Dynamics of Software Development, Second Edition

Think About It

Software is intellectual property, and creating software is primarily an intellectual endeavor. The bits on the disk or the CD embody the cumulative intellectual output of the software product development team. The more intellect embodied on the disk, the more intellectual property created and the higher the value of the product. With a higher-valued product, you can charge more money, get more customers, leverage your intellectual activity across a broader population, and produce other results of benefit to you and others.

If you focus your attention on the movement of intelligence from people to bits as the central activity of the software development team, you’ll have a valid point of view from which to monitor or lead the ...