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     "articleBody":"I  recently  had  some  \"fun\".\n\nEarlier  this  year  we  got  a  great  deal  on  two  ducks,  three  chickens,  a  coop,  a  run,  and  Gary  the  Rescue  Cockerel\n\n\n\n\n\titerating  on  design  of  chicken  run  roof  while  the  wind  tries  to  rip  it  off  highlights  the  difference  between  real  &amp;  software  engineering&mdash;  Paul  D&#39;Ambra  (@pauldambra)  November  29,  2015\n\t\n\n\n\n\nThe  ducks  we  gave  to  a  local  small-holding  because  they  turned  out  to  be  too  much  work  and  we  didn't  like  duck  eggs.\n\nBut  we  rebuilt  the  chicken  run  and  kept  the  chickens  (and  Gary  the  Rescue  Cockerel).  The  kids  love  them,  they're  good  company  in  the  garden  (bizarrely),  and  we  get  two  or  three  eggs  a  day.\n\nThis  afternoon  I  looked  outside  and  saw  two  things…\n\n1)  it  was  really  windy\n2)  the  wind  had  started  to  rip  off  the  roof  from  the  coop\n\nSo  I  just  spent  half  an  hour  or  so  doing  some  emergency  maintenance  to  get  us  through  this  weather,  learnt  that  using  wet,  wooden  chairs  as  impromptu  step  ladders  is  dangerous,  and  got  annoyed  that  I  hadn't  built  a  better  roof  last  time.  This  got  me  to  wondering  if  iterating  on  the  chicken  run  had  been  a  good  idea.\n\nIt's  quite  common  to  make  comparisons  between  software  engineering  and  real  world  engineering  since  they're  both  building  things.  I  thought  I'd  explore  whether  that  bore  out  here…\n\n1.0\n\nI  approached  rebuilding  the  run  in  an  iterative  fashion.  So  1.0  was  taking  the  parts  of  the  roof  that  survived  transportation  to  our  house  back  on  to  the  run.  These  only  covered  half  of  the  area.  So  while  the  chickens  had  some  protection  from  the  weather  it  wasn't  enough  to  stop  the  ground  getting  wet.\n\n2.0\n\nAs  the  summer  ended  and  the  weather  started  to  turn  we  moved  to  roof  2.0.  The  requirements  from  the  PM  (a.k.a.  my  wife)  were  that  it  be:\n\n\n    cheap\n    fast\n    effective\n\n\nSo  far,  so  exactly  like  a  software  project.\n\nFor  2.0  I  wanted  the  roof  to  be  sloped  so  that  rain  would  run  off,  and  I  wanted  the  entire  area  covered.  We  had  quite  a  lot  of  timber  left  over  from  various  DIY  projects  so  I  built  up  one  side  of  the  roof  to  provide  the  slope  and  bought  some  more  corrugated  plastic  sheets  to  cover  the  rest  of  the  roof  area.\n\nIt  didn't  cost  too  much  and  while  it  didn't  keep  out  all  of  the  rain  it  was  a  good  improvement.\n\n\n\n3.0-alpha1\n\nThe  roof  (or  rather  parts  of  it)  are  too  damaged  to  stay  in  place  so  I'll  definitely  need  to  bump  to  3.0.\n\nI've  definitely  learned  that  the  slope  of  the  roof  wasn't  high  enough  and  rain  tended  to  pool  on  it  (I've  got  a  feeling  that  roof  slopes  need  to  be  15  degrees  to  get  rain  and  snow  to  run  off).  And  that  there  needs  to  be  less  freedom  of  movement  of  and  between  the  individual  pieces  of  roof.\n\nHow  was  iterating  DIY  like  iterating  software  engineering?\n\n\n    Releasing  early  provided  value  -  because  the  chickens  have  been  protected  from  rain  and  predators.\n    We've  minimised  time  spent  because  I  haven't  had  to  dedicate  a  weekend  to  building  a  roof.  Although  I  haven't  measured  that  so  I  don't  know  for  sure\n    And,  since  I'm  not  a  natural  DIYer,  I've  learnt  a  lot  by  having  the  roof  in  production.\n\n\nHow  was  iterating  DIY  not  like  iterating  in  software  engineering?\n\n\n    When  the  wind  damaged  the  roof  it  wasn't  possible  to  roll  back  the  deployed  chicken  run  to  a  known  good  state\n    When  I  come  to  work  on  it  again  I  can't  check  out  the  resources  for  the  project.  I'll  have  to  go  to  some  hardware  store  and  buy  all  the  bits  again\n\n\nIn  Conclusion\n\nThe  cost  of  experimentation  is  much  lower  in  software  engineering  than  in  DIY.  I  should  embrace  that  more.\n\nI  fall  off  chairs  more  often  when  iterating  DIY  than  iterating  software.\n"
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    <div class="date">Sun Nov 29 2015</div>
    <h1 class="title leading-10 pt-2 mb-0 mt-1">Real vs. Software Engineering</h1>
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		<p>I recently had some "fun".</p>

