IT Briefcase Exclusive Interview: The Evolving Role of Software Developers

The dynamic between software developers and their supervisors isn’t what it used to be.

Managers are no longer being seen as a resource for developers. Instead, many are looking elsewhere to find answers when technical problems arise. In fact, most software developers aren’t even asking their supervisors for support. So, how can managers be sure bugs are being fixed and deadlines are being met if they aren’t even involved in troubleshooting issues?

It starts with accepting that developers are relying more on crowd-sourced information from users in times of need. Patric Palm, CEO and Co-Founder of Favro, an all-in-one planning and collaboration app, shares more on this and how it’s changing the way software development teams address product issues.

• Q. Why is it problematic to modern software development teams that developers aren’t reaching out to their managers for help?

A. Developers are now going online for help rather than asking for help from their managers. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We have to keep in mind what it means to be a manager in a software development organization today. Traditionally, being a manager in software development meant being a teacher to your team. You got your management position by being a technical authority in the field. Today, a manager is more of being a generalist, coach and teammate. A good boss is a servant leader and facilitator who can clearly explain goals, direction and where to find answers to the team. Meaning, software development leaders are not just simply providing answers to the team — they’re guiding their team to the answers via open-source libraries such as G2 Crowd. So, this mindset shift actually allows for more collaboration than one would expect.

• Q. What is the role of online reviews in finding bugs in new product updates? (i.e. real-time insight into product functionality, breaking down lines of communication, etc.)

A. Community-sourced online review platforms have become increasingly important for software development teams. With the testing and reviewing process, development teams got more powerful methods and tools than ever before. One of these methods is using review platforms to increase collaboration and expedite testing processes. By taking advantage of review platforms, development teams can proactively catch product issues.

The evolving role of the team manager doesn’t come without challenges. But given the opportunity to use outside resources for help, developers can boost team collaboration and discover new ways to problem-solve. As managers quickly become servant leaders on software development teams, we must embrace this shift as a chance to build an agile workforce alongside their managers.