Tech & Child development
My Friday Thought: The parallel's between tech and childhood development always amazing me, from BDD & TDD to MLP
Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) vs Baby Driven Development
BDD uses a nature language (over technological) to support everyone in understanding its purpose. Typically it uses the Given-When-Then format.
Given a specific context, When a certain action is taken, Then the expected result or outcome is seen.
Considering BDD (Baby Driven Development)
Given I am very tried
When I am put to bed
Then I cry very loudly
And don’t go to sleep
One purpose of BDD is the collaboration element where the outcome is agreed on by all parties. Clearly in Baby Driven there is no collaboration on purposes as they are conflicting, but this highlights often the view of secure vs user friendly and how having the right people agreeing on the outcome can ensure all parties.
Given it is time for sleep
When baby is put into bed
Then they feel safe and secure
And fall asleep independently
The fun as an adult is understanding how to make the then achievable, which we why we often discuss options with others, read up on methods, undertake trial and error, get 'gifted' the expert/leadership advise on how they would do it. Everything we do in tech to support us.
Test Driven Development (TDD) vs Toddler Driven Development
TDD is its most simple form is a cycle of Red-Green-Refactor, its purpose also focuses on thinking about the problem over just driving right in, but the cycle is useful.
Red: Write a small amount of testing (which should fail) for the new feature
Green: Write just enough to create the feature (make the test pass)
Refactor: Ensure the code is written in the best way and you aren't introducing technical debt, whilst ensuring the test stays passing (green)
Considering this within toddlers: Fail at achieving an outcome, do the minimum to make it work, refine ability to achieve outcome. I think learning to walk is a brilliant example of this, and something children generally are good at, but us adults lack. Perfection is the enemy of done, and many adults love to get it all right before any use. Leading on to
Minimum Lovable Product (MLP)
MVP is the minimum viable product which is often used to mean create enough that we can test and learn. This is really important and without starting a debate on if you should have MVP then MLP or MLP is just a better MVP, at some early point you do need an MLP.
An MLP's purpose is to provide the functionality, but also to delight. My MVP is my daughter who opened my eyes to Baby Driven Diverm
It always amazing me when observing my Minimum Loveable Product (daughter) and watching her do her version of TDD (Toddler Driven Development).
