| Thanks for the laugh. You misunderstand what a spec is. And you misunderstand what product management is. At no point did I say software engineers aren't responsible for designing and building software. And at no point did I say designing solutions doesn't require intimate knowledge of those systems and capabilities. In fact, that's exactly what I've been saying. That's what software engineers are there for. To provide expert knowledge and guidance. But, do you think the electrical engineers defined the spec for One World Trade Center? No they didn't. They got the spec from the architects and they worked to satisfy those requirements. The spec is not static. There is no design/spec/build/test pipeline in the strictest sense. The spec is dynamic. It's updated through design/spec/build/test iterations. Just like an electrical engineer may surface new knowledge back to an architect that requires the spec to change... or an electrician in the field will surface new knowledge back to the electrical engineer that requires the spec to change. Changing the spec is expected. It's called change management. I don't need to get on board with anything. Google isn't getting left behind anytime soon. And the way they approach software engineering is largely the correct way; I agree with it. (They do however lack coherent product management in some areas.) |