Beat Developer Burnout: How the Right Platform Makes a Difference

The frantic pace of digitization in the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) creates steep learning curves for embedded software engineers. Building, integrating, and updating industrial software applications without compromising safety, security and performance can feel like working under pressure on constantly shifting sands. It can be demotivating and challenging for even the most experienced professional, impacting innovation and creativity, and burnout is a very present issue estimated to affect four in five software developers.

Even the term “developer friction,” meaning difficulties in the software creation process, suggests vexation from endless hurdles. Time is a constant pressure to stay ahead of the curve and keep software relevant to end users who want to advance with the benefits of the latest technologies. Any part of the software development process that hinders creating and integrating code adds cost, delays and complexity.

Choosing a software development platform that supports even the most complex embedded applications’ performance, safety and security needs can reduce barriers without compromising project quality and complexity.

Here are six ways I see using the right platform reduces developer friction:

1. Never Compromise on Throughput Performance

Throughput performance is the heartbeat of software applications, so don’t compromise on the capability criteria of a preferred software development platform.

Empowering mission-critical applications to thrive in any environment requires high overall OS throughput and near-linear scalability with increased cores. Compromise only kicks the can down the road, and settling for less will mean issues with system capability, speed and reliability from this point onwards. Ultimately, this brings sub-optimal results and increases stress and pressure on the team.

2. Plan to Go Big (Not Go Home)

Best practice software design should always be built for growth. However, scalability can easily be hindered by the limitations of the software development platform, whether curbing expansion or compromising safety and security for progress.

Better development starts with a platform that accommodates seamless scalability, which will serve as a foundation for future innovations and opportunities. Your future self will thank you for it!

3. Know When Compromise Is Not OK

Time and precision-sensitive applications where reliability is necessary, not optional — such as surgical and production robotics — add extra pressure to software designers. Complex real-time systems built on a microkernel platform that divides core functionality across separate spaces provide a more stable environment with absolute reliability and no scope for latency or jitter. In contrast, if you build on a monolithic microkernel, however good the software is — if the system goes down, it all goes down.

While Linux is a popular OS, it is built on a monolithic core, which makes it difficult to set up real-time, complex, software-driven systems for success. In robotics and industrial automation, for example, choosing a microkernel OS relieves some of the pressure and supports software designers in advancing real-time solutions with confidence, predictability and control.

