing. Platforms like hay for Slack allow developers to say what they feel. The feedback and insights that are gathered allow engineering managers to identify areas of improvement and take proactive measures to enhance wellbeing.
Throughout my years as an engineering manager, I’ve also learned about the importance of recognizing big and small achievements. And the recognition could also be big or small, as long as it’s unique to the person receiving the praise.
The effect of giving praise boosts morale and reinforces a sense of purpose and belonging at the company. Recognizing your developers' hard work and expressing genuine appreciation for their valuable contributions is essential. It's about letting them know that their efforts are highly valued and recognized.
At the end of the day, enhancing wellbeing requires a people-first approach. Developers are not just resources but individuals with unique needs, aspirations, and challenges.
Ways To Improve DX With Teamwork
Software isn’t built in silos. It’s a team sport, and the teamwork dimension of good devex centers on the interpersonal dynamics within the team, the quality of communication, and the level of mutual support given among team members. When there’s a miscommunication, it could be because a developer on the team doesn’t feel to be a part of a cohesive unit, and does not give or receive regular feedback.
Improving teamwork requires a multi-pronged approach and fostering open communication is one part of it. Developers need to be able to come together and feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Everyone's voice is heard and valued in safe spaces, boosting morale and leading to better problem-solving and decision-making.
Promoting a culture of mutual respect and cooperation is also another key ingredient in good teamwork. It entails recognizing and appreciating the diverse skills and perspectives within the team while encouraging team members to collaborate and learn from each other. It's all about creating a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose, where everyone is working towards a common goal and supporting each other along the way.
It’s not enough just to mention all of these things, you have to provide the opportunities for your development team to come together and learn from each other. How? By organizing team-building activities, social events, or collaborative projects. These activities enhance team cohesion and make the work environment more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Regular team meetings, code reviews, and pair programming sessions are also practical ways to enhance collaboration and mutual learning. These practices improve the code’s quality and facilitate knowledge sharing, skill development, and collective problem-solving.
Simple tools such as setting up a kudos channel on Slack or conducting quick surveys can prove invaluable in monitoring and enhancing teamwork. A kudos channel enables team members to publicly recognize and celebrate each other's contributions, uplifting team spirit and nurturing a positive collaborative environment. Meanwhile, surveys offer valuable insights into team dynamics, allowing for the identification of areas that can be improved and strengthened.
Ways To Improve DX With Work Output
Developer productivity is key, but assessing work output has often been viewed as a mysterious process. However, it doesn't need to be like that. For me, work output serves as a reflection of a developer’s capacity to create software that not only meets desired functionality but also maintains a good pace (velocity) and upholds a high level of quality.
As engineering managers, our responsibility when it comes to work output is to establish clear goals, remove obstacles, and foster an empowering environment that enables developers to do their best work.
To do this, engineering managers need to focus on reducing cognitive load. This can be achieved by simplifying processes, providing clear documentation, and ensuring developers are not overwhelmed with tasks that distract them from their core work.
Ensuring that processes are streamlined is another crucial aspect. This involves making workflows more efficient, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, maintaining a single source of truth, and automating as much as you can repetitive tasks. The goal is to ensure that developers spend most of their time writing and optimizing code rather than doing manual work like data collection, file management, or data entry.
Providing state-of-the-art tools that make life easier. Developers need access to the best tools available for their work, whether it's advanced Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), effective version control systems, or robust testing frameworks. These tools not only make their work more accessible but also significantly improve productivity and the quality of the output.
Regular training sessions are necessary to help developers upskill on the latest technologies and best practices. This ensures they can tackle new challenges and stay ahead of the game when it comes to technological advancements.
Maintaining high-quality output is non-negotiable. This can be ensured through code quality standards and automated testing. Code quality standards provide a guideline for writing clean, maintainable code, while automated testing helps catch bugs early in the development cycle, reducing the time and effort spent on debugging.
Finally, we can measure key metrics and improve work output using various tools and methodologies. Static code analysis and linters can help enforce coding standards and catch potential issues early. Continuous deployment practices ensure that new changes are automatically tested and deployed, reducing the time to deliver updates.
Cycle time, which measures the time it takes for a change to go from start to deployment, can provide insights into the efficiency of the development process. Checklists with best practices, like The Joel Test, can serve as a guide for ensuring that the team is following practices that lead to better code and, consequently, better work output.
Rome wasn’t built in a day 🏗️ Enhancing work output is something that takes time and involves setting up the right environment, providing the right tools, and following the best industry practices. As engineering managers, when we get this right, nothing can stop our developers from doing their best work.
Conclusion
Nobody wants a poor developer experience. But by focusing on these crucial elements in software development — Wellbeing, Teamwork, and Work Output — you allow developers to focus on themselves as much as on processes and tools used in the making of a technical product. In doing so, you pave the way for not only a more productive and innovative development environment but also for happier, more motivated developers who can consistently deliver exceptional software solutions.