<p>Earlier this year we got a great deal on two ducks, three chickens, a coop, a run, and Gary the Rescue Cockerel</p>

<!--more-->

<div class="tweet-wrapper">
	<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">iterating on design of chicken run roof while the wind tries to rip it off highlights the difference between real &amp; software engineering</p>&mdash; Paul D&#39;Ambra (@pauldambra) <a href="https://twitter.com/pauldambra/status/670958192596242432">November 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<p><img src="/images/chickens.jpg" alt="the chickens" class="img-responsive img-thumbnail" /></p>

<p>The ducks we gave to a local small-holding because they turned out to be too much work and we didn't like duck eggs.
<!--alex ignore kids --->
But we rebuilt the chicken run and kept the chickens (and Gary the Rescue Cockerel). The kids love them, they're good company in the garden (bizarrely), and we get two or three eggs a day.</p>

<p>This afternoon I looked outside and saw two things…</p>

<p>1) it was really windy
2) the wind had started to rip off the roof from the coop
<!--alex ignore just --->
So I just spent half an hour or so doing some emergency maintenance to get us through this weather, learnt that using wet, wooden chairs as impromptu step ladders is dangerous, and got annoyed that I hadn't built a better roof last time. This got me to wondering if iterating on the chicken run had been a good idea.</p>

<p>It's quite common to make comparisons between software engineering and real world engineering since they're both building things. I thought I'd explore whether that bore out here…</p>

<h1 id="10">1.0</h1>

<p>I approached rebuilding the run in an iterative fashion. So 1.0 was taking the parts of the roof that survived transportation to our house back on to the run. These only covered half of the area. So while the chickens had some protection from the weather it wasn't enough to stop the ground getting wet.</p>

<h1 id="20">2.0</h1>
<!--alex ignore husband-wife --->
<p>As the summer ended and the weather started to turn we moved to roof 2.0. The requirements from the PM (a.k.a. my wife) were that it be:</p>

<ul>
  <li>cheap</li>
  <li>fast</li>
  <li>effective</li>
</ul>

<p>So far, so exactly like a software project.
<!--alex ignore slope --->
For 2.0 I wanted the roof to be sloped so that rain would run off, and I wanted the entire area covered. We had quite a lot of timber left over from various DIY projects so I built up one side of the roof to provide the slope and bought some more corrugated plastic sheets to cover the rest of the roof area.</p>

<p>It didn't cost too much and while it didn't keep out all of the rain it was a good improvement.</p>

<p><img src="/images/run2.0.jpg" alt="chicken run 2.0" class="img-responsive img-thumbnail" /></p>

<h1 id="30-alpha1">3.0-alpha1</h1>

<p>The roof (or rather parts of it) are too damaged to stay in place so I'll definitely need to bump to 3.0.
<!--alex ignore slope slopes --->
I've definitely learned that the slope of the roof wasn't high enough and rain tended to pool on it (I've got a feeling that roof slopes need to be 15 degrees to get rain and snow to run off). And that there needs to be less freedom of movement of and between the individual pieces of roof.</p>

<h1 id="how-was-iterating-diy-like-iterating-software-engineering">How was iterating DIY like iterating software engineering?</h1>

<ul>
  <li>Releasing early provided value - because the chickens have been protected from rain and predators.</li>
  <li>We've minimised time spent because I haven't had to dedicate a weekend to building a roof. Although I haven't measured that so I don't <em>know</em> for sure</li>
  <li>And, since I'm not a natural DIYer, I've learnt a lot by having the roof in production.</li>
</ul>

<h1 id="how-was-iterating-diy-not-like-iterating-in-software-engineering">How was iterating DIY not like iterating in software engineering?</h1>

<ul>
  <li>When the wind damaged the roof it wasn't possible to roll back the deployed chicken run to a known good state</li>
  <li>When I come to work on it again I can't check out the resources for the project. I'll have to go to some hardware store and buy all the bits again</li>
</ul>

<h1 id="in-conclusion">In Conclusion</h1>

<p>The cost of experimentation is much lower in software engineering than in DIY. I should embrace that more.</p>

<p>I fall off chairs more often when iterating DIY than iterating software.</p>

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