Ask Your Developer by Jeff Lawson
“Code is creative & developers are creative problem-solvers.”
Tell a good developer about a consumer or business problem, and you will often be amazed by how creatively they approach solving it. Great software isn’t just written—it is designed by people who enjoy breaking down complex problems and finding elegant solutions.
Jeff Lawson’s Ask Your Developer is a compelling reminder that software should no longer be viewed as a support function. Every organization today needs to build and nurture a software mindset, not just within engineering teams but across every level of the business. The role of leadership is to create the environment where developers can focus their creativity on solving real customer problems.
One of the central themes of the book is that companies create far more value when developers are involved in business conversations instead of simply being handed a list of requirements. The best ideas often emerge when technology and business work together rather than in isolation.
Ask Your Developer is an enlightening book by Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson. While not every idea presented in the book will work in every organization, the underlying message—that software is becoming a core business capability rather than just an IT function—is difficult to disagree with.
I highly recommend this book to everyone working in the technology industry, especially business leaders, product managers, and software developers.