Normalization of Deviance: What to do when human nature collides with procedures in the workplace.

Normalization of Deviance: What to do when human nature collides with procedures in the workplace.

by | Nov 14, 2022 | Product Development, Project Management, Software Development

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

Let’s think of the following example: imagine a brand-new bridge connecting two highways over a river. This highway sees a lot of traffic, including transport trucks that must pass from one side to the other daily, which tend to have a weight, on average, of about 25 tons. Thus, they mark the bridge accordingly: Limit Weight: 25 tons. However, the engineers know that they need a safety margin to ensure that the bridge doesn’t stress and wear out too quickly, so it’s designed to actually support up to 35 tons. It all seems good until one day, ten years later, the bridge collapses; a 40-ton trailer tried to cross it, and a tragedy occurred.

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It’s easy to point a finger at the culprit, right? That truck was way too heavy for this bridge, so we need to build sturdier bridges and think of a system that checks if a truck has the appropriate weight before crossing. Maybe even instill punishments and fines for people going over this limit. Easy stuff. Well, if that’s the case, then nothing was learned from this disaster. It will happen again in the future.

This is normalization of deviance. Simply put, it’s when people become so accustomed to seeing certain things done wrong that they no longer register as problems, but instead as the way “things work”. And they do work, until the day they don’t: catastrophic failures like a bridge collapsing are seldom the result of a single, unavoidable act of God, but instead the accumulation of small problems that one day reach a breaking point.  And normalization of deviance is a huge problem in the software development industry. 

However, how exactly does the normalization of deviance work, how does it affect software development, and what could be the steps to mitigate, or outright eliminate, the risks it presents?

Bending the rules (until they break)

Normalization of deviance

Software and civil engineering are not that different, at least when it comes to the complexity and precision needed to build things. After all, engineering of any kind is the art of finding solutions that work under stress: creating stuff that works reliably, no matter who is using it. So, no matter if you work with code or concrete, the process is roughly the same: you need to take into account every single situation that the design demands. And thus, both disciplines also tend to have very similar problems, with the normalization of deviance being one of them.

Let’s go back to our bridge example: what was the actual problem? The truck was way too heavy to safely cross that bridge, for sure. But why was such a truck trying to cross it in the first place? Because simply put, it was a normal thing to happen, and if that sounds like a contradiction, you would be right. After all, the normalization of deviance is a lesson in human nature.

People like to bend the rules. That’s what we do. Intellectually, we know rules are meant to keep things working properly, but rigidity is not our strong suit as a species. In the words of veteran programmer Foone Turing: “We always want to optimize. We want to do things cheaper, quicker, and more at once. And the thing is, most of the time going a little faster, a little hotter, that’s fine. Nothing goes wrong. Engineers always design with a safety margin, as we’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t, stuff goes wrong very fast. So going 110% as fast as the spec says? probably OK.”

So, you may see where this is going. In our bridge example, an interesting wrinkle is that the disaster didn’t happen right away, it was a full decade after the bridge was constructed. That’s the tricky thing with the normalization of deviance: it takes time to build up. It works through subtlety: if your bridge says that it has a limit of 25 tons, but you once drove a 30-ton truck through it and nothing happened, then the actual limit is higher, right? You can do it again. And if you do it enough times?

“You’ve been going 110% all the time. It’s worked out just fine. You’re doing great, no problems. You start to think of 110% as the new normal, and you think of it as just 100%. […] Then one day you’re running into 5 other problems and need to push something, well, maybe you do 120% today? After all, it’s basically just 10% of normal…”. That’s how you get a 40-ton trailer trying to cross a bridge rated way lower than that: someone drove through it with 35 tons of cargo, and nothing happened. 36 should be fine, right? Or 37, or 38, and so on. Bending the rules became so normal, without any immediate consequence, that it ceased to be wrong. Slowly, it became the standard, and a standard supported by bent rules is always a time bomb.

But how to avoid deviance?

Normalization of deviance

In software development, the normalization of deviance can happen at every level. For example, at a product level, it’s not exactly unheard of to release software that is not fully tested, on the assumption that the bugs will be fixed in future releases, which can lead to serious problems, such as data loss or security vulnerabilities. At the development level, programmers can start to disregard code style conventions if they feel slowed down by them (there’s a deadline to meet after all), resulting in a codebase that is difficult to read and maintain. And at the security level, it’s often easier to just write down a password than wait half an hour for IT to reset your account if you forget it. In either case, the result is the same: an organization will start accumulating issues until something serious breaks one day.

However, diagnosing the normalization of deviance can be difficult because there’s no immediate feedback loop to it. The bridge probably doesn’t produce a loud cracking sound if you go a couple of pounds above the limit, or the code doesn’t stop working immediately if you deviate a little from a style convention, so implementing effective ways to detect when it’s happening, or to deter this kind of behavior, can be tricky.   

