Measurement of a system’s quality should go beyond just tracking metrics like DORA, which have limited value without understanding their origins and true purpose. Utilizing metrics without context can lead to poor decisions and shortcuts in software development, hindering the creation of a well-functioning system that produces quality outcomes.

AB Testing

AB Testing - Each episode is a chat between Brent Jensen and Alan Page with an occasional special guest.

• https://www.moderntesting.org/

Episode Details

• Show Notes: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/abtesting/episodes/Episode-222-Quality-is-a-System-e3bunfi
• Published: 2025-12-05T20:08:57Z
• Duration: 01:00:11
• Author: AB Testing

Overview

The episode delves into key topics within software development, leadership, and team management, emphasizing the importance of understanding and measuring systems rather than focusing solely on outcomes. The discussion critiques common misapplications of DORA metrics and Agile methodologies, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of systems to enhance software quality. The hosts explore personal experiences with tracking project metrics, leadership strategies that avoid rigid frameworks like Scrum, and the role of engineering leads in fostering effective team dynamics. Confidence-based estimating and the difficulties of accurate forecasting are also discussed, along with the value of learning from estimation mistakes.

Additionally, the episode includes personal stories, such as hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and tracking physical progress, which serve as metaphors for the challenges and rewards of long-term projects. These anecdotes highlight the mental and physical demands of sustained effort. The hosts also preview a fictional narrative project designed to convey modern testing and software delivery principles through storytelling, emphasizing continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and the importance of evaluating quality from the customers perspective.