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Ask Your Developer: How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century
by
Jeff Lawson, software developer turned CEO of Twilio, shares a new approach for winning in the digital era: unleash the creativity and productivity of the 25 million most important workers in the digital economy, software developers.
From banking and retail to insurance and finance, every industry is turning digital, and every company needs the best software to win the hea ...more
From banking and retail to insurance and finance, every industry is turning digital, and every company needs the best software to win the hea ...more
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First half of the book was Twilio history, and its place within the context of software development history. Loved this, A+.
Second half was more or less a manifesto on how to run a more efficient and energizing software organization. I was a big fan of this, but YMMV - this is really geared towards folks who are (1) execs trying to get the most out of their software engineering orgs, or (2) Founders looking for some inspiration on how to run development. I think Product Managers might get some ...more
Second half was more or less a manifesto on how to run a more efficient and energizing software organization. I was a big fan of this, but YMMV - this is really geared towards folks who are (1) execs trying to get the most out of their software engineering orgs, or (2) Founders looking for some inspiration on how to run development. I think Product Managers might get some ...more
It's a good (or even a very good) book if you meet certain criteria:
* you're an executive/decisive person in a typical enterprise that runs in a traditional model and gets beaten by disruptors or more "digital" competitors
* you're a business person who'd like to understand why everyone claims that every company is a tech company now (and what does software engineering has in common with that)
* you'd like to learn (but for real) what people originally had on their mind when using the phrase "digi ...more
* you're an executive/decisive person in a typical enterprise that runs in a traditional model and gets beaten by disruptors or more "digital" competitors
* you're a business person who'd like to understand why everyone claims that every company is a tech company now (and what does software engineering has in common with that)
* you'd like to learn (but for real) what people originally had on their mind when using the phrase "digi ...more
The little there was information about the Twilio way of doing things was really insightful. For example, the last chapter about devops was a great read/listen to someone not technical like me.
But then there were the numerous pages dedicated to motivate legacy companies to do “digital transformation” (5-10 years late?), to cover the history of software development, to explain agile development, to promote building on Twilio. This book tries to cover too much to too many audiences. I wish there ...more
But then there were the numerous pages dedicated to motivate legacy companies to do “digital transformation” (5-10 years late?), to cover the history of software development, to explain agile development, to promote building on Twilio. This book tries to cover too much to too many audiences. I wish there ...more
This book completely encapsulates the frustrations I have seen over my entire consulting career in trying to demonstrate a vision of how to innovate. It also details a better roadmap for showing others how to achieve breakthroughs and the tools to do so. Namely, by creating a culture of experimentation and creativity from the onset.
I am a big believer in the concept of the “Aggregation of Marginal Gains.” A core tenant of this philosophy is tweaking little things to get 1% improvements that com ...more
I am a big believer in the concept of the “Aggregation of Marginal Gains.” A core tenant of this philosophy is tweaking little things to get 1% improvements that com ...more
This was a guide aimed at teaching managers in legacy companies how to work with developers, though also acted as a thought leadership piece to attract customers and developers to Twilio.
Had some useful points, but could’ve definitely been a 3-part blog post.
- Running experiments and iterating quickly is everything right now. outsourcing to agencies or hiring consultants to make software won’t do. It’s slow, expensive, and generally doesn’t get you the results you need. Outsourcing also signific ...more
Had some useful points, but could’ve definitely been a 3-part blog post.
- Running experiments and iterating quickly is everything right now. outsourcing to agencies or hiring consultants to make software won’t do. It’s slow, expensive, and generally doesn’t get you the results you need. Outsourcing also signific ...more
Great read so insightful thoughts
Every big corp depends on software to increase its productivity. This trend is not new : banks, insurances ... have been using a lot of software for more than 25 years. Yet, they are getting disrupted by new players on the field, who move extremely fast, and manage to acquire large client bases while keeping headcount small. So, why couldn't the incumbents do it ? This book will tell you.
Lawson provides a thorough analysis of the organizational structures which make startups so _fast_ and danger ...more
Lawson provides a thorough analysis of the organizational structures which make startups so _fast_ and danger ...more
Disappointed with it. Basically devs should use micro services instead of building when they can. Whole book is about how awesome this guy’s company is, not how they became awesome/what they did/how they lead their teams.
60 pages of the CEO gloating about how awesome he is.
60 pages of the CEO gloating about how awesome he is.
The first part of the book provides the annotated / "anecdoted" context of software development history. I found it crip and informative, yet not overly surprising or new. I really moved from liking to loving this book once Jeff gets into the nitty-gritty of how to build, nurture and unleash teams and with it digital companies. It covers much, yet feels right, tight, and supported by many actionable hints, examples and a philosophy that I've been treasuring for a while, and after this book, feel
...more
If Marc Andreessen pointed in "Sofware Is Eating The World" to a new breed of software disruptors, Jeff Lawson explains in "Ask Your Developer" how the disruption works and what the disrupted can do about it.
It identifies customer experience as the primary frame of reference for strategic success and makes the case that "you can't buy differentiation. You can only build it."
So companies are either going to go on radical digital transformation journeys or die.