The aforementioned Twitter thread gives a great example of why: “Susan gets in trouble because she put a post-it note with her password on her monitor, and we had to sit through a boring security meeting about password security. So, people learned to put their passwords in their wallets and their phones.” Or in other words, maybe the systems we have in place provide the incentive to deviate from the rules in the first place, and having after-the-fact measures don’t do enough to stop the buildup of problems. In that case, it falls on the culture of an organization to take into account these possible challenges and take the steps necessary to avoid lowering standards as a normal practice. These four key points might help:

  1. Rules are not forever. When it comes to technology, a year might as well be a decade in terms of advancement and innovation, so every procedure and workflow must be constantly reviewed to ensure “rule-bending” is not encouraged when certain parts lag behind, becoming obsolete or just ineffective. Revising and streamlining are always valuable skills for the leadership of any company to have, and giving people the power to always ask “why” could help avoid problems down the line.
  2. Open communication is critical. In that same sense, the main danger of deviance is that it develops in secret. Effective project management means communicating effectively with people, making clear the purpose of every rule, and being open to opinions, suggestions, and discussions to ensure those rules are effective and followed. Also, promoting an environment where a developer can communicate when a rule must be broken for the good of a project is crucial, as it allows management to respond and control such changes. “This situation has happened to us in the past”, says Jesús Magaña, Senior Project Manager at Scio. “And this decision has never been taken lightly. The objective, after all, is reaching the finish line without compromising quality or performance. This ‘shortcut’ has to be done with the consent of the Project Manager and the client, keeping in mind the possible consequences of doing so.”  
  3. Any change has to be clear and well-thought. The software sector is also ripe for new technologies, frameworks, languages, and tools to be implemented during development, but these changes are not trivial. If a new element is adopted within the development environment without proper measures (like clearly explaining the benefits and drawbacks of the new tool, giving people enough time to acclimate to change, being open to concerns, etc.), the risk of deviance grows.
  4. A culture of collaboration, not politics. Probably the most common cause of normalization of deviance, many of these examples don’t happen in isolation. Humans are social beings that tend to form cliques and in-groups that cover for each other, which can happen at every level of the organization, and thus be the perfect place to brew deviance that could snowball into disaster. So, promoting collaboration, being lenient enough with consequences so people feel comfortable about speaking up, but not to the point that developers feel they can get away with anything, and frequently promoting people to mix and work together in different configurations might be the key. It all comes down to skilled leadership.

And knowing is half the battle

Normalization of deiance

However, let’s not assume that these steps, although useful, are completely infallible when it comes to mitigating the normalization of deviance because this kind of behavior is simply human. We bend the rules when we know we shouldn’t, even at a personal level sometimes (“I’m on a diet, but this piece of cake shouldn’t be a problem, right?”), but that doesn’t mean that we cannot anticipate, learn, and improve at every opportunity. Understanding this is what separates good software organizations from the rest of them. After all, as Jesus Magaña tells us, “one of the values of the Agile Manifesto establishes that ‘people and interactions are above tools and processes’, which implies that a process doesn’t have to be a rigid path. Sometimes you need to veer off-course, and that’s not cheating. Let’s just keep in mind that, if everything is going well during development, a process is meant to help us to be consistent with the quality of our work.”

The Key Takeaways

  • Normalization of deviance, of lowering standards over time, is always a risk in any industry, especially software development.
  • Simply put, people are going to bend the rules when that benefits them because that’s simply human nature.
  • The main danger is that this normalization is almost always invisible until too late, helping the build-up of issues and problems until a disaster occurs.
  • It’s up to the management and culture of an organization to mitigate this deviance, which is virtually impossible to eliminate but can be avoided with the right approach to communication and collaboration.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!

Why will platform engineering and self-service be two of the biggest trends in 2023?

Why will platform engineering and self-service be two of the biggest trends in 2023?

by | Nov 9, 2022 | Nearshore, Software Development

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

When it comes to the development of software applications, many companies, understandably, focus exclusively on creating products for their customers. The process has always been very simple, but as technology advances, and more and more options become available to develop and deploy products, a certain approach has started to shift. The SysAdmin days of yore are far behind, and since the start of the Cloud Age with the launch of AWS in 2006, technology has enabled developers all over the world to create better applications, but at the cost of making development a more complex endeavor.

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For example, let’s take the “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS) model. An increasingly common way to offer software products with continuous support, it’s made possible by the widespread adoption of Cloud technology, allowing businesses to access software applications remotely through the Internet, on a pay-as-you-go basis. There are many advantages to this approach, including increased flexibility and scalability, but it also brought its own challenges. As this article puts it:

“Suddenly, engineers had to master 10 different tools, Helm charts, Terraform modules, etc. just to deploy and test a simple code change to one of multiple environments in your multi-cluster microservice setup. The problem is that throughout this toolchain evolution, the industry seemingly decided that division of labor (Ops and Devs), which proved successful in virtually every other sector of the global economy, was not a good idea. Instead, the DevOps paradigm was championed as the way to achieve a high-performing setup.”  

