Why We Don't Fix Potholes or Bugs (A Work-Related Post)

Nov. 2014 - I've been running this around in my head for almost a year now trying to figure out what to do with it.  I had just read this post from the Seattle DOT and then the next day participated in a conversation with a colleague frustrated that no one was paying attention to the maintenance needs of the software and tools we were supporting.

So here's the post: It’s your money, where is it going? (Seattle Department of Transportation, 02/25/2014)

May 2018 - Apparently I wrote this in email and then emailed it to Evernote back in November 2014.  I just re-discovered it again and I think it still holds true.

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A weird interest of mine is transit and development. Not sure why, but I guess it's because I like to see change, I like to see how something that most of us just think of as pavement is much more. And I definitely love to see the thought that went into the process, the alternatives that were considered, stuff like that.  There are definitely parallels to the work I did in my last job - you saw specific outcomes, but you didn't see the thought process that went behind the scenes.  But a few observations about roadwork and the software development lifecycle at companies where the software is a tool/enabler and not the end product itself:

NEW STUFF IS ALMOST ALWAYS OUTSOURCED

There was always a frustration that other companies were getting to have fun, to build the new things, to walk away when it was complete.  That's just the nature of the beast. If you want to build new stuff, you need to work for the builder, not the one needing the work done.  If you're working for the customer (who wants the building done) then your role will always be more about support, maintenance and modest enhancement, not about creating brand new.

NEW STUFF IS MORE FUN

You can sell the stakeholders/voters on new stuff. Getting them excited about maintenance is probably a non-starter. The best you can do is be ready to address their negative excitement (frustration, rage, anger) when things break, when they encounter potholes, etc.

UNTIL THE POTHOLE AFFECTS THEM PERSONALLY, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE AREN'T ON THEIR MINDS

Wait until they're receptive, until they want the pain addressed and are ready to experience a different pain (budgetary) to get it fixed.  For the good of the order, there is some work you must do, especially if failure to do it (say, bridge maintenance) offers a risk of pain too great.

THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY FOR ALL OF THE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

It would be nice if everyone who bought a car started putting money away every month for eventual replacement of tires, or everyone who bought a house immediately started socking away money for eventual exterior painting, new roof and new carpets. But we don't work that way. It requires a level of discipline that's not really in our human nature (at least Americans - I can't speak for other countries). So the best we can do is assess and prioritize.  We keep a good list of what's outstanding and then we work on the most urgent at that time.  The government and organizational divisions of large companies often have the ability to raise additional funds whether it's by passing an ordinance, raising a bond, or asking for more from the voters. Families rarely have that luxury.  And that's why we don't all have our houses painted every few years and instead wait until there's pain (embarrassment, threatening letters from HOA or Code Compliance, etc.)

GREAT STATUS UPDATES ARE IMPORTANT

If you are involved in support and maintenance, especially with someone else's money (or at the expense of something else), great status updates are a must. Your stakeholders (and funders) must be confident that they made the right decision - that their pain is being addressed by an expert - that they've made a wise investment. Especially since it's always at the expense of something else.

(Cross-posted to LinkedIn)