Momentum in Software Development

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso

Riding a bike

Everyone knows that to ride a bike, you have to start pedaling. It might feel tough at first, but once you're moving, it gets easier to keep going. As you build momentum, you have options: you can coast, pedal harder to go faster, or brake to slow down or stop.

In software development, momentum works much the same way—you have to start moving to make progress. Once your team gains traction, it becomes easier to maintain that pace. But if things slow down, motivation, engagement, and momentum tend to fade with it.

What kills momentum?

One thing to keep an eye on is overall team momentum. Once this slows, you should ask yourself–why?

The following are the most common ways to kill momentum from my experience:

• Lack of clear vision
• Lack of buy-in/engagement
• Switching priorities too often

All of these can be symptoms of a larger problem, but you need to make sure you have alignment on all of these before you can make progress.

Drive your team towards alignment as much as you can. I still do not believe that you can move forward without it.