Andro-Dev.IO
Product-focused software engineering by real people who get it
Andro + Dev + IO
- Andro = Androgynous. Because tech needs a focus on blending perspectives, not championing one over another.
- Dev = Development. In this case, software development.
- IO = Interaction and communication. Because tech needs more of both.
In the process of forming and growing my software engineering business, I've had a surprising number of experiences resulting from broken women-in-tech initiatives. It's not because all men are misogynistic patriarchs and all women are timid peacemakers - but because, for the most part, those who are not busy perpetuating the stereotypes are focusing on too narrow a solution. The entire debate just succeeds in creating distractions from what we're all trying to do: ship quality product. And by distractions I don't mean sexual tension - I mean I see teams, managers, and recruiters so concerned, often misguidedly, about the topic that they end up creating unappealing side effects that get in the way of attracting good talent and effectively working together. Companies large and small are focused on meeting arbitrary diversity standards with little to no regard to whether that actually helps their product or cause for the long-term. Women often bond together in tribal groups that are more about cheerleading each other than about technology, creating the same type of gender-exclusive atmosphere they deplore at work.
We're all just individual humans trying to work together, and while I hear a lot about what men should do in the workplace, or about what women should do in the workplace, or about what companies should do to entice women, I don't hear much in the conversation that is actually focused on creating awesome product.
I created AndroDev as a company focused on creating awesome product based on sound engineering practices, as a community to attract engineers with similar values, as a platform for me and for others to voice a different and (hopefully) more productive perspective, and as a place to share some of the crazy experiences I’ve had being caught up in the diversity-mania of our industry.
What is BEXD?
Bexd is a consulting company that provides forward-looking, product-oriented software engineering and architecture services by people who get it.
That sounds like a lot of industry BS. What does it really mean?
We're glad you asked. No one likes industry BS, but sometimes it's hard to distill strong principles into pithy taglines that really resonate. Here's how we ended up with the above.
- A consulting company. We consider ourselves consultants, not contractors. That means we work with customers to help them think about the end goal and product before putting fingers to the keyboard.
- Forward-looking. Your short-term goal may be to get a POC/MVP app out the door for feedback or initial funding. Or maybe you're a well-established enterprise that needs a quick fix for some pain your engineering team is encountering in maintaining an existing product. Regardless of your scenario, you have plans that extend well beyond your initial goal. Bexd provides solutions to your short-term goals in a way that propels you into your long-term aspirations.
- Product-oriented. In a traditional software engineering approach, "engineers" are hired on with 1 main goal: ship high-quality, maintainable code. A lot of work goes into ensuring that code is being written quickly, efficiently, and nearly non-stop (ahem, continuously). But thinking about the code leads to a myopic, academic viewpoint that ultimately doesn't get you closer to that "delightful", "beautiful", "simple" product your marketing team has so lovingly advertised on your site. Bexd seeks to bridge the gap between engineering- and customer-oriented viewpoints by keeping a holistic product-centric perspective in everything we produce. Just as a woodworking shop doesn't just ship beautifully worked wood, we don't just ship code - we ship product.
- People who get it. We've all worked with people who have a ton of relevant experience and look great on paper, have great attitudes, and are amenable to learning new things... but just can't seem to make the leap from all the patterns they've employed before to what the team is trying to achieve. That's frustrating for the people who have to work with them, for having to explain over and over again why a particular approach is flawed, and it's frustrating for the product owner, who repeatedly gets something that misses the vision behind the ask. Bexd provides smart people who just "get it" - who can grasp what you're trying to do and can translate that into how to do it.
How is this related to andro-dev?
When you work with Bexd, you are working with Andro-Devs - awesome engineers and architects who value and demonstrate Bexd's principles through good engineering practices and dedication to delivering quality product.