https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/Recent content in Writing on RJJ Software LtdHugoen-gbhttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/just-throw-ai-at-it-is-not-a-strategy/Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/just-throw-ai-at-it-is-not-a-strategy/The same CV scored 66 to 99 across a hundred runs of an AI screener. Why ‘just throw AI at it’ fails, and where a human still belongs.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-willingness-to-have-your-mind-changed-listening-lessons-for-tech-leaders/Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-willingness-to-have-your-mind-changed-listening-lessons-for-tech-leaders/Ten lessons from Oscar Trimboli’s How to Listen on why listening is one of the most overlooked skills in technical leadership.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-author-to-editor-in-chief-the-shift-thats-already-here/Fri, 03 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-author-to-editor-in-chief-the-shift-thats-already-here/Aneesh Raman’s Three Buckets framework maps onto the author-to-editor shift in software. When the wider world starts describing the same change, it is worth paying attention.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-secret-language-of-great-leadership-lessons-from-supercommunicators-for-tech-leaders/Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-secret-language-of-great-leadership-lessons-from-supercommunicators-for-tech-leaders/Ten lessons from Charles Duhigg’s Supercommunicators on why the skills of exceptional communicators are the same skills that make exceptional tech leaders.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/building-psychological-safety-in-your-development-team/Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/building-psychological-safety-in-your-development-team/Blameless culture, modelling vulnerability, and structured one-to-ones: practical strategies for building and rebuilding psychological safety in development teams.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/start-with-why-the-one-thing-ai-cant-generate/Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/start-with-why-the-one-thing-ai-cant-generate/Purpose-driven engineering. Lessons from Simon Sinek on why the WHY has never mattered more than in the age of AI.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-your-ai-chatbot-becomes-someone-elses-free-compute-the-pepper-lesson/Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-your-ai-chatbot-becomes-someone-elses-free-compute-the-pepper-lesson/Pepper patched the loophole. The Denial of Wallet pattern is now loose. What it means for anyone shipping a public-facing AI chatbot.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/stop-chasing-the-ai-moonshot-the-case-for-small-deliberate-wins/Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/stop-chasing-the-ai-moonshot-the-case-for-small-deliberate-wins/Why incremental AI adoption beats the big-bang strategy, with three worked client examples and a 75% delivery uplift case study.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/rest-why-stepping-away-from-the-screen-is-part-of-the-work/Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/rest-why-stepping-away-from-the-screen-is-part-of-the-work/Rest is not a failure state. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang makes the case, backed by neuroscience and history, that rest is work’s partner. Lessons for developers and the leaders who manage them.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-skill-nobody-taught-you-emotional-intelligence-for-tech-team-leaders/Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-skill-nobody-taught-you-emotional-intelligence-for-tech-team-leaders/EI is a professional skill, not a personality trait. A practical guide for tech leaders.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/thinking-in-systems-why-the-job-was-never-the-typing/Fri, 15 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/thinking-in-systems-why-the-job-was-never-the-typing/Systems thinking for software engineers. Lessons from Donella Meadows on why the job was never the typing.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/your-teams-silence-is-telling-you-something-psychological-safety-in-development-teams/Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/your-teams-silence-is-telling-you-something-psychological-safety-in-development-teams/Warning signs of low psychological safety in dev teams and why leaders must examine their own behaviour first.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/fundamentals-of-software-architecture-lessons-for-modern-tech-teams/Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/fundamentals-of-software-architecture-lessons-for-modern-tech-teams/Key lessons from Fundamentals of Software Architecture for tech leaders navigating trade-offs and uncertainty.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/mechanical-sympathy-the-case-for-giving-engineers-time-to-optimise/Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/mechanical-sympathy-the-case-for-giving-engineers-time-to-optimise/Optimisation doesn’t have a ticket or a stakeholder. That’s the problem. Here’s the business case for changing it.