This approach, however, while making sense for companies the size of Amazon or Google, can also create something of a rift when it comes to more medium-sized organizations, where the resources and manpower can’t quite match the scale of modern SaaS and Cloud-based development, and “developers (usually the more senior ones) end up taking responsibility for managing environments, infrastructure, etc.”, putting a strain on the team that can doom the outcome of a project. The expectations regarding the number of tools and frameworks that a team must master to create effective products today are sky-high, and as such, a new approach for comparatively smaller organizations must be found elsewhere. With that in mind, let’s talk about the rise of platform engineering.

The glue binding development together

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Platform engineering is a term that is used to describe the process of designing, building, and maintaining platforms that are used by other applications, and it’s all about creating systems that can be reused and repurposed, emphasizing flexibility and modularity. In other words, the industry is leaving behind the idea of designing systems with specific functions in mind as a result of the world becoming more connected, demanding a shift toward system design that can be adapted to changing needs. And platform engineering is at the forefront of this new paradigm. 

This is because platform engineering responds to the popularity of “self-service” as a development approach. To put it simply, self-service tools and platforms enable teams to have “the ability to create and configure resources” by themselves, away from more traditional models like a ticket system, which are a source of friction in the face of modern development methods. The trick, however, is that a good self-service platform is often developed and deployed internally, meaning that a lot of resources must be directed away from client-facing development, and toward the organization itself, and that can be a tough challenge to overcome.

There are real benefits to investing in internal tools and platforms, of course. For one thing, it can create a more efficient workflow that allows for greater collaboration between developers, helping to build a deeper understanding of the software development process because these platforms are tailor-made to the needs of a specific company. Perhaps most importantly, though, developing internal tools can give medium-sized companies a competitive edge, allowing for better efficiency in the software development process through the use of more effective and all-encompassing tools. 

“If you’re a software development company, chances are you’ve considered developing your own internal tools and platforms. And there’s a good reason for that; doing so can be game-changing”, says Luis Aburto, CEO, and Founder of Scio. “For starters, developing for self-service allows you to optimize specifically for your company’s needs, meaning they’ll be more efficient and effective than any off-the-shelf solution. And by controlling the development process from start to finish, you can ensure that your tools have the flexibility necessary for more and more complex operations. Having proprietary tools and platforms gives any company a competitive edge.” 

Coming back around, this is why platform engineering will be one of the most important trends of 2023. The process of creating an internal foundation upon which other applications can be built, is conceptualized as a sort of “glue” that binds every element of the development cycle. This can help many organizations to streamline their tools and frameworks, automatizing plenty of tasks that can increase the workload necessary to bring a SaaS application to life. This relatively new field is only now beginning to gain recognition, but it’s expected to become one of the most essential engineering disciplines in the years to come. 

And as the world becomes increasingly digital, the need for platform-based applications will only continue to grow, with internal tools and platforms enabling software development companies to boost their efficiency, saving time and money, and improving the quality of their products. However, to meet this demand, engineers will need to be familiar with platform engineering principles, and those who can master this discipline will be very valued members of a team in the years to come.

Building a platform with the best talent

With all of this in mind, why don’t more software development companies focus on internal tooling? There are a few reasons. First, it’s often seen as a low priority compared to client work, especially for medium or smaller-sized organizations with a more limited pool of resources. And second, it can be expensive and time-consuming to develop these tools, further straining a development team. But in 2023, overcoming these obstacles can be the difference between success and failure for a company.

The biggest challenge, then, is building a great platform engineering team that can bring these tools to reality. This year will not only see platform engineering as a critical approach for most software development companies, but the talent necessary to bring these kinds of applications will be in huge demand, with a strong engineering team becoming essential to develop high-quality products. However, it’s not always easy to find talented engineers who are also a good fit for your culture and values, which is why Nearshore augmentation holds an answer for a company wanting to remain competitive in the face of this new reality.

“More than ever, having developers at your disposal with a DevOps background will be critical to building a proper platform engineering team that could change the way your company approaches development”, continues Luis. “And Nearshore partnerships are a great way to access the kind of talent pool you need to bring this vision to life. Latin America has an amazing array of experienced and talented developers that companies of all sizes, or even a start-up, can harness to success.”

So, if you’re looking to build a platform engineering team, partnering with a Nearshore company is the best way to do it. With a Nearshore partner, you’ll get access to top talent, be able to scale quickly, and maintain the kind of communication necessary to bring these kinds of projects to fruition. Choosing a self-service approach is a choice that has virtually no downsides for a company looking to keep ahead of the curve in the current technology landscape and bringing developers with talent and communication skills to your team is always the smart path to follow. As a result, you’ll be able to build a world-class platform engineering team that can help take your business to the next level.

The Key Takeaways

  • The software industry is increasingly moving towards more complex development environments, thanks to the rise of technologies such as cloud platforms.
  • The number of resources needed to effectively work in this environment may not be too much for a big company, but for a smaller organization, it can be a challenge to overcome.
  • Among other things, this is why platform engineering and a self-service approach will keep growing in popularity in the coming year, popularizing the development of internal tools.
  • However, this will also increase the number of experienced developers needed to bring these platforms to fruition, and a Nearshore partnership can be the answer to reach these goals.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!

