If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Wayne Dyer

Covid shook the world, turned it upside down and made everyone prisoners in their own homes (fortunately internet enabled). Covid is hopefully is diminishing but its impact on software development and software projects continues.

This article looks at how Covid has affected software development and developers.

Optimism in software development

Covid was terrible but Developers Found Opportunity in The Covid Crises. Before Covid, creating software was something companies feared because it would take longer and cost more than expected.

During Covid, the world has needed software created fast and to be used to enable remote working. Companies needed the software to keep in business and software developers delivered.

Low-code has been used to create lots of simple applications and traditional development has created software. Developers can create software quickly deployed quickly to users and software can make a difference.

Software is a tool to help users do their jobs and software can make work easier and save hours of time.

What has enabled this isn’t the developers working faster or some new tools. The difference has been the speed, urgency and engagement of the people who want the software. Software doesn’t need to be perfect, it doesn’t need 10 consultants and 1000 meetings.

Remote working is acceptable

Before COVID customers wanted to see bums on seats from as many people as they could. There wanted to see people working and make sure they were working. This is a seeing is a believing attitude.

Developers argued being on site wasn’t needed but what the customer wants, the customer gets, even when it costs more money (hotels, meals, travel).

Companies tried remote working with developers and their own staff. They found it worked for developers and other roles. This changes future working patterns to include remote working. It’s now a proven way of working and every business has seen it work.

The long-term impact could lead to software development jobs moving permanently to areas of the world where wages are lowest.

Increase demand in software

For businesses to work remotely, companies need to create software to enable this. Companies accelerated digitization projects to enable remote working.

Small applications were created quickly to collect data, replace paper and automate tasks. The increase in demand for software fuelled the growth in low-code software development tools, which are ideally suited to creating small business applications. This encouraged citizen developer (people with no development experience) to create software.

Will there be a downside to thousands of apps created by junior developers? Will low code software create a maintenance nightmare?

Increase in wages

An increase in software creates an increase in demand for software developers, creates a talent war, creates a growth in wages.

Companies need to hire new developers and keep existing developers. LinkedIn (recruitment consultants) show developers what their skills and experience are worth.

To keep developers, companies need to match the wage developers skills are worth or LinkedIn will tempt them away.

Companies have been slow to react and give their existing developers wage increases to match the average wages for their skills. The result has been an increase in developers quitting.

Increase in job movement — The great resignation

The drivers for developer resigning are

1. Power shift — Whilst there is an increase in demand for developers the power has shifted to developers and away from companies. Increase in demand for developers means developers are offered better roles and more money for companies to hire them (e.g. a developer has 3 offers, companies are bidding agaisn’t each other).
2. Had enough — Many developers won’t accept working on bad projects, dead end roles and no learning/investment.
3. More to life — COVID has stressed developers out, they have had less time to do the same amount of work. Some developers are having a sabbatical, some are having a change via jobs and challenges.
4. Remote working — Remote working roles are offered by companies and developers are not limited by companies who are commutable.

further reading on the

Increase in Burnout

Remote working has positives, but I think there are potential negatives because it contributed to an increase in burnout.

During Covid 83% of Developers Suffer From Burnout and 81% Said It’s Gotten Worse During Covid. Covid added pressure and strain to people and additional worry for themselves, family members and the future.

Remote working doesn’t have a natural stopping point, it can cause developers to spend more time working to get the work done. Remote working increased the number of teams meeting, Is Meeting Overload the Cause of Increased Burnout in Developers?

More meetings means less time for development. Less time but the same deadlines results in working extra

Developers were expected to deliver the same amount of development but with fewer hours. The short-term solution is to do this work in their own time. The long-term effect is developers were burning out in greater numbers.

Burnout happens to the better developers on the team, losing senior developers disrupts the software team. Replacing them in when there is a talent war is difficult. Senior developers are more valuable and have a bigger impact on the success and failure to software projects.

Increase in AI and Automation

This could be the AI improving in capabilities and developers skilled in AI, combined with the concept being established with companies. I have seen an increase in AI being implemented in projects and customers are asking for bots, automation and machine learning.

Before companies suggested AI and would sell the benefits, now customers are requesting AI projects.

AI has been accelerated by remote working and the increase demand for software over the last two years. The idea of remote working has changed the thinking from it doesn’t need people in an office, people can do it from home, what can we automate.

Software done remotely by a person can often be done remotely by automation/AI.