Operation Liberate Programmer

Image by Ria Sopala from Pixabay

Apparently, they just wrapped up the 16th Annual Give Thanks for Scrum Conference.¹ (Yes, that's a real thing. I wish it were a joke.) Jeff Sutherland is touting the next evolution of Scrum: Extreme Agile. (Nope, still not a joke. That's really what he’s calling it. Yes, I know there's already an Extreme Programming.) He's all done with "twice the work, in half the time," the measly 4X improvement he claims to get from Scrum. With Extreme Agile (essentially Scrum + AI + magic) he's claiming to get up to a 100X improvement (Nope, not an exaggeration. He really said 100.)

So, let's do the math. Something that takes a normal developer (someone not using Extreme Agile) a full year (~2000 hours), will take 20 hours for one of Jeff's devoted followers--not even a full week's work.

Face. To. Palm.

But everyone knows it's just hyperbole, right? He just means 'going fast' and now 'going really fast'. What's the big deal? The main problem with this laser focus on speed over all else isn't that the numbers are highly suspicious, it's that they telegraph to managers everywhere that Jeff is still their man. Scrum was about speed before, and Extreme Agile is about even more speed now. It's a management dog whistle. Your boss knows they can rely on the fact that Jeff still has his priorities straight. None of this nonsense about craftsmanship or building the right thing. That's just developer speak for, "I want to take it easy, and chase after shiny objects." Jeff sees through that. It won't be long before your boss is saying, "Let's get our guys out there for some Extreme Agile training."

So I've realized (been reminded really) it's not worth fighting any more. In the future, if I'm ever poised to jump down the Scrum-bashing rabbit-hole again, I’m going to remind myself: if it’s not Scrum, it'll be something else. Jeff’s presentation makes that perfectly clear. All my talking about Scrum isn’t going to amount to anything in the long run, because neither developers nor Scrum Masters control anyone's fates at work. Owner is the only position with real power.

And for most owners², worker autonomy is not on the road-map today or next week or ever, it never was. Scrum isn’t the enemy, low trust work environments are. Owner’s don't care if you bad mouth the process. Why should they? They hold all the cards. They have all the leverage. And even if Scrum goes away, Extreme Agile is close on its heels, or something even worse.

So, I’m ready to stop wasting time arguing about Scrum and start talking about things that can actually move the needle--ways to take power back. I want to start talking about freelancing and/or starting your own business³. That's the only way things will ever change.

Programmers have options, believe it or not. I know the market is tough right now. But AI is changing the game. It can make developers into productivity machines, making freelance work easier and more lucrative. I want to leverage AI for myself, not for my employer--certainly not in some scheme to make development even more frantic like "Extreme Agile."

For starting a small business, recent developments in AI are a stroke of incredible luck. They promise to make it even simpler to replace the business side of things and go it alone. Need an invoice? Ask AI. Need help with marketing materials? Ask AI. And I'm convinced it's only going to get better.

And since I'm in the same boat you are, grinding it out 9-5 for someone else, I want to practice what I preach and start dipping my toes into the freelancing water myself. I'm curious about sites like Upwork or fiverr. I've even seen some places that are paying programmers to produce example code that is later fed to AI models. I'm going to try it all (on the side, so be patient. I've still got a day job) and see if it's worthwhile. Then I'll write about what I discover--about how to use AI or anything else that makes it easier.

AI doesn't have to be an instrument of more corporate pressure; it can be our ticket out of this mess.

If freelance websites aren't a good option, then I'll move on to more traditional networking tactics and write about those as well. Whatever I’ve gotta do.

The purpose of targeting freelancing gigs first is to gain a little elbow room. Side work gives you extra savings and, when you go full-time, extra freedom over your schedule. For some, maybe full-time freelance work will be the ultimate goal; that’s totally cool. For me, it’s a step closer to starting a business and selling my own products--a way to bootstrap myself. Maybe that's interesting to you too.

By documenting my process (I'm going to try this in real-time, instead of after the fact, because I think it will be more informative that way. (I hope I don’t fail; that would be embarrassing)), Rethinking Software can become more than just a place to talk about writing software, but also a resource for any developer struggling to slip the 9-5 handcuffs—a good place for actionable information and helpful conversations. As I gain insight, I’ll post more notes and articles, so it can enlighten your path as well.

Let’s stop waiting for change and start building it ourselves.

Operation Liberate Programmer

1. https://jvsmanagement.com/is-agile-dead-ai-extreme-agile/

2. I say most, not all, because there are companies out there genuinely doing the right thing, sharing ownership and authority with employees. See the bucket list published by the Corporate Rebels to see who they are. Sadly, however, they are rare enough to not be a viable escape route for most people.

3. Occasionally someone will mention that developers should form unions. This might also work. I usually don't focus on that though, because there is something more exciting about taking things into my own hands and beating the competition at their own game, in the free market. Forming unions always sounds like such an intense struggle that I'd rather use that energy to build my own thing. But I respect anyone willing to go that route.