32: David Hussman - Agile vs Agility, Dude's Law, and more

A wonderful discussion with David Hussman. David and Brian look back at what all we've learned in XP, TDD, and other Agile methodologies, where things have gone awry, how to bring the value back, and where testing fits into all of this.

• How to build the wrong thing faster
• Agile vs Agility
• Product vs Process
• Where testing fits into software development practices.
• "Integration tests, there's a name that needs to be refactored desperately."
• Integration tests are "story tests". They tell the story of the product.
• XP and TDD and the relationship with tests
• To test for design, use microtests, xUnit style.
• User Advocy tests are often lacking, but are needed to learn about the product.
• "I just keep writing tests until I'm not scared anymore." - Kent Beck
• Dude's Law: Value = Why/How
• People often focus so much on the how that they forget about why they are doing something.
• Subcutaneous Tests
• "The hardest part of programming is thinking."
• Refactoring vs Repaving
• Agility means being able to quickly change direction
• During experimentation and learning, what matters isn't how much you got done, but how much you learn.
• "The best way to get automation is to make developers do manual tests."

Special Guest: David Hussman.

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Links:

• DevJam
• PNSQC 2015 How to Build the Wrong Thing Faster and Learn From It
• People's Front of Judea
• TDD on c2
• The waterfall model
• Test First Programming
• Dude's Law
• Subcutaneous Test