Derek Comartin: A Software Architect’s Mindset - Episode 188

Derek Comartin is a software developer with two decades of professional software development experience. He has written software for a variety of business domains, such as distribution, transportation, manufacturing, and accounting. Derek also has a very active blog and YouTube channel (CodeOpinion.com) that focuses on Software Architecture and Design.   Topics of Discussion: [3:21] Derek’s mentor was an accountant who gave him more insight into business processes and changed his way of thinking. [9:42] How can we better relate processes in the real world to the solutions we are writing? Derek gives an example of reservation patterns and how that can translate to different places in software. [13:23] A conversation that is often lacking is that if you’re writing software for business, are you really understanding what the business is trying to do? [20:10] You can be an individual contributor, even if your communication is just with your team. [28:22] A good question to ask is why you have this problem in the first place. [29:53] When software does something, who actually does it? [37:31] The best developers Derek has talked with or worked with have a unique combination of technical skill and business acumen.   Mentioned in this Episode: Architect Tips — New video podcast! Azure DevOps Clear Measure (Sponsor) .NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer’s Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon! Jeffrey Palermo’s YouTube Jeffrey Palermo’s Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events!   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.   Quotes: “If we’re talking about an individual team, I think everybody can have or share some of the responsibilities. I think everybody can play a part in understanding what you’re trying to accomplish.” — Derek [23:25] “One thing that I’ve seen hurt programmers’ trust is getting frustrated if somebody doesn’t think like them.” — Jeffrey [24:53] “The best developers I’ve talked with or worked with have this unique combination of technical skill, and this business acumen or knowledge.” — Derek [32:08]   Derek: CodeOpinion