The new and the shiny
As technologists we're naturally inclined to seek out all the latest tools and processes—but with a critical eye, because “new and shiny” doesn’t necessarily mean “best.” We don’t use something just because it's getting a lot of buzz on Medium, we select the best tool for the job and set aside research time for exploring promising tools that might not quite be ready for prime time.
Consider risk
If you’re using FTP for any part of your deployment process, chances are you’re doing it wrong. Are you changing configuration files in production? You’re doing it wrong. Do it properly and decrease risk by formalizing a release process. Increase predictability by lowering the chance of human error.
No silos here
People are different, and most people enjoy some aspects of development more than others. However, we think it’s important that members of our team are open to trying new things. Is your javascript not so hot? Not so sharp in C#? We take time outside of client projects to develop complementary skills because it benefits everyone. The individual broadens their capabilities, Durable has more collaborative teams, and our clients benefit from better software.
Constant evolution
Nobody’s perfect. Developers all know what “code smell” is—a feeling that something might be “off” in the code, triggering a closer look, and then refactoring with abandon until all is well. We try not to restrict that to code. Recognizing that a particular process doesn't work well, or that a tool we’re using doesn’t quite hit the mark, or even failing, is all good. We learn from our mistakes, and we evolve.