For me, the more interesting implica ...more
It identifies customer experience as the primary frame of reference for strategic success and makes the case that "you can't buy differentiation. You can only build it."
So companies are either going to go on radical digital transformation journeys or die.
For me, the more interesting implica ...more
The book to hand to senior execs
I don’t know Jeff though full disclosure I do know Eric Ries who wrote the introduction to this book and I do know some of Twillio’s early investors and I’ve been a customer of theirs in the past at previous jobs (and I assume I will use them again at future companies).
I’ve been online a few years longer than the author and my career has some parallels (multiple startups, stints at larger companies) and while I haven’t (yet) founded a billion dollar corporation m ...more
I don’t know Jeff though full disclosure I do know Eric Ries who wrote the introduction to this book and I do know some of Twillio’s early investors and I’ve been a customer of theirs in the past at previous jobs (and I assume I will use them again at future companies).
I’ve been online a few years longer than the author and my career has some parallels (multiple startups, stints at larger companies) and while I haven’t (yet) founded a billion dollar corporation m ...more
Some related resources to consider:
• Book overview: https://www.askyourdeveloper.com/
• Reviews:
○ https://www.zdnet.com/article/ask-you...
○ https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/15/twi...
○ https://waiyancan.com/summary-ask-you...
• Author interview: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaull...
• Excerpts/adaptations:
○ https://www.businessinsider.com/twili...
○ https://hbr.org/2021/01/in-the-digita... ...more
• Book overview: https://www.askyourdeveloper.com/
• Reviews:
○ https://www.zdnet.com/article/ask-you...
○ https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/15/twi...
○ https://waiyancan.com/summary-ask-you...
• Author interview: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaull...
• Excerpts/adaptations:
○ https://www.businessinsider.com/twili...
○ https://hbr.org/2021/01/in-the-digita... ...more
Livre très intéressant qui nous permet de découvrir l'univers du logiciel. Jeff Lawson, fondateur et CEO de Twilio, revient sur son expérience personnelle avec ses starts-up, explique le modèle d'affaire de son entreprise actuelle, Twilio, et démontre comment les logiciels peuvent - doivent? - être considérés comme un moyen central pour offrir des solutions à des individus ou des entreprises. Plus que tout, il met l'emphase sur l'importance du développeur comme étant la clé de voûte dans l'élabo
...more
This is more than a software story. It's a great insight into creating a culture with a growth mindset and a leadership philosophy that's particular suited on a successful organization which is growing rapidly from its success. How to maintain the "secret sauce" as you grow and evolve your organization to meet the challenges posed by the future. Jeff's insights are golden!
...more
It’s a great modern way of building software and managing tech teams. It is very practical advice for any product manager or any manager around how to build great software and get your developers to participate in a way that helps you win. Great for unlocking potential from your development. Have practiced a lot of things suggested and can testify to this advice.
Excellent book on the human, organizational and management aspects of Software Development by Jeff Lawson - a developer himself and CEO of Twilio. It touches very good modern practices, it's full of good advice and it contains a lot of statements that will make you think. Very highly recommended.
...more
Solid read and good advice
Great read and very insightful. I especially appreciate the section on the benefits of platform engineering and how to effectively organize teams.
Great read and very insightful. I especially appreciate the section on the benefits of platform engineering and how to effectively organize teams.
Easily one of the best business books I’ve read. Absolutely essential reading for anyone running a business in 2021.
This is the best book I read on tech management. Whether you are managing a small team of developers or running a startup, you can learn plenty from this book
This book is phenomenal and a must read for anyone who works with software developers or in digital transformation but does not come from a technical/software development background.
Short and sweet. I could see more value in my work after getting this book read about platform engineering.
Really nice over from a developer turned CEO on how developers make things happen in the digital world, why it's a good idea to listen to them and involve them - and how to support and enable them.
...more
For non Devs who want to bring change with software, this book is a master class on how to work with software engineers as of today.
Una buena narrativa de las prácticas técnicas de desarrollo de software desde el punto de vista ejecutivo.
Recomendable para todo gerente de desarrollo o director.
Recomendable para todo gerente de desarrollo o director.
Well put elements od modern SW Development
A number of good stories and insights how to develop products. It is written a bit as a twillio marketing promotion material.
A number of good stories and insights how to develop products. It is written a bit as a twillio marketing promotion material.
Approachable narrative of the third technical wave of tech with the API economy. Anyone in this space it is a must read.
sadly this book is very self-promotional and has a strong marketing purpose, I did not learn anything from it
Very good narrative of personal and professional experiences. However, I think the author overemphasizes developers role and disregard the benefits that interdisciplinary collaboration brings to the table. It is understandable because the product that his company sell is for developers as well. I love the narrative of the work but I cannot consider it a reliable source of entrepreneurship knowledge and experience for its lack of comprehensiveness.
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“What we learned is that when you conduct experiments, you should remember to hold back resources to give needed rocket boosters to the winning experiments.”
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“instead of letting developers just run around and do whatever they want, autonomy actually has its basis in rules. Without guardrails, people won’t know how to make decisions, and leaders will tend to second-guess them constantly. By creating rules, you paradoxically set people free—in the space between guardrails.”
—
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