Speed as a workplace habit

Presented at the First International TDD conference on July 10, 2021.
Video link https://youtu.be/-_noEVCR__I?t=30507

In the early days of my career as a software engineer, I misunderstood activity for progress. Adopting TDD has given me apparent benefits like delivering higher quality software quickly and fixing bugs without breaking the rest of the software; it has also sensitized me towards inefficiencies that slow me down from getting work done.

In this talk, I will discuss my habits and a few case studies from projects that I have worked on and how I used appropriate tools or build a few when quick feedback and speed were necessary.

Transcript

1. Ragunath Jawahar / @ragunathjawahar
   Speed as a workplace habit
   (in
   fl
   uenced by TDD)
   

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2. Background
   2012 2017 2021
   Zongnan Bao on Unsplash
   

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3. Background
   2012 2017 2021
   Zongnan Bao on Unsplash
   

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4. Background
   2012 2017 2021
   Zongnan Bao on Unsplash
   

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5. Background
   2012 2017 2021
   Zongnan Bao on Unsplash
   

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6. Background
   2012 2017 2021
   Zongnan Bao on Unsplash
   

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7. TDD & Feedback Loops
   

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8. 1/9
   

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9. 2/9
   

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10. 3/9
    

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11. 4/9
    

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12. 5/9
    

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13. ⏭
    

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14. 6/9
    

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15. 7/9
    

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16. 8/9
    

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17. 9/9
    

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18. Key Moments
    

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19. 1/3 Missing Class
    

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22. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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23. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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24. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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25. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    

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26. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    

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27. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    Suggestive
    

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28. 2/3 Failing Test
    

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30. View Slide

31. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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32. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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33. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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34. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    

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35. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    

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36. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    Informative
    

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37. 3/3 Passing Test
    

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39. View Slide

40. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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41. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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42. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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43. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    

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44. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    

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45. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    Informative
    

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46. Breakdown
    

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47. View Slide

48. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    㲗
    

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49. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate
    㲗
    

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50. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable
    㲗
    

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51. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    㲗
    

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52. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention
    㲗
    

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53. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active
    㲗
    

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54. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive
    㲗
    

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55. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive None
    㲗
    

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56. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive None
    Response
    㲗
    

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57. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive None
    Response Suggestive
    㲗
    

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58. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive None
    Response Suggestive Informative
    㲗
    

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59. Action
    Consequence
    Time
    Immediate Tolerable Forever
    Attention Active Passive None
    Response Suggestive Informative None
    㲗
    

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60. Examples
    

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61. 1/5 Learning Shortcuts
    

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62. View Slide

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64. Shortcut
    Action Name
    +
    Click Count
    (Informative)
    (Suggestive)
    

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65. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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66. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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67. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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68. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    

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69. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    

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70. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    
    Response
    Suggestive & Informative
    

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71. 2/5 Learning Shortcuts (2)
    

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74. Shortcut
    Action Name
    +
    Click Count
    (Informative)
    (Suggestive)
    

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75. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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76. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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77. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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78. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Passive
    

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79. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Passive
    
    Response
    

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80. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Passive
    
    Response
    Suggestive & Informative
    

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81. Key Promoter vs. Key Promoter X
    

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82. Key Promoter vs. Key Promoter X
    Action 㲗 Consequence Time (Same)
    Immediate
    

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83. Key Promoter vs. Key Promoter X
    Action 㲗 Consequence Time (Same)
    Immediate
    
    Attention (Varies)
    Active vs. Passive
    

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84. Key Promoter vs. Key Promoter X
    Action 㲗 Consequence Time (Same)
    Immediate
    
    Attention (Varies)
    Active vs. Passive
    
    Response (Same)
    Suggestive & Informative
    

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85. 3/5 Writing a blog
    

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86. Attempts
    

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87. Attempts
    • Self
    

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88. Attempts
    • Self
    

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89. Attempts
    • Self
    
    • Hiring content editors
    

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90. Attempts
    • Self
    
    • Hiring content editors
    

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91. Attempts
    • Self
    
    • Hiring content editors
    
    • Request feedback from friends
    

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92. Attempts
    • Self
    
    • Hiring content editors
    
    • Request feedback from friends
    
    • Use a tool
    

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93. View Slide

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96. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    

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97. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    

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98. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    

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99. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
    Immediate
    
    Attention
    Active
    

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100. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     Active
     
     Response
     

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101. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     Active
     
     Response
     Suggestive or Informative
     

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102. 4/5 Working with GUIs
     

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103. View Slide

104. File
     

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105. File
     Open repository…
     

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106. File
     Open repository…
     Open
     

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107. File
     

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108. File
     b763ae1b build: automate releases 🎉
     

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109. File
     b763ae1b build: automate releases 🎉
     

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110. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     

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111. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     

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112. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     
     Attention
     

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113. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     
     Attention
     None
     

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114. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     

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115. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     None
     

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116. Can we do better?
     

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123. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     None
     

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124. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever Tolerable
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     None
     

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126. Save inputs
     

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127. Save inputs
     Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever Tolerable
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     None
     

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128. Save inputs
     Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Forever Tolerable Immediate
     
     Attention
     None
     
     Response
     None
     

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129. 5/5 Exploratory Problem Solving
     

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130. Privacy-focused Personal Finance
     

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132. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     

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133. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     

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134. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     

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135. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     Active
     

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136. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     Active
     
     Response
     

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137. Action 㲗 Consequence Time
     Immediate
     
     Attention
     Active
     
     Response
     Informative
     

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138. Excellent feedback cycles
     

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139. Excellent feedback cycles
     • Fail fast
     

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140. Excellent feedback cycles
     • Fail fast
     
     • Grab our attention
     

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141. Excellent feedback cycles
     • Fail fast
     
     • Grab our attention
     
     • Suggest corrective action
     

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142. Closing notes
     

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143. Closing notes
     • Feedback cycles need not be excellent
     

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144. Closing notes
     • Feedback cycles need not be excellent
     
     • Zoom in and out to identify and improve feedback cycles
     

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145. Closing notes
     • Feedback cycles need not be excellent
     
     • Zoom in and out to identify and improve feedback cycles
     
     • Perform cost-bene
     fi
     t analysis before improving a cycle
     

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146. Closing notes
     • Feedback cycles need not be excellent
     
     • Zoom in and out to identify and improve feedback cycles
     
     • Perform cost-bene
     fi
     t analysis before improving a cycle
     
     • CLI frameworks enable exploratory problem solving and bug discovery at
     scale
     

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147. Robert C. Martin, Clean Architecture
     

     “The only way to go fast, is to go well.”
     

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148. Queries?
     @ragunathjawahar • https://ragunath.xyz
     

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