D2DO265: How Do We Measure Developer Experience?
aka, they're not REALLY ghost engineers, right?
Day Two DevOps
Ned Bellavance and I on Day Two DevOps host brilliant and effusive engineers who share their lessons learned from large, impactful projects. Come soak up all the hard lessons they learned through building big stuff (and sometimes destroying big stuff), all for the low low cost of totally free.
Summary
Developer experience is a hard metric to measure qualitatively. On today’s show, we talk with Kristen Foster-Marks about Developer Experience, or DevEx. We start with the controversial concept of “ghost engineering,” which claims many software engineers do not contribute meaningfully to their work. We delve into the validity of this claim, and discuss the scientific literacy and critical thinking required to evaluate such assertions. We also explore the challenges of measuring DevEx and the need for research-backed principles. Kristen also shares strategies to implement effective developer practices which encompass communication, mentorship, and a culture of care.
Episode Guest: Kristen Foster-Marks, Head of Developer Experience, Depot
As a Developer Experience professional, Kristen Foster-Marks couples her eight years in software development and software engineering leadership with her background in language teaching pedagogy, Second Language Acquisition, and classroom-based research.
Kristen’s diverse set of expertise fuels her passion for finding practical applications of empirical research in the tech world, particularly in enhancing how software teams and practitioners learn, work, and thrive. Her work is rooted in evidence-based practices, combining scientific insights with real-world experiences to enrich developer experiences and team collaboration.
While a member of the Developer Success Lab, she worked on crafting transformative materials, workshops, interventions, and curricula meant to catalyze positive behavioral changes in software teams. Drawing from her experience in language learning pedagogy and research, she brought a nuanced understanding of learning processes and group dynamics to the development of these resources.
AdSpot Sponsor: Catchpoint
Catchpoint’s mission has remained the same from day one: to proactively identify and resolve issues across the Internet Stack before they impact customers, workforce, or digital experiences. Our driving force from the beginning has been to help the companies we support optimally deliver their own missions. Our customer-centricity starts with a laser focus on IPM (Internet Performance Monitoring) and a dedication to continuous innovation, allowing us to see into every component of the Internet Stack.
Episode Links:
Kristen’s Content at Pluralsight
Kristen at LeadDev – writing & conference talks
Listen Now!
Head over to Packet Pushers to listen to the podcast. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast.FM, and pca.ST (basically anywhere that will take our podcasts).
Thanks all! Good luck out there.
kyler