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-checklist-manifesto-lessons-in-managing-complexity-for-modern-tech-teams/Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-checklist-manifesto-lessons-in-managing-complexity-for-modern-tech-teams/Manage complexity with confidence. Key lessons from The Checklist Manifesto for tech leaders and developershttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-practical-steps-for-change/Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-practical-steps-for-change/The final part of our series on management overhead in software teams. We provide a practical roadmap for addressing excessive management overhead, restructuring teams for autonomy, and implementing change that improves delivery capability.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/kill-it-with-fire-lessons-from-legacy-systems-for-modern-leaders/Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/kill-it-with-fire-lessons-from-legacy-systems-for-modern-leaders/Navigate legacy systems with confidence. Explore vital lessons from "Kill It With Fire" for leaders. Prioritize people, user needs & strategic modernisationhttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-finding-the-right-balance/Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-finding-the-right-balance/Part 2 of our series on management overhead in software teams. We explore what healthy team structures look like, when you genuinely need more management presence, and provide a practical framework for assessing your organisation’s current state.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/securing-your-legacy-and-future-in-software-development-more-lessons-from-alice--bob-learn-secure-coding/Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/securing-your-legacy-and-future-in-software-development-more-lessons-from-alice--bob-learn-secure-coding/Explore more essential security principles for software development by drawing wisdom from Tanya Janca’s book, ‘Alice & Bob Learn Secure Coding.’ This post emphasises that software security isn’t an afterthought but a core component of the development lifecycle. Key takeaways include prioritising security from the start, investing in developer security training, proactively addressing legacy application vulnerabilities, maintaining security post-release, fostering a culture of lifelong learning, and promoting knowledge sharing within teams. Implementing these strategies significantly reduces vulnerabilities, improves software quality, and protects against costly breaches. Building a secure software development process requires a holistic approach. By integrating security into every stage, from planning to deployment and ongoing maintenance, organisations can create more resilient and trustworthy applications. This post provides actionable insights for leaders and teams seeking to strengthen their security posture.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-why-your-software-team-might-be-manager-heavy/Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/too-many-waiters-not-enough-cooks-why-your-software-team-might-be-manager-heavy/The first in a three-part series exploring management-heavy software teams. We examine the pattern, its hidden costs, and why smart organisations struggle with the balance between technical implementers and decision makers.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/building-a-secure-foundation-lessons-from-alice-and-bob-learn-secure-coding-for-modern-tech-teams/Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/building-a-secure-foundation-lessons-from-alice-and-bob-learn-secure-coding-for-modern-tech-teams/This post explores crucial application security principles from Tanya Janca’s ‘Alice & Bob Learn Secure Coding.’’ We cover topics like secure defaults, prioritizing security investments, user-friendly security, technical debt management, backend validation, and the power of focused security learning. Learn how to build a resilient application security strategy and protect your usershttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-ai-amplification-paradox-part-2/Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-ai-amplification-paradox-part-2/AI tools aren’t going away, nor should they. But how do we ensure they enhance rather than replace understanding? This post explores practical strategies for CTOs, technical leads, and engineering teams to harness AI responsibly whilst building stronger engineers.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/level-up-your-leadership-key-insights-from-emotional-intelligence-habits-for-the-modern-tech-workplace/Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/level-up-your-leadership-key-insights-from-emotional-intelligence-habits-for-the-modern-tech-workplace/Discover how Travis Bradberry’s ‘Emotional Intelligence Habits’ offers valuable lessons for tech leaders. Explore key quotes on good enough, controlling reactions, cultivating self-acceptance, and practising gratitude. Learn how to foster a more supportive and innovative workplace.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-ai-amplification-paradox-part-1/Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-ai-amplification-paradox-part-1/Generative AI can amplify great engineers, but what happens when it amplifies engineers who lack the foundational understanding to verify what they’re shipping? We explore the rise of AI slop in software development and what it means for code quality.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/finding-strength-in-vulnerability-lessons-for-tech-leaders-from-rising-strong/Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/finding-strength-in-vulnerability-lessons-for-tech-leaders-from-rising-strong/Discover how Brené Brown’s "Rising Strong" offers valuable lessons for tech leaders. Explore key quotes on resilience, vulnerability, team dynamics, and building thriving technology teams. Learn how to foster a more supportive and innovative workplace.