The Problem
My name is Kevin Smith and I’ve worked as an engineer and engineering leader for over 20 years. In all that time I’ve watched us solve almost every execution and delivery problem the same way: build more technology.
Faux Agile neé waterfall processes with automated JIRA reporting and velocity tracking, automated security & cost reviews, and now AI assistants. We keep adding layers of tooling to human collaboration problems, always expecting some kind of Aha! moment that never seems to appear.
In reality, we’re still terrible at:
- Understanding how teams actually collaborate
- Identifying who’s contributing what
- Knowing whether development processes are helping or holding teams back
The Solution
Collabchek is my first project under the Poiesic Systems umbrella. It’s my attempt to stop complaining about the pain of building software and doing something to fix it.
As I work on projects like Collabchek, I’ll document my build process here. This services two goals. It helps me think more clearly about what I’m building. More importantly, working in public like this gives me opportunities to connect with other folks who see same gaps between tools and human reality.
If you’re working on or are interested in similar problems let’s talk!
What You’ll Find Here
This blog chronicles the journey of building tools that actually serve human collaboration instead of replacing it. Expect:
- Build logs from Collabchek development
- Insights about team dynamics and tooling
- Honest takes on what works (and what doesn’t) in software development