One of the principles behind the manifesto for Agile software development says:
Business people and developers must work
together daily throughout the project.
I don’t like this language. It sets up the distinction between “engineering” and “the business”, which is the least helpful language I frequently encounter when working in companies that make software. I probably visibly cringe when I hear “the business doesn’t understand” or “the business wants” or similar phrases, which make it clear that there are two competing teams involved in producing the software.
Neither team will win. “We” (usually the developers, and some/most others who report to the technology office) are trying to get through our backlogs, produce working software, and pay down technical debt. However “the business” get in the way with ridiculous requirements like responding to change, satisfying customers, working within budget, or demonstrating features to prospects.
While I’ve long pushed back on software people using the phrase “the business” (usually just by asking “oh, which business do you work for, then?”) I’ve never really had a replacement. Now I try to say “experts around the table”, leaving out the information about what expertise is required. This is more inclusive (we’re all experts, albeit in different fields, working together on our common goal), and more applicable (in research software engineering, there often is no “the business”). Importantly, it’s also more fluid, our self-organising team can identify lack of expertise in some area and bring in another expert.
