Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development - Observations From a 22-Year Journey
The Java User Group Berlin-Brandenburg and our partner adesso SE invite you to the talk Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development - Observations From a 22-Year Journey by Alex Thurow on November the 24th, 2026.
The Talk
Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development - Observations From a 22-Year Journey (Alex Thurow)
“If someone is taking a journey, he (or she) can tell a story. Therefore I would take my staff and hat and would choose to travel.” (Matthias Claudius, 1740-1815)
The present talk was designed with exactly this, 1000-times heard (and slightly updated), German proverb in the back of the mind. It summarizes the gist of 20+ years in the software development business and outlines what the presenter identified as relevant for a productive and thriving survival out there in “the wild”. The talk covers:
- Characteristics of software development (aka “the complex environment”)
- What is experience and how do you gain it? (aka “the Dreyfus learning model”)
- Cognitive biases and factors of influence related to the software development process
- The gist of software development: “Precision, guess work, unreliable data and questionable knowledge”
- Observations on humans that code and Hype Driven Development (including the current hype of AI)
- (Almost) Eternal & current challenges of software development
- Technology & tools
So, have you ever been wondering why we, as a whole community of experts, so often struggle to tame the beast called software development? The “Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development” talk presents some possible answers to the question why our ongoing fight is - and will very likely remain - a tough one.
Spoiler: Most of the time it is not about what your stakeholders, or you as someone who is directly involved, think it is…
More details and the talk’s sources can be found at onmoderndev.de.
The Speaker
During the last twenty-two years Alexander Thurow (onmoderndev.de) worked at different German software providers and as an independent consultant. Currently he is a freelance consultant and speaker specialized in software development culture topics.
Born in Hamburg in 1975, currently located at Lake Constance. Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Inform. (FH), 2005 at the Leuphana Lüneburg and the University of Sydney. He has held different positions: software developer, consultant, technical trainer, lecturer and speaker.
Main areas of interest: Clean Code, Refactoring, Technical Debt, knowledge transfer and mentoring, technological disruption, books (“in- and outside of the box”, see onmoderndev.de/en/reading), current affairs.
The Location
The Program
Afterwards, there will be time for networking and a chat.
The Registration
We would appreciate it if you could pre-register for the event via the JUG Berlin-Brandenburg Meetup Group, but registration is not mandatory. We look forward to seeing everyone.