React: The challenges of keeping ‘up to date’ in the software development world.

React: The challenges of keeping ‘up to date’ in the software development world.

by | Nov 7, 2022 | Scio, Software Development, Technologies

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

Software development is an essential aspect of modern life. From the operating system on our computers to the apps on our phones, software developers create most of the tools we use every day. However, it’s no secret that technology is constantly changing, and keeping pace with the latest trends can be difficult, with new technologies and approaches constantly being developed, so it can be hard to stay abreast of the latest trends. In addition, the industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and companies are constantly trying to one-up each other with new features and capabilities that any skilled programmer needs to keep up with.

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For example, let’s look at React, which has been gaining popularity for a few years now. As a JavaScript library, React can be used with a variety of different programming languages, making it easy to integrate it into existing software development projects. It’s also known for being fast and efficient, using a virtual DOM that helps to improve performance by only re-rendering the parts of the DOM that have changed, and the large scalability it offers makes React really popular with some of the biggest companies in the world, including Facebook, Netflix, and Airbnb. In short, this means there is a lot of demand for React developers, which should make this library part of the basic toolset for any skilled developer. However, reality is very different. 

“React is a very common requirement among our clients when they are looking for a developer to augment their in-house teams”, says Helena Matamoros, Head of Human Capital at Scio. “And is not that React is uncommon or anything, but we have noticed that, for some reason, programmers who know React usually learn it on their own free time, taking courses or experimenting with it on personal projects. React is not really part of most college curriculums around here, so there has to be an actual commitment from most devs to learn it and offer it to any projects.”

But why is that the case? Why is such a popular skill not something to be found on a curriculum in most programming courses? To answer this, today we want to take a look, not into React precisely, but into a broader question about the expectations about learning software development, and the realities of the industry and these technologies, so you can shine as a developer anywhere you want to collaborate.

Programmers programming themselves

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Let’s start with something you might suspect already: “Self-taught developers dominate technology: 69% of the developers who responded to the survey are at least partly self-taught, and fewer than half hold a formal degree in computer science. In a trend spreading to other fields, many are choosing ways to learn that offer everything but a degree: online courses, bootcamps, on-the-job training, and collaborating with peers”, an interesting fact shared by this Quartz article in relation to the modern state of software development and developers in the US. And this number will likely keep increasing in the coming years.

The root of this curious situation could be that, since the very beginning, software development has been driven in great part by hobbyists and amateur developers who see programming as more than just a means of employment; for many, programming is a lifestyle. Often, a programmer lets their own sense of challenge and curiosity guide them towards learning new things, so people becoming self-taught in this field, at least in specific tools and frameworks, is usually seen as pretty normal. In fact, as a part of the software developer experience, this cultural norm has become a defining part of our industry.

Considering this, one could see why learning React on your own time is not a weird thing to do, or arguably difficult to do. However, the truth of this depends on a few factors: how much experience you have with programming in general (if you’re coming from a background of working with HTML and CSS, then React will probably seem easier than if you’re starting from scratch), and how much time you’re willing, or able, to invest in learning it. React is not the quickest framework to pick up, but it’s not the hardest either, but it makes you wonder why it tends to be a “learn on your own time” library instead of a basic topic in programming courses, seeing how useful it is as a powerful tool for building user interfaces. 

But what is React? This framework was created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook (now Meta), first deployed on the FB timeline in 2011, and later released to the public in 2013 with an open-source version. It was named as such because it can be described as a “reactive” framework, meaning that it can respond to changes in data very quickly. This makes it well-suited for applications that need to handle large amounts of information or that require real-time updates, which of course has made it incredibly attractive for corporations such as Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, and Uber that need to handle a massive number of requests and users every minute. Moreover, React also has a number of features that make it appealing to developers, like its declarative syntax, its ability to render views on different devices, and its performance advantages. In the years since its release, React has become one of the most popular tools for front-end web development, designed to be easy to use, that enables developers to build complex web applications with less code than other frameworks. 

Taken together, these factors make React an appealing option for software development in a world with lots of different frameworks and libraries to choose from, so learning React can open up a lot of doors for future programmers, giving them a practical skill that is in high demand by employers. The thing is, colleges and universities offering React as part of their Computer Science programs tend to be few and far between, thanks to how (relatively) recent this framework is, and the high cost of entry that official boot camps and courses have. But many programmers need to do this regardless, in order to master this framework.

“Continuing education is especially crucial in software development. This field is constantly evolving, with new languages, frameworks, and tools being released on a regular basis, so to stay competitive, it’s essential for software development companies to invest in the skills of their employees”, explains Helena. “By providing opportunities for employees to learn new skills, companies can ensure that they are keeping up with the latest technology and trends. Additionally, continuing education can help employees to feel more satisfied with their jobs. Ultimately, investing in employee education is a smart business decision that can really pay off.”

