Managing Software Maniacs: Finding, Managing, and Rewarding a Winning Development Team [Paperback]

Ken Whitaker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471009970 | ISBN-13: 978-0471009979 | Publication Date: March 8, 1994 | Edition: 1

Using a humorous yet practical style, it offers excellent advice on every aspect of programmer management. Topics range from finding software developers, rewarding them and building an effective team.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Managing Software Maniacs is a light, sometimes humorous guide to managing software development teams. It assumes that readers are either already development team managers or on the way to becoming them. Author Ken Whitaker begins by explaining his ideal order of the team leader's priorities and how to get them straight. Once everyone's goals are in line, Whitaker proposes methods for recruiting the best additions to your team, sharpening your own skills as a leader, establishing good scheduling practices, and coping with unforeseen forces, such as intraoffice dynamics and the dreaded marketing department.

Each chapter is peppered with "Practical Maniac Tips" (there's even a "maniac" icon), "Reality Checks" to keep you focused, and "Rules for the Unruly" to keep your more "unique" team members from causing too much trouble.

From the Publisher

Using a humorous yet practical style, it offers excellent advice on every aspect of programmer management. Topics range from finding software developers, rewarding them and building an effective team.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 8, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471009970
• ISBN-13: 978-0471009979
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #954,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Whitaker has been leading software maniacs for more than twenty-five years. He has extensive software development leadership and training experience in a variety of technology roles and industries. He has led commercial software teams at Software Publishing (remember Harvard Graphics?), Data General (engineering manager in the "Soul of a New Machine" days), embedded systems software companies, and enterprise software. For some reason, he loves to write and communicate (especially to make complex subjects "Jethro-simple").

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for rapid application development...., November 4, 2009

By 

Anthony P. Johnson "MBA, PMP, PgMP" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Managing Software Maniacs: Finding, Managing, and Rewarding a Winning Development Team (Paperback)

I was very exicted to receive this book having heard great things about it. The author has actually written two books, Principles of Software Development Leadership, and Managing Software Maniacs. In both books he addresses the full life cycle of software development from a business owner or manager (in my opinion).

Various areas are addressed including corporate culture, staff, methodology, retaining staff, annd the overall integration of the various pieces need to have a rapid development environment.

One thing that stood out to me that was especially helpful was the face that you could apply a lot of the priniciples to any type of rapid product development environment (software or otherwise). Too many companies look at activities, planning everything out way in advance, then dealing with all the changes and scope creep, and not looking at the long term capital investment of your people.

His two books addresses that and more....

Regards,

Tony Johnson, MBA, PMP, PgMP
CEO & Founder
Crosswind PM Inc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book on MANAGING developers, September 24, 2009

By 

Steve Johnson "product management evangelist ... (Gainesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Managing Software Maniacs: Finding, Managing, and Rewarding a Winning Development Team (Paperback)

Most books on development focus on techniques of developing products but few focus on organizing, motivating, planning around the teams who do the work. (one such book is Joel Spolsky's 'Smart and gets things done.') This book isn't about building better products--altho it will help do this; it's really about helping OTHERS develop better products.

Which is better? Cubicles or team pods? How does a manager provide oversight in agile without micromanaging. Should QA be on the team or external to it? Ken has the answers.

If you're looking for a book on how to be a dev lead of a small team, this is a good start but perhaps there are others. But if you need to know how to be a leader of MANY dev teams, this is the book you need.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, April 14, 2000

By 

Hays W. Skip McCormick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Managing Software Maniacs: Finding, Managing, and Rewarding a Winning Development Team (Paperback)

Ken's insights proved very useful in my research (we reference it in our latest AntiPatterns book). I especially enjoyed Ken's take on the popular "cubicles" versus offices debate. I recommend this as one of the many books software managers should read.