Just Stop: A brutalist manifesto for managing software development

• We stop mistaking meetings for progress, instead we gather to solve real problems.
• We stop stockpiling backlog items we will not build, instead we bring clarity to what matters now.
• We stop spending time and energy on estimations, instead we work in small enough pieces to see real progress.
• We stop haggling over salaries, instead we define performance and pay accordingly.
• We stop on Fridays to reset, refocus, and start clean on Monday.

This manifesto calls for an end to the theater surrounding software development. The theater of new titles without new mandate, the theater of a calendar packed with meetings, and the theater of sprints that are just more of the last sprint.

Reality is not impressed by your theatrics, but it will budge if you look it in the eye, find the cracks, and push there.

The first reality you need to face is that you are human. And so are the people working for you.

You see only a sliver of the reality you are trying to change, and you can never share more than a fraction of the vision you hold. Gather a diverse team around you, though, and together you will see a clear enough picture. Build trust among yourselves and you will be able to communicate enough to stay aligned and drive your change.

If this sounds impossible under the pace and pressure you face, remember that SWAT teams lead with trust and values, and your reality is no messier than theirs.

Stop pretending you see the whole picture. Stop pretending control is something you can hold. Start building a team with a shared goal. A team you trust to make independent decisions as they happen and to share their honest observations with you.

Sound scary? I was scared too, until I did it and it worked.

Follow the rest of the series as I break down each point into actionable steps.

Less theater. More progress.