July 2nd, 2009Book Review: Growing Software bu Louis Testa
Growing Software: A Practical Guide to Managing Software Engineers and Growing a Software Business
Review:
Growing Software is a great book for anyone who is – or wants to be – managing a team of software developers. It’s packed with information on everything from how to understand your own leadership/management style to communicating effectively with your team to designing the best team possible. Testa includes case studies, resources for further reading, and other great resources to help you in your work.
The book goes in depth on issues like “Making Work Flow” – estimating projects, the software development process; “Growing a Software Team,” “Defining the Product” and “Driving Releases.” If you are setting out on a software development career or simply want to improve what you do, you’ll want to grab a copy of Growing Software.
About the Book:
For engineers who suddenly find themselves in charge at a small growing software company, the change in responsibilities can be daunting. With dozens of new responsibilities to juggle and the never-ending pressures of building and growing software, technical managers can’t take time to ease into their job—they need proven strategies fast.
Growing Software (No Starch Press, March 2009, 424 pp, ISBN 9781593271831) provides practical, hands-on advice for software managers trying to juggle the challenges of running an engineering team. Drawing on his more than 20 years of successful management experience, author Louis Testa offers readers a wealth of practical guidance that readers could only replace with years of on-the-job training, with advice on how to define and sell products, build and lead an effective team, work with customers, and choose effective development tools.
“Engineers promoted to management are often used to coding by themselves,” said No Starch Press founder William Pollock. “They’ve got the technical side of things down, but they don’t necessarily know how to effectively manage a small team, or define processes to ensure the release of high-quality software. Growing Software is a mentor-in-a-book, guiding new managers through the tough decisions they’ll invariably face.”
Testa combines big-picture advice, specific solutions, and real-life anecdotes to teach readers how to:
* Work effectively with a CEO and executive team
* Improve development team efficiency and enthusiasm
* Evaluate a company’s software methodology to improve effectiveness and safeguard against failure
* Use product prototypes to bridge the gap between marketing and engineering
Detailed templates and spreadsheets round out the book, helping readers put concepts into action. Whether they’re new to their positions or experienced managers just trying to do a better job, Growing Software will save managers precious time and help them avoid major mistakes that will block growth.