Growing skills matter

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That’s why companies that know the value of continued education are the ones bringing the best talent aboard. Although curiosity and motivation to learn new things for the sake of it are great qualities for a software developer, leaving them all of the work is not the best strategy to ensure a team is ready and ahead of the curve when it comes to tools, approaches and frameworks to innovate in the software space. After all, the key to a successful business is its people. 

Many companies focus on hiring employees with the specific skills they need to get the job done. And while this is certainly important, it’s also important for an organization to invest in the skills and development of its staff, for one very simple reason: this is investment in success, both for the organization and for the collaborator. Well-trained employees are often able to work faster and more accurately than those who are not. Second, employee development can help to reduce turnover, and when employees feel like they are learning and growing in their jobs, they are more likely to stick around. In the case of React, the best approach could be having more senior developers, whose experience with this library is top-notch, to lend a hand to their teammates to develop their own skills, with the company giving the opportunity to comfortably do so. 

Scio, for example, has the “Sensei-Creati” program, where a Sensei developer can take on “Creati” apprentices to teach them about a specific tool or skill, remaining open to discuss issues, solve questions, and all in all share knowledge to whoever would benefit from it. The result is that, when everyone is on the same page, it makes it easier to identify areas that need improvement and come up with new solutions. Furthermore, sharing knowledge helps to build trust and collaboration among team members, which can lead to better code quality and a more efficient workflow. Ultimately, sharing knowledge is essential for any software company that wants to be successful, and attract the best talent available.

The bottom line is that learning is part of the normal experience of a software developer but offering the opportunity to do so on the job is the best way to keep ahead of the curve when it comes to popular technologies like React. So if you are looking to join the best company to work with, see what their position is regarding sharing knowledge and growing skills. Maybe you can find a place where the proposition of learning something like React is not something you do in your free time, but part of the job itself.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!

Passive Candidates: The biggest recruiting trend of 2023

Passive Candidates: The biggest recruiting trend of 2023

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Software Development, Workspace

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

It’s no secret that the software industry is already very competitive in getting the best talent out there, which means employers have to work hard to attract the best and brightest. There’s no shortage of strategies to catch the attention of those developers and engineers looking for a new opportunity (from recruiting HR firms that specialize in the tech industry, to software events and meetups), but in 2023, the challenge of bringing the people you need for your company will probably be bigger than ever.

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But why is that? Well, for starters, the current tech job market is kind of a mess. The industry is plagued by some unprecedented instability thanks to several factors, ranging from the disruptions caused by the still ongoing pandemic to the geopolitical situation of many important regions of the world to bets in big technological projects, like cryptocurrencies and the Metaverse, not panning out as planned. The result is that the tech industry, as a whole, is currently going through a downturn that is causing layoffs, hiring freezes, and diminished budgets that create a climate of uncertainty among tech developers, and these challenges don’t seem to be going away soon. 

So, thanks to uncharacteristically tough times in the tech industry, and the current state of its job market, finding qualified talent can become harder than ever before. These conditions have marked the rise of a unique trend in talent recruitment that will pose a challenge for any tech organization down the line:  the passive candidate, or the people not looking for a new job but who would be willing to move elsewhere if it looks like the right opportunity.

The importance of this segment for the tech industry cannot be overstated. While many recruiters focus their efforts on active candidates, meaning those who are actively searching for new employment through the usual channels, passive candidates can often be a hidden talent pool encompassing over 79% of working professionals. And reaching them is no easy task, especially for medium-sized organizations that might have a harder time competing recruiting-wise. Sure, online tools such as LinkedIn and Google to search for qualified individuals who may not be actively seeking new opportunities can be a good start. Personal connections and networking can also be used to reach out to potential passive candidates, but it’s important to understand that the current job landscape means that it’s very unlikely for a candidate to consider leaving a position.

Today, the search for stability trumps any other consideration for a software developer. 2023 is not going to be about career growth, the opportunity to work in new and exciting tech, or whatever benefits and perks a company can offer, but rather keeping a job at all. From the passive candidate’s perspective, is easy to sum it up as “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t”, and situations like Meta rescinding job offers, Twitter laying off 75% of its workforce after Musk’s buyout, the continued collapse of many cryptocurrency ventures, Oracle cutting jobs in their cloud division, and more, make it easy to see why changing jobs is not an attractive option right now. But what alternatives are there to successfully reach a pool of talent that could make a difference for any project?

The run for passive candidates

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To reach these potential candidates, you need to think outside the box and use creative recruiting methods. The key is getting your message in front of as many qualified individuals as possible, including attending industry events, searching online for candidate profiles, or even reaching out to personal contacts. The challenge, however, is that you are not the only one running this race, so ensuring that your company is at the top of mind for the best and brightest in the software industry sometimes needs creativity to reach the people you want:

“Census data shows, for example, that the majority of people who took a new job last year weren’t searching for one: Somebody came and got them”, said the analysis by the Harvard Business Review. “Companies seek to fill their recruiting funnel with as many candidates as possible, especially ‘passive candidates’ who aren’t looking to move. Often employers advertise jobs that don’t exist, hoping to find people who might be useful later on or in a different context.”

