category: empathy driven development

  • Secrets to Managing a Software Modernization Project
    Dec 13, 2022 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Using Empathy System Architecture, we can map out the fundamental skills required for effective empathy. Software System Architecture helps us identify the fundamental structures and relationships within a software system. Empathy can be approached the same way.

  • Empathy System Architecture
    Apr 18, 2022 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Using Empathy System Architecture, we can map out the fundamental skills required for effective empathy. Software System Architecture helps us identify the fundamental structures and relationships within a software system. Empathy can be approached the same way.

  • Our Brains are Like Software, Not Hardware
    Oct 12, 2021 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Instead of thinking of the brain as hardware, it might be more useful to think of it as software.

  • Defining Empathy Is Like Nailing Jell-O to a Wall
    Sep 14, 2021 Written by Andrea Goulet

    I thought I understood empathy...until I started writing a book about it. Chances are, empathy doesn't mean what you think it means, either.

  • Ultimatums, Edge Cases, and Basecamp
    May 3, 2021 Written by Andrea Goulet

    A few days ago, Basecamp announced some changes to their organization. Since we've publicly shared that some of Basecamp's books and philosophies have influenced the Corgibytes culture, we feel it is necessary to share our dissent on some of their recent decisions, particularly around their policy of "no more societal and political discussions" at work.

  • Am I enough?
    Feb 16, 2021 Written by Catalina De la cuesta

    As a developer, when I’m coding, I keep asking myself questions like “Am I a good enough developer?”, “Is my code good enough?”, “Am I productive enough?”. Are these valid questions?

  • Empathy-Driven Development Defined
    Jan 12, 2021 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Empathy is an important technical skill that can drive the decisions developers make when they code. How can we make the practice of applying empathy throughout a codebase concrete? It starts with defining the practice.

  • Steps Towards More Inclusive Design
    Dec 8, 2020 Written by Steve Desmond

    As developers, we often get requests for new features that may seem trivial at first glance, but become much more complex when we start to dig deeper. This is a story of one such example, and how we were able to work with our client to provide a more inclusive design.

  • Legacy Code and the Buddhist Monk
    Dec 5, 2019 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Software systems can find themselves in a state of "rock bottom." When we encounter projects like these, we need to channel our inner monk. Start where you are. Eliminate the shame that goes with having a messy codebase. Embrace that your system is worth investing in and start making it better from where you are today.

  • Square Zero: Hidden Habits You Need For A Successful Career in Tech
    Jul 19, 2017 Written by Andrea Goulet

    Many programming languages use what’s called zero-based indexing. Counting starts at zero, not one. When building your career in tech, know there are invisible forces at play that are obvious once you uncover them. If you navigate your career without understanding this hidden framework, you’ll usually come up with the wrong answer. Let's take a peek at some of these hidden habits that are likely holding you back.

  • Make Friends with Feedback
    Feb 16, 2017 Written by Jocelyne Morin-Nurse

    Does this sound familiar? A nervous, yet wildly confident singer prepares to wow competition judges. Meanwhile, a clip of them telling the camera some heart-wrenching story wraps up. The frame ends on some mention of this being their last chance at happiness, and this is their Hail Mary plan to finally follow their destiny. The music starts. The singer wails.

  • The Importance of Empathy
    Nov 15, 2016 Written by Nickie McCabe

    Over the past year, we’ve written a lot about empathy on this blog. We’ve discussed empathy-driven development, the empathy spectrum, and the fact that empathy is a skill. And like any skill, it can be learned and takes practice to build. But perhaps one of the most important posts was actually an update to an existing one.

  • Git Blame Isn't for Incrimination
    Oct 18, 2016 Written by David Grieser

    When building a feature or fixing a bug, you will be reading the code that exists. One thing I do often is ask, “Why was this done this way?” Programming is not a binary profession. Fuzzy logic would be a better way to explain how problems get solved. Just as programmers' experiences vary, you can find many solutions to get from 0 to 1. So, when I want to answer my initial question, I leverage git blame.

  • Three Books That Influenced Corgibytes Culture
    Sep 15, 2016 Written by Andrea Goulet

    One of the comments I get frequently is how the culture of Corgibytes feels distinctive. Clients enjoy working with us, employees are happy and not stressed out, and the company just kind of purrs. This didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of lots of intention and implementing specific strategies.

  • How We Use Daily Journals
    Aug 2, 2016 Written by Nickie McCabe

    One of the most important expectations we have for all team members is that he or she keep a daily journal. While I was skeptical when we first started this practice, now I can’t imagine our team functioning without it.

  • A Mob of Corgis
    Jun 12, 2016 Written by Andrea Goulet

    An experience report of using Mob Programming at Corgibytes. Trust, which was already high, became even stronger. Clients became more engaged and several commented on how much value they were getting from working with the Corgibytes team. When clients felt like they were getting more value, sales, grew, too.

  • Building Software with the Empathy Spectrum
    May 27, 2016 Written by Andrea Goulet

    If we want our developers to have more empathy for our customers, we as employers need to have more empathy for developers. We need to cast off the stereotype of good developers being only those people who are emotionless, data-driven, Spock-like caricatures, and embrace the fact that as humans, we all experience emotion.

  • How We at Corgibytes Developed Our Core Values
    Apr 28, 2016 Written by Andrea Goulet

    At Corgibytes, we have five core values: Think of Others, Calm the Chaos, Communication is Just as Important as Code, Adopt a Growth Mindset, and Craftsmanship in Context. These values are the nucleus of our company: the center of all decisions, big and small, for the Corgibytes executive team and staff. Here's a look at each one in detail.

  • How Empathy Driven Development is Transforming The Tech Industry
    Apr 1, 2016 Written by Andrea Goulet

    When we put empathy at the center of our technology, human connection becomes stronger. Infusing empathy throughout your organization and development strategy can have profound positive impacts on customer loyalty, employee retention, and vendor service.