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-engineer-title-when-software-teams-arent-actually-engineering/Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-engineer-title-when-software-teams-arent-actually-engineering/A thought-provoking examination of the misuse of the ‘software engineer’ title in the industry.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/leading-with-empathy-lessons-from-leaders-eat-last-for-the-modern-workplace/Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/leading-with-empathy-lessons-from-leaders-eat-last-for-the-modern-workplace/Learn how to build a resilient & high-performing tech team with empathy. Key takeaways from ‘Leaders Eat Last’ on fostering psychological safety, trust, and a supportive work environment.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/stop-treating-pentests-like-final-exams-why-security-cant-be-your-last-step/Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/stop-treating-pentests-like-final-exams-why-security-cant-be-your-last-step/Scheduling a pentest right before release is like studying the night before finals. Here’s how to build security into your SDLC and make pentests confirmations, not revelations.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/leading-with-heart-and-mind-lessons-from-dare-to-lead-for-the-modern-workplace/Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/leading-with-heart-and-mind-lessons-from-dare-to-lead-for-the-modern-workplace/Discover how Brené Brown’s "Dare to Lead" can empower technology leaders to build stronger, more resilient teams. Learn key leadership principles like empathy, vulnerability, and connection for a more engaged and innovative workplacehttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-strength-to-strength-2025-wrapped/Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-strength-to-strength-2025-wrapped/As we close out 2025, we’re reflecting on a year that exceeded our expectations. From international trade missions and three prestigious awards to surpassing 1.6 million downloads of OwaspHeaders.Core and The Modern .NET Show reaching 1.25 million downloads, this year has been one of remarkable growth. We’ve worked with clients across seven industries, published 48 blog posts, and continued our commitment to the developer community. Join us as we look back on what made 2025 such a special year for RJJ Software.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-agile-isnt-agile-how-dora-metrics-reveal-whats-really-broken/Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-agile-isnt-agile-how-dora-metrics-reveal-whats-really-broken/Your Agile process has all the ceremonies but delivery still hurts. Learn how DORA metrics expose what’s really broken and provide data-driven fixeshttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/playing-the-infinite-game-a-new-approach-to-technology-leadership/Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/playing-the-infinite-game-a-new-approach-to-technology-leadership/A CPD review of Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game, focused on what changes for technology leaders when the game has no finish line.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/excluding-auto-generated-code-from-net-10-coverage-reports/Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/excluding-auto-generated-code-from-net-10-coverage-reports/Learn how to configure Coverlet to exclude .NET 10’s auto-generated code from code coverage reports in Azure DevOps, preventing false negatives and unnecessary test work items.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/attestations-the-missing-link-between-your-code-and-production-trust/Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/attestations-the-missing-link-between-your-code-and-production-trust/SBOMs tell you what’s in your software. Attestations prove it hasn’t been tampered with. Learn why enterprise developers can’t ignore this critical security practice.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-5-practical-wisdom-for-the-modern-developer/Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-5-practical-wisdom-for-the-modern-developer/Practical software development advice from ‘The Rules of Programming’ by Chris Zimmerman. Learn about code readability, effective commenting, and team well-being to improve developer productivity and project success.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/cve-2025-55315-understanding-funky-chunks-and-why-your-organisation-needs-to-act-now/Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/cve-2025-55315-understanding-funky-chunks-and-why-your-organisation-needs-to-act-now/A critical HTTP request smuggling vulnerability affecting web frameworks globally requires immediate attention from decision makers. With a CVSS score of 9.9, CVE-2025-55315 exploits fundamental features of HTTP/1.1 to bypass security controls, potentially enabling privilege escalation, data theft, and unauthorised access to protected resources.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-trust-us-to-look-at-this-building-engineering-dashboards-that-boards-actually-understand/Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/from-trust-us-to-look-at-this-building-engineering-dashboards-that-boards-actually-understand/Your Agile process is working beautifully, but the board keeps asking ‘How do we know?’ Here’s how to build dashboards that translate engineering excellence into executive confidence.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-4-finding-simplicity-in-complexity/Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-4-finding-simplicity-in-complexity/Learn key principles from "The Rules of Programming" to improve software development, team productivity, and code maintainability. Discover how simplicity, consistency, and shared understanding lead to better outcomes.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/communities-of-practice-your-secret-weapon-for-breaking-silos-and-accelerating-learning/Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/communities-of-practice-your-secret-weapon-for-breaking-silos-and-accelerating-learning/How a simple Wednesday lunch meeting transformed siloed teams into collaborative problem-solvers and turned ’that’s not possible’ into ‘we shipped it last week.’https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-3-the-enduring-wisdom/Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-3-the-enduring-wisdom/Unlock better software development practices! Explore key principles from ‘The Rules of Programming’ to improve code quality, developer experience, and build more robust systems. Learn how to apply these timeless insights to your teamhttps://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-upgrade-and-pray-cost-my-client-140-engineering-days-and-how-to-avoid-it/Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-upgrade-and-pray-cost-my-client-140-engineering-days-and-how-to-avoid-it/A systematic approach to framework upgrades that prevents months of rework and actually improves Developer Experience.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-your-stable-software-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-your-stable-software-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/The car maintenance guide to software updates: Why ignoring that blinking dashboard light will leave you stranded at the worst possible moment.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-2-beyond-the-buzzwords-more-practical-wisdom-for-the-modern-workplace/Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-2-beyond-the-buzzwords-more-practical-wisdom-for-the-modern-workplace/Learn key principles from ‘The Rules of Programming’ to build better software. This post explores problem-focused development, avoiding premature generalization & prioritizing simplicity for modern tech teams. Strategic technology consulting insights.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-your-team-thinks-theyre-done-learning/Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/when-your-team-thinks-theyre-done-learning/Your developers have stopped learning. Not because they can’t, but because they won’t. Here’s how to reignite their curiosity without becoming the ‘mandatory training’ villain.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-1/Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/the-rules-of-programming-1/Learn how to apply the principles of simplicity and clarity from ‘The Rules of Programming’ to improve your team’s efficiency and build more robust software. Insights for team leaders and technology decision-makers.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/get-back-to-the-office-before-youre-forced-a-developers-guide-to-strategic-rto/Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/get-back-to-the-office-before-youre-forced-a-developers-guide-to-strategic-rto/Why smart development teams should embrace hybrid working voluntarily, and how to do it right.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/embracing-failure-a-key-to-success-in-the-modern-workplace/Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/embracing-failure-a-key-to-success-in-the-modern-workplace/A CPD review of Amy C. Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong, focused on what changes when engineering teams stop treating failure as a person to find and start treating it as a system to understand.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-blocking-developer-learning-is-your-most-expensive-technical-decision/Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/why-blocking-developer-learning-is-your-most-expensive-technical-decision/That conference you just denied? It might have prevented your next production outage. Here’s why the ROI on developer learning isn’t just positive. It’s exponential.https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/designing-for-the-modern-workplace-lessons-from-a-philosophy-of-software-design/Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/continual-professional-development/designing-for-the-modern-workplace-lessons-from-a-philosophy-of-software-design/Learn key software design principles from ‘A Philosophy of Software Design.’ Discover how to build maintainable, scalable, and robust code through intentional design, abstraction, and refactoring. Improve your software development process today!https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-hidden-cost-of-poor-developer-experience/Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000https://rjj-software.co.uk/blog/the-hidden-cost-of-poor-developer-experience/Your £100k developers are operating at 20% capacity. Here’s how poor Developer Experience is costing SMEs millions, and how to fix it.