After all, there’s a reason why the saying “the best software developers are already employed” is so popular. Those whose talents are critical to an organization are likely to already be comfortable in their positions, especially when the industry is not as stable as it used to be. Usually, these people tend to be open to opportunities, but that might not seem like the case anymore, especially if you are a start-up or a medium-sized company. So how can you find these hidden gems? The answer is simple: you need to go where they are.

And we don’t mean spending time on popular coding forums and websites, participating in online chatrooms, or attending industry events. It takes effort to find passive candidates, but this is true only if you look at your local prospects, which are often the hardest to convince, and the unstable tech market of 2023 will mean that the resources you can commit to this task might be too much. However, building a dream team of top-notch software developers is not out of reach for those medium-sized organizations that might not be interested in passive candidate competence, with a solution virtually next door.

Top talent in Nearshore

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If passive candidates are proving elusive and hard to reach, what could be an alternative to it? Well, if you’re looking for top-notch development talent with a very specific set of skills and experiences, you might want to consider partnering with a Nearshore organization like Scio, that not only aims for the best software development in Mexico, but can help you close the gaps between the people you need, and the limited pool of talent you want. Here are a few reasons why:

  • You’ll have access to a larger pool of potential candidates. When you partner with a Nearshore software company, you’re not just limited to the talent in your immediate vicinity; you can tap into a much larger pool of qualified candidates, making it more likely that you’ll find the perfect fit for your needs.
  • You’ll save time and money on recruiting. If you try to recruit development talent on your own, you’ll likely have to invest a lot of time and money into the process and doubly so for passive candidates. When you partner with a Nearshore software company, they can handle the recruiting for you, making the process much more efficient and cost-effective.
  • You can take advantage of flexible staffing options. Nearshore software companies typically offer more flexible staffing options than their offshore counterparts, meaning that you can scale up or down as needed, without being locked into a long-term contract.

Overall, partnering with a Nearshore software company is an ideal way to find top-notch development talent. With access to a larger pool of candidates, lower recruiting costs, and flexible staffing options, it’s easy to see why more and more businesses are making the switch, so it may not make sense to spend valuable time and resources pursuing passive candidates who probably wouldn’t want to leave a job they’re content with. The top-notch talent that the rest of the industry is fighting to get is just there, your company might only need the right partner to enhance your team in just the right way.

The Key Takeaways

  • 2023 is going to be a tough year for the tech industry, and recruitment will become more and more competitive.
  • One of the biggest trends for 2023 is the rise of the “passive candidate”, who is not actively seeking a new job, but seems to be open to opportunities.
  • However, the unique situation of 2023 means that these candidates will be harder to reach and convince, as stability is a #1 concern, and changing jobs goes against that.
  • So, for a medium-sized company or a start-up, finding the right talent locally might be a big challenge to overcome.
  • This is why Nearshore talent recruitment can be such a good solution, offering a pool of talent that can go toe to toe with your local candidates, but with the cost-effectiveness and flexibility you want.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!

Working as intended vs. Working as expected: A critical difference in software development.

Working as intended vs. Working as expected: A critical difference in software development.

by | Nov 1, 2022 | Software Development

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

“Never trust a system that seems to be working” – Foone Turing

Anyone who has ever tried to develop software knows that it can be a very complex task. There are many different types of programs you can create, ranging from simple applications to large and complex operating systems, and each has its own unique set of challenges. However, there are common trends no matter what you are developing: for one thing, software is built upon layers of code, meaning that any change to the codebase can potentially affect the entire program. Software typically works in tandem with other programs and systems, so a change to one piece of software can often ripple outwards and cause problems with other programs. Furthermore, many software applications are used by millions of people all over the world, so even a small bug can have major consequences. 

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In other words, developing software requires a great deal of care and attention to detail to ensure that the final product is stable and usable, ready to do what you want it to do. Nothing beats the moment when you run a program for the first time, and it seems to work very well. But for a certain kind of developer, this is the point when the actual challenge starts: getting something to work is the first step to creating a truly wonderful piece of software but may not be the end of it.

So, this time, we want to discuss the subtle and crucial difference between “working as expected” and “working as intended”, how this can make or break an entire project, and how a smart developer can begin to understand why a system might fail even after it successfully seemed to work perfectly. Onwards!

Knowing and not knowing  

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Software is everywhere. It’s running our phones, our computers, and our cars. It’s become so integral to our lives that we often take it for granted, when in fact, achieving software that works at all is almost miraculous. We’re talking about lines of code, written by fallible human beings, that work together to design very complex systems with tons of moving parts that must work in very specific contexts. And yet, more often than not, they actually do what we want them to do. Sure, there are the occasional glitches and bugs, but overall, it’s amazing that software works as well as it does. However, how do developers achieve that? 

