Shy Boys: Notes from ten years of working with software engineering giants

This is the story of a small group of people who set out to change the world of software engineering.

The initiative became known as SEMAT which stands for Software Engineering Method and Theory. SEMAT refers to the community of volunteers that developed a new framework referred to as Essence.

The initiative was started by Ivar Jacobson, Bertrand Meyer and Richard Soley primarily to address repeating problems observed within the software industry, but its value extends beyond just software as you will learn from this story.

The story begins with the initial SEMAT meeting which occurred in Zurich, Switzerland in March, 2010, and is told from the personal perspective of one of the participants who subsequently became deeply involved in the initiative over the following ten years.

There are multiple reasons why I wrote this book. First, this book is a compilation of stories from my personal notes intended to provide insight into the motivation, challenges and thinking behind Essence. Second, I share with the reader information about some of the principle people who structured and influenced the SEMAT effort. Third, I share reflections on events that shaped the evolution of my thinking on this journey.

In its simplest form Essence can be thought of as a thinking framework-- or a mental model practitioners can keep in their head to guide their daily decisions.

Prior knowledge of SEMAT and Essence is not required to understand the stories in this book. However, for those interested in learning more, references are provided in Chapter Seven.

The intended audience for this book is information technology professionals including software developers, testers, systems engineers, analysts, project and organizational managers/leaders, support personnel and those involved in education and research.

The title of this book was chosen based on a phrase Ivar Jacobson often used when conversing with the author during our many meetings which occurred between 2010 and 2019.

When I started to write this book I did not know exactly where the story would go. One of the reviewers of this book observed that I spoke a great deal about the significance of emotion throughout the book. The cover of the book showing a runner handing the baton to a teammate was chosen because it is a critical moment in track that is essential to a relay team being successful.

The stories in this book reflect the author's recollection of events. Some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of those depicted. Dialogue has been re-created from memory.

Essence was adopted as an official Object Management Group (OMG) standard in June, 2014. The mission of the OMG is to provide technology standards that provide real-world value.

What people are saying about "Shy Boys"

"A fascinating retelling of one man's journey to become part of an ongoing and never-ending revolution in software engineering. The stories of the people, places, and ideas involved in the revolution are coherent and interesting, especially some of the big personalities who were involved, or refused to be involved. This serves not only as a warning for those trying to start a revolution in their chosen field, but also as lighter fluid to get the fires burning." Brent Beckley, Marketing Director, Morgan & Claypool Publishers

"You've made the seemingly 'untouchables' in our industry, reachable. You've made them more human." Elaine Harmon, Senior Program Manager, Aviation Systems, L3Harris Technologies