Software Engineering Principles

We work in multi-disciplinary, cross-functional, and empowered technology teams. This sometimes means we follow slightly different approaches to delivering value day-to-day. This is great, but as software engineers it's important to have fundamental principles that we can all look to when thinking about how we want to deliver software consistently.

Here are some guiding principles that have been developed by software engineers:

Write simple, high-quality code

It’s ultimately what we’re here to do.

Prioritise supporter value

Every line of code we write should be with value to the supporter at the forefront of our minds.

Embrace collective responsibility

We succeed, fail, and learn with our teams.

Mistakes are okay if you learn from them

We should be working in safe spaces, where mistakes are ways of learning.

Seek to improve by trying new things

There will always be a better way of improving your coding ability.

Challenge your peers, and prepare to be challenged

We learn from each other when we challenge each other with good intent.

Following these principles isn't mandatory, and most teams are following some or all already. But they should be broad enough to fit into any team without disruption.