We can sum it up with this famous quote by Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: “There are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don’t know.” It might look like a mouthful, but it’s a great starting point for risk assessment and post-mortems of software issues. How many known and unknowns do you have about the system you build? How many things you don’t know you don’t know? Because the idea of working software is not as clear as you might think, and your approach to this is defined by your experience as a developer. In short…

  • When something works, a junior developer feels excited. They tend to focus on the known knowns; they know the system is working, they know how it’s working, and further considerations are secondary until an issue becomes apparent. These developers are still experimenting and learning new things as they go. 
  • When something works, a mid-level developer feels relieved. They tend to focus on the known unknowns; they know the system is working, and move on to the unknowns (bugs, compatibility problems, glitches, etc.) that cause immediate issues, but mostly as a means of ensuring stability and shipping the product. 
  • When something works, a senior developer feels concerned. They focus on the unknown unknowns, without assuming that the system working is enough to move on; having a complete understanding is a must to guarantee the quality and intended functionality of the program. Thus, when achieving a working system, their first question is always “why?” to make sure the stability of the program is unassailable. 

So, it all comes down to experience, giving you a nagging feeling at the back of your mind when the code runs: is it doing it as it should? This is the heart of the problem between systems working as intended and systems working as expected, which are not always the same thing. Understanding the difference between both is what separates a good program from a bad one, ensuring that the design of a system is the one responsible for it working, and not a series of coincidences that give the impression that it is. Otherwise, you are sitting on a time bomb, ready to go off when the correct circumstances align. In short, the development process, once you complete a version of the product, should look more or less like this:

Okay, we might be exaggerating a little, but in broad strokes, this is how you avoid being blindsided when something unexpectedly breaks in the long run. Taking the time to view the program holistically, where you can properly see how every individual element is interacting with everything else, is the ideal way to develop a good, stable application, and although it is possible to reach the point where you actually know exactly how a system works, it’s never going to be on the first try.  

This Twitter thread linked above gives a great example of this, in which assuming that a working system is a good system can have deep consequences (long story short, an undetected error in the certification software of a company that built servers was loading the wrong kinds of tests, giving false positives on the architecture of machines intended to handle a lot of data, which could be quite a problem if left unchecked), and being aware of the existence of unknown unknowns can save you from a bad headache in the future.

Knowing is half the battle

So, to recap, the success of any software development project depends on two things: a complete understanding of how the application works, and a detailed risk assessment. Here at Scio, where we always try to bring the best software development in Mexico, we came to understand that, without these two elements, it is impossible to produce a good outcome:

First, always assess the risks. This means identifying all of the potential problems that could occur during development and assessing the likelihood of each one occurring. Once the risks have been identified, they can be mitigated through planning and implementation. For example, if there is a risk that the application will not work as intended, then extra testing can be built into the development process to ensure that it does. And second, gain a complete understanding of how the application works. This includes understanding the code base, the architecture, and the dependencies. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to make informed decisions about the best way to develop the software. It also makes it more likely that errors will be made, which could lead to problems during development or after the application has been released. A complete understanding of how an application works will always be critical to achieve the best result.

The Key Takeaways

  • Software is a very complex field where the number of moving parts, requirements, and situations where it must work make it difficult to create flawless products.
  • One of the bigger challenges is understanding a system thoroughly, otherwise a software application can fail in unexpected and disastrous ways.
  • A key strategy is being aware of your known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.
  • In other words, what separates novice developers from veteran ones is the understanding that a system working as intended is not the same as a system working as expected, and solving this difference can guarantee the best outcome.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!

Superapps: A trend to watch closely in 2023

Superapps: A trend to watch closely in 2023

by | Oct 26, 2022 | Software Development, Technologies

Curated by: Sergio A. Martínez

After spending years building up Tesla, SpaceX, and other cutting-edge businesses, Elon Musk has turned his attention to Twitter. He’s been a longtime user of the social media platform, and he’s become increasingly frustrated with its shortcomings, but it was still quite a shock when he announced his intention to buy the popular social platform in early 2022. Since then, Musk has been locked into a battle regarding the acquisition of Twitter for quite some time, getting ready to take ownership of it. According to sources close to the matter, Musk has already made an offer to buy it for $26 billion. But why, exactly? What will Musk do with Twitter if he were to get his hands on it? Well, according to Business Insider:

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“Tech mogul Elon Musk would consider turning Twitter into a Superapp with a prominent role for payments should he finalize his planned purchase of the social media platform, according to comments made in a recent All-In podcast. […] Musk’s pitch to investors to fund the acquisition involves bringing in as much as $15 million from a Twitter payments business in 2023.”

If you are familiar with the latest news in the Technology sector, then this idea might not sound as strange as it might seem. After all, 2023 seems to be poised to be the year of the Superapp, and Musk is simply getting ahead of the curve with one of the biggest trends will see in the app market. But what is a Superapp? 

Simply put, it’s a mobile application offering a wide range of services, including messaging, social networking, e-commerce, and payments. Superapps are becoming increasingly popular around the world as they offer users a one-stop shop for all their needs. In China, for example, WeChat (which Musk specifically mentioned) allows users to send money, book taxi rides, and even pay utility bills. In India, the superapp Paytm is used for everything from mobile phone top-ups to movie tickets. And in Southeast Asia, Grab offers everything from food ordering to investments, with plans to expand its scope even further. All in all, it can be said that Superapps offer convenient and efficient services, so it’s not surprising that they are gaining popularity in an ever-more digitized world.

