Software is rife with contradictions. It aims to make our lives easier, but often makes it more complicated.
It turns out that how we build software is no different.
There are roles that shouldn’t exist, people who do things that they shouldn’t, executives who make regular missteps, and a workforce that holds all the power.
Having worked in the industry for thirty years, inspired by books such as ‘The Goal’ and ‘The Phoenix Project’, I wanted to lift the lid on the industry from a human perspective. Human Software is inspired by what I’ve observed while working for dozens of global corporations in the UK, the Netherlands, and beyond.
My name is Richard Bown. As a writer and engineer, I’ve contributed to the world of Open-Source Software since the mid-’90s. I’ve also worked as a technology journalist and continue contributing to the discussion about how we build more humane software engineering organisations. I regularly publish on my blog and I have an occasional podcast. I’m also active over on LinkedIn.
I also post on BlueSky and Mastodon.
Human Software is my debut novel and is scheduled for publication in 2025.
