Session Details
From Lagging to Leading: Turning Developer Pain Into Early Signals
Modern organizations often rely on surveys to understand developer pain, but by the time the results come in, it can be too late. In this talk, I’ll describe a new metric called “Bad Developer Days” that uses a telemetry-based approach to measure developer pain points, in real-time. Grounded in objective data and predictive modeling, this method can help organizations shift from lagging feedback to real-time insights and actions. Within Microsoft, Bad Developer Days is as predictive of developer frustration as our surveys are, but unlike our surveys, we can measure every developer every day and pinpoint exact causes of pain in their developer experiences.
meet the speaker
Brian Houck
Brian Houck is an Applied Scientist at Microsoft who specializes in increasing the well-being and productivity of internal engineering teams. His mission goes beyond metrics; it’s about humanizing the workplace. Through his research into tooling, processes, and cultural dynamics, Brian has successfully implemented strategies that not only boost efficiency but also foster a collaborative and satisfying work environment.
Brian takes a human-centered approach, focusing on improving the day-to-day experiences for developers. This philosophy has led to multiple company-wide initiatives and policies that have measurably enhanced team dynamics and productivity. His passion lies in exploring innovative ways to improve our work culture, ensuring that every individual feels valued, motivated, and productive.
