I was going to use one of the popular frameworks for a very little project when three things conspired to put me on a different path. One was a problem of my own doing: I seemed to have hosed my NPM installation whilst trying to upgrade something. Then I read these two posts, which really came at the right time:

• Dev perception (via Brad Frost)
• You probably don’t need that hip web framework

I love this quote from Jeremy Keith:

I have a suspicion that there’s a silent majority of developers who are working with “boring” technologies on “boring” products in “boring” industries …you know, healthcare, government, education, and other facets of everyday life that any other industry would value more highly than Uber for dogs.

Anyway, I got an initial version of my tiny project done in a couple hours. I’d still be fighting with the framework if I had continued in the original direction. I’m sure I’ll get my NPM fixed, and I’m sure I’ll use a framework in the future, but I’m glad I gave myself permission to just hack this thing out in very, very basic HTML, CSS and a few lines of JS.

In this video, Martin Fowler sums up my experience with agile throughout the years. In my experience, it ends up being tiny waterfalls that everyone calls sprints. The only reason upper management is willing to give it a go is because when they hear “sprint” think “go fast”.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way, and Fowler touches on some reasons to be optimistic about agile towards the end of his talk.

via Dave Rupert