Agile, Scrum, Tech-debt—how did these ideas, meant to help, become your daily headache?

“Software can’t be that hard,” you thought. You’ll learn as you go, apply yourself, and figure it out. After all, you’re smart, capable, and resourceful.

Except… software has a way of humbling even the brightest minds.

Software engineering isn’t just a skill; it’s an accumulation of hard-earned experience.

Engineers have a term for this: “scars.”

And the truth is, getting those scars takes years of trial, error, and a lot of sleepless nights.

Software is still transitioning from art to science. It’s not something you can fix with a simple checklist like, “Just follow these steps, and you’ll be fine.”

That’s when companies hit roadblocks.

They look at what industry giants like Google or Amazon are doing and think, “We’ll just copy their systems.”

Here’s why this fails:

1. Software solutions are often unintuitive—and sometimes downright counterintuitive.
2. Misinformation is everywhere, muddying the waters with ideas that don’t work in practice.

Take specifications, for example.

When a project fails, the blame often lands on “unclear requirements.” So, the team vows to create a tighter specification next time. It sounds logical, right?

But here’s the kicker: humans are notoriously bad at specifying software. Time and again, we think we know what we want—but we don’t.

The team is left building something vague, trying to stick to flawed specifications while simultaneously “just getting it done.” The result?

A shaky foundation, endless delays, and a final product no one actually wants.

So, what’s the solution?

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Focus on doing the least work necessary—not out of laziness, but because small, thin slices of progress let you test, learn, and adapt quickly. Over time, these micro-adjustments guide you to your goal without wasting months (or years) on missteps.

Software development isn’t impossible. You just need the right framework and guidance to navigate its quirks and complexities.

In the same way you’d call a surgeon for an appendectomy, sometimes it’s best to call in an expert for your software woes.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗱?

I’ve outlined seven mental models to help you think differently about software challenges. Grab the free PDF or book a consultation if you’re ready to dive into your specifics.