A difference in approach  

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You might notice that the biggest Superapps in the world right now are focused on the Eastern hemisphere of the world, with Asian countries such as China, Korea, and India leading the charge by focusing on their local markets to great results. Why hasn’t the concept of the Superapp caught on in Western countries?

Well, there are several possible reasons for this. First, western users are already comfortable using multiple apps for different tasks, like using Google Maps or Waze for navigation, Uber or Lyft for ride-hailing, and PayPal or Venmo to make payments or transfer money. This is because people from these cultures value having a choice that better adjusts to their preferences, so switching to a single app that does all of these things would require a major change in user behavior. Second, western countries tend to have a well-established infrastructure that makes it less of a hassle to juggle between multiple applications, feeling less of a need for an option that centralizes everything into a single package. And in that same sense, westerners are generally more privacy-focused, making it less likely for them to give a single company access to all of their personal data.

However, this doesn’t mean that Superapps are destined to fail over here, but rather that the appropriate angle has not been found yet, or that the idea has not been tried before. Facebook (now Meta) tried to open its reach by starting to offer a multitude of services through the decade of 2010, like Facebook Marketplace for online shopping, Fundraiser for crowd-funding projects, and Work to create and share job resumes similar to LinkedIn, to say nothing of the option to use your Facebook account as log-in credentials in plenty of external websites. Even buying platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus was a bid to become the Internet’s definitive “One Stop Shop”, and while some of those services didn’t pan out, it still showed the value of breaching to create a platform that could be considered essential. However, this example differs from the current model of the Superapps in some key ways. After all, the idea is not to consolidate different platforms into a single one, but rather to build an application from the ground up that offers everything a user might need in a single step, with the appropriate scalability already accounted for in the system. Forbes Magazine explains it best:

“As the name suggests, these apps are single purpose and focus on solving one consumer pain point and have a clear, easy to use interface. These apps are built to be scalable at the global level with architecture that enables them to expand globally without changing much. […] Users will be very loyal to an app that is easy to use, friction free, functional, provides good services and allows for a multifaceted experience.” But inside an environment that already seems to have an app for every single thing instead of a single app for everything, can the Tech industry crack the code for our local markets?

In search of the everything app

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We may be already moving towards this endgame, with more and more software giants looking to create the only app you will ever need. For example, let’s look at Microsoft Teams. At first glance, Teams might seem like just another instant messaging and video-conferencing app, but slowly (especially since the remote work boom of 2020), it has started to offer a wide range of features and integrations that make it an essential tool for businesses of all sizes. Users can easily store and share files or create task lists, making it an ideal platform for collaboration, integrating a variety of other productivity tools, such as Office 365 and OneDrive. As a result, Microsoft Teams is posing itself as an app that can help businesses boost productivity and streamline workflows, without the need for separate accounts for separate services like Zoom or Slack. But still, this is primarily focused on businesses and productivity, outside of that, other companies want to make their services as inclusive as possible.

Uber, to give another example, has expressed its intent to become an “operating system for everyday life”, expanding the scope beyond ridesharing, down to partnering with the famous chef Rachel Ray to open the “first virtual restaurant” through Uber Eats, implementing freighters into their transport division, as well as experimenting with an entrepreneur program to bring new ideas to the company and grow the platform even further. And finally, Amazon, following the steps of WeChat more closely, is experimenting with features such as Amazon Pay for e-commerce and even offering flight bookings in certain regions for no additional charge.

Still, this is just the beginning. The value of Superapps has started to become attractive enough to bring the biggest tech companies in the world, but that doesn’t mean that the next platform taking the world by storm has to come from them. 2023 is definitely going to be an interesting year for software and app development, and here at Scio, where we look to achieve the best software development in Mexico, we are ready to take on this challenge. Building a Superapp is no easy task, but this battle will require the kind of the best talent you can find. Which will be the first Superapp that conquers the western hemisphere. Maybe next year we will find out.

The Key Takeaways

  • As our world becomes more digitized, having platforms that offer a variety of services has started to become more and more attractive for the average user.
  • Throughout Eastern countries like India and China, big applications known as “Superapps” have become a fact of life, offering all kinds of services, like payments, ridesharing, and e-commerce, condensed into a single product.
  • In Western regions however, these kinds of applications have yet to catch on, but that has not stopped giants like Microsoft, Uber, and Amazon to find the right approach.
  • Yet, with the recent acquisition of Twitter and revealing his intentions to turn this social media platform into an “everything app”, Elon Musk might trigger this as one of the biggest trends of 2023.

Scio is an established Nearshore software development company based in Mexico that specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective technologies for pioneering tech companies. We have been building and mentoring teams of engineers since 2003 and our experience gives us access not only to the knowledge but also the expertise needed when tackling any project. Get started today by contacting us about your project needs – We have teams available to help you achieve your business goals. Get in contact today!