Collected Articles and Essays, 1998-present

2022


  • The Limits of Process by Andy Hunt, 01/25/2022

    A software development "process" is often the wrong tool for the job. The GROWS Method® is not about process...

  • Habits vs. Practices by Andy Hunt, 01/05/2022

    Most software development methods are defined by "practices" you have to follow. In many cases, this emphasis on practices goes badly, for two reasons...

2020


2019


  • The Four Keys To Rapid Response Software Development by Andy Hunt, 01/14/2019

    What makes software development so hard? How can we make it easier and "fix" common development problems? Here are four key strategies for modern software development that will allow you to reliably mount a rapid response to changing user requirements, market conditions, technology, staffing, and more. Number four will surprise you ;)

2018


  • Bailing Out Your Company by Andy Hunt, 09/12/2018

    One of the largest factors that contributes to success in an organization is...

2017


2016


  • Stop Practicing and Start Growing by Andy Hunt, 07/11/2016

    Actual agility remains out of reach for many. The GROWS™ Method hopes to fix that.

  • About Estimates by Andy Hunt, 01/25/2016

    Estimations are rarely correct and often abused. Use accurate projections based on real data.

2015


  • It's an Experiment by Andy Hunt, 05/18/2015

    Let's make inspect and adapt a first-class part of the method.

  • The Failure of Agile by Andy Hunt, 05/06/2015

    The word “agile” has become sloganized and meaningless at best. Let's fix that with a new approach.

  • L-mode/R-mode and DMN by Andy Hunt, 01/29/2015

    Left-brain vs. right brain is wrong. It's really DMN vs. EAN. Here's why.

2014


2013


2011


  • The End of Agile by Andy Hunt, 08/01/2011

    Guru Meditation: The end of Agile? Lessons from improv.

  • Getting Past Agile Advanced Beginner by Andy Hunt, 06/01/2011

    Guru Meditation: Learning curves are typically not uniformly steep, or we’d call them learning slopes.

  • Uncomfortable with Agile by Andy Hunt, 05/01/2011

    Guru Meditation: A truly agile project team lives on the edge of chaos.

  • Why Johnny Can’t Be Agile by Andy Hunt, 01/01/2011

    Guru Meditation: Why adopting agile methods might be harder than you think.

2010


2009


2008


2007


2006


2005


2004


2003


2002


  • Zero-Tolerance Construction by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas, 11/01/2002

    No Broken Windows applies to more than code.

  • State Machines by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas, 11/01/2002

    State machines can be appropriate in surprising circumstances.

  • Mock Objects by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt, 05/01/2002

    The real world conspires to stop our unit tests from being neat, self-contained (and orthogonal) chunks of code.

  • Ubiquitous Automation by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas, 02/01/2002

    Software development, including its construction, is utterly unlike any other human endeavor.

  • Software Archeology by Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas, 02/01/2002

    Code becomes legacy code as soon as it’s written; we have the same issues as archaeologists.

2001


  • Art In Programming by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas, 09/01/2001

    Is software development an engineering discipline? Is it art? Is it more like a craft?

1998


  • The Joy of Star Trek by Andy Hunt, 10/01/1998

    The role of metadata in adaptable systems, and how that makes Star Trek type technologies possible.

  • A Crayon for the Mind by Andy Hunt, 08/01/1998

    What's the appropriate level of specificity in object oriented design, and why it's better to follow the model of a vinyl LP instead of a compact disc.

  • Tell, Don't Ask by Andy Hunt, 07/01/1998

    Keep your orders and your facts separate, tell as little about yourself as possible, and don't talk to others any more than is necessary.

  • Andy's Guide to OO Development by Andy Hunt, 07/01/1998

    Bits and pieces of methods both formal and informal

  • The Spirit of the Tool by Andy Hunt, 05/01/1998

    The spirit of the tool carries through its lifetime. Which spirit do you embrace?

  • Never Build an Application by Andy Hunt, 03/01/1998

    But isn't that what application programming is all about? Yes, but it shouldn't be.

  • Sturgeon's Law by Andy Hunt, 02/01/1998

    Sturgeon's law, some hopes and aspirations for the future

  • Semantic Invariants by Andy Hunt, 01/01/1998

    Welcome to the Toolshed Technologies Newsletter!

Late 1980's to 1998


Most of my writing at this time was covered by corporate NDAs, and cannot be published openly. It wasn't very interesting stuff, for the most part. Some HOW-TO guides to object safety in C++, various DSL specifications and concepts, and a lot more that has been lost to the digital trashcan of history.

I started consulting part-time in the early 1990's, and went full-time and incorporated in 1995. In 1998 I started a newsletter for Toolshed, and those early writings are included here. The rest, as they say, is history.

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