AI adds so much garnish to the writing, that it ruins the flavor.
Doc Norton
@docondev.bsky.social
Founder: https://www.docondev.com Author: https://www.docondev.com/escape-velocity Grandfather, Fitness Enthusiast, Software Product Excellence Enabler
We spent fifty years building software abstractions for human cognition. Agentic coding starts pulling in the other direction. @docondev.bsky.social says we may need to renegotiate the abstractions. https://link.testdouble.com/50b4c2
For decades, we've optimized code for human readers. Agentic coding is forcing a renegotiation of what "craft" means. @docondev.bsky.social argues that's shifting emphasis from code-level readability to system-level observability and problem-space incrementalism. https://link.testdouble.com/d4da60
When leaders demand speed, teams often cut corners—creating brittleness that slows everything down. @docondev.bsky.social has advice: Real speed emerges from flow, small batches, and systems designed for adaptation, not pushing harder on execution. https://link.testdouble.com/0655f3
Thought from @docondev.bsky.social on why "go faster" backfires: teams cut composition and validation corners, creating the brittleness that slows them down. Speed comes from flow: small batches, trust, systems built for adaptation. Not from pushing harder.
We spent fifty years building software abstractions for human cognition. Agentic coding starts pulling in the other direction. @docondev.bsky.social says we may need to renegotiate the abstractions. https://link.testdouble.com/50b4c2
For decades, we've optimized code for human readers. Agentic coding is forcing a renegotiation of what "craft" means. @docondev.bsky.social argues that's shifting emphasis from code-level readability to system-level observability and problem-space incrementalism. https://link.testdouble.com/d4da60
VP of Delivery @docondev.bsky.social reflects on agentic coding as the third real sea change in software development. After PCs (decade-long shift) and the web (five years), the timeline is compressing. Prior shifts expanded the profession. This one compresses it. https://link.testdouble.com/29294e
Part one of a three part series on the potential impact of AI on the tech industry docondev.com/blog/2026/3/...
This Has Happened Before. It's Happening Again. — Doc Norton & Associates
I don't think we have five years before agentic coding becomes the mainstream context in which professional software development happens. I think we're talking about two or three. Possibly less. If t...
docondev.com
When leaders demand speed, teams often cut corners—creating brittleness that slows everything down. @docondev.bsky.social has advice: Real speed emerges from flow, small batches, and systems designed for adaptation, not pushing harder on execution. https://link.testdouble.com/0655f3
You get what you celebrate. You also get what you let slide. #Leadership #Excellence
Not every story needs to be delivered. Not every feature needs to be built. Solving the right problem matters more than completing the backlog. #KnowTheProblemYouAreSolving #SoftwareDevelopment
Know the problem you are solving — Doc Norton & Associates
“Know the problem you are solving” is about knowing the specific problem and for whom this problem exists. It isn't about knowing what solution a persona lacks but about truly understanding a…
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No trust, no candor. No candor, no clarity. No clarity, no progress. Start with psychological safety. buff.ly/2eIINmb #WorkTogether #Trust
Work Together — Doc Norton & Associates
When I say, “work together”, I mean just that. Do the actual work together. Every aspect of the product lifecycle is an opportunity for collaboration - Identifying problems to solve, user and market…
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Doc Norton, author of ESCAPE VELOCITY, covers several ways that organizations are not using the metric Velocity in a useful way. Doc can be contacted on LinkedIN or @DocOnDev.bsky.social. agilenoir.biz/en/agilethou...
Better conversations create better systems. #WorkTogether
Work Together — Doc Norton & Associates
When I say, “work together”, I mean just that. Do the actual work together. Every aspect of the product lifecycle is an opportunity for collaboration - Identifying problems to solve, user and market...
buff.ly
Progress compounds when steps stay small. buff.ly/AuCy68p #CreateSimpleThingsInSmallSteps
Create simple things in small steps — Doc Norton & Associates
Simple Things When I say simple, I don’t necessarily mean easy. And I certainly do not mean crude in form or incomplete. Simple indicates something that does not have superfluous parts or multiple…
buff.ly
Your architecture is what you’ve implemented - not what you label it, not what the autocrat of architecture put on paper, not what the magistrate of methods mandated, but whatever was actually done in the code.
The behaviors you promote set expectations. The behaviors you ignore set the culture. #Leadership #Excellence
Empowerment isn’t about gathering opinions before deciding. It’s about giving the team the authority to decide for themselves. #Leadership #Autonomy
Waiting to deliver means waiting to learn. And the longer you wait, the bigger the risk. #SoftwareDevelopment #CreateSimpleThingsInSmallSteps #ReleaseRidiculouslyOften buff.ly/jbxYO0Y
Put work on the wall and bottlenecks surface fast. #MakeWorkVisible
Make the work visible — Doc Norton & Associates
A lot of teams have a backlog of some sort and some form of Kanban board — whether it is Jira, Trello, Monday, Asana, MS Project, or a bunch of post-its on a wall. These are all ways of making the work...
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Great composition makes complexity manageable. #CompositionMatters
Be Meticulous about composition — Doc Norton & Associates
Composition refers to the way in which something is put together. Composition is a key element in many of the things humans create. Whether it be a musical piece, a painting, a garden, or a building,...
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Real leadership gives people the freedom to contribute with meaning.
Obsess less over points per sprint. Look at flow instead. buff.ly/VmJmXUZ #EscapeVelocity
Escape Velocity — Doc Norton & Associates
Michael Norton (Doc) is a software delivery professional working to make the world of software development a better place. His experience covers a wide range of development topics. Doc declares…
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Clarity first, solutions second. buff.ly/LRHPKgn #KnowTheProblemYouAreSolving
Know the problem you are solving — Doc Norton & Associates
“Know the problem you are solving” is about knowing the specific problem and for whom this problem exists. It isn't about knowing what solution a persona lacks but about truly understanding a…
buff.ly
Incredibly, @TrigentSoftware keeps calling - no matter how often I tell them to stop calling. I have repeatedly insisted, quite vehemently in some cases, that they cease and desist. I am curious if their data shows that harassment eventually turns into business.
Progress is easier to manage when you can see it. #MakeWorkVisible
Make the work visible — Doc Norton & Associates
A lot of teams have a backlog of some sort and some form of Kanban board — whether it is Jira, Trello, Monday, Asana, MS Project, or a bunch of post-its on a wall. These are all ways of making the work...
buff.ly
Ship daily. Learn daily. Improve daily. #ReleaseOften
Release ridiculously often — Doc Norton & Associates
The seventh behavior, “Release ridiculously often,” is usually met with nods from half of the crowd and raised eyebrows from the other half. The nodders want to know why it isn’t higher on the list...
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If the problem is fuzzy, the solution will be too. buff.ly/LRHPKgn #KnowTheProblemYouAreSolving
Know the problem you are solving — Doc Norton & Associates
“Know the problem you are solving” is about knowing the specific problem and for whom this problem exists. It isn't about knowing what solution a persona lacks but about truly understanding a…
buff.ly
Small, simple wins compound into big results. #SimpleSteps
Create simple things in small steps — Doc Norton & Associates
Simple Things When I say simple, I don’t necessarily mean easy. And I certainly do not mean crude in form or incomplete. Simple indicates something that does not have superfluous parts or multiple responsibilities,...
buff.ly