9 Alternative Facts About the Software Development Community

Each profession has alternative facts associated with it that are really myths, misconceptions, or even half-truths. Of course, the world of software development and engineering is no exception.

Why is it important to dispel the alternative facts and reveal the truth? Because the software development community needs to strive for nothing but the highest possible quality work, which leads to 100% customer satisfaction.

Based on our extensive experience, we have outlined the most common software development alternative facts, which are really myths:

#1. Outsourcing development is the best solution.

This alternative fact is based on the belief that outsourcing work to developers abroad is a guarantee that the project will be done quickly and cheaply. In reality, in-house specialists are more dedicated to delivering a quality product and feel much more involved in the process than remote workers.

Experience shows that even if the outsourced team is provided with a precise estimation, detailed specification and timelines, there is no guarantee that they will demonstrate the necessary commitment and responsibility regarding the final result.

#2. All developers work the same way.

According to a report by Code Complete, bad developers take 20 times longer than the good ones to create a codebase. Contrast that with this: the highest performing engineers are able to minimize the damages by writing 400% less code that runs 900% faster.

These impressive statistics make painfully clear the difference that a capable developer can make compared to an incompetent one. At LD Studios, we deliver projects 100% on time. Conversely, the software development industry, which is failing at that, manages to deliver only 33% of their work on time.

#3. All good software developers are from India.

The base of this particular alternative fact is from the numerous accounts of Indian developers that overflow the freelancer websites. The truth is that there are software developers that offer top quality located in places such as the United States, Australia, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Poland, Czech Republic, and Singapore.

#4. The budget for the software development project is not as important as other factors.

A Harvard Business Review article states that a shocking 17% of all tech and IT projects threaten company existence by exceeding the preliminary agreed upon budget by at least 200%. There’s an infamous example with Kmart – the company once filed for bankruptcy after failing to complete a $1.4B IT modernization project.

At LD Studios, we have achieved 100% project delivery on budget while a staggering 66% of the software development industry go over budget. Staying on budget can be done.

#5. When the code is delivered, the job is complete.

If you run across a company in which this alternative truth is upheld, then you can expect nothing but low quality, exceeded budgets and poor communication from them. They don’t want you to know that developers may be needed to fix errors or glitches discovered when the software is in use. At LD Studios, even after the project is complete, we remain available to our customers for assistance –to answer questions or do minor changes.

#6. If a software product is commercially successful, then it can be used for many years.

Enterprise software development usually arises from a need that has been determined or a problem that has to be solved. Contrary to that, the development of commercial software is a result of demand in the marketplace. As the market evolves and changes, so do the requirements for the software. Keeping up with changes requires the help of a software development partner.

#7. Software quality can’t be assessed until the program starts running.

This widespread alternative fact is that assessment of the software quality cannot be done until the actual execution of the program. In fact, there are mechanisms which enable measurement of software quality during any phase of the development process. Continual quality assessment leads to cleaner code.

#8. Taking short cuts is ok in order to deliver a project faster.

This is a dangerous myth since it tends to lead to poorly developed software that has not been properly architected or tested. Consequently, poorly developed code could cause immediate business issues that result in losses and damages. An example is an order on your e-commerce site not being able to be placed. Sadly, the long-term consequences of this approach will supersede any initial cost savings.

On average, businesses will end up spending 60% of their initial total software cost every year on maintenance relating to poorly written code. At LD Studies, we build your project right the first time. We tell our clients to expect to spend less than 10% on maintenance year after year.

#9. Only the latest tools achieve the best results.

It’s true that many of the recently released programming tools can offer important capabilities such as an increase in flexibility and higher speeds. But when making the decision to switch or upgrade to a new tool, it’s important to check whether they have the capabilities appropriate for a specific job. In some cases, it’s better to choose flexibility over a more user-friendly feature, and in other cases, performance is preferred above flexibility.

Creating and implementing a software project is a complex task that requires factors such as staying on budget, achieving high quality, and complying with time frames.  Most of the problems that arise in a software project are related to the above alternative facts. That is why it’s vital to choose a software development partner that has a proven history of completing software projects successfully.

Lauren Schneidewind with Veselina Alexieva and Diane Shirk

The team of experts at LD Studios are familiar with all the technical aspects of launching and improving a profitable online business. To achieve your goal of creating or upgrading your online store, hire us!

We are LD Studios, an Atlanta based software consulting business. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us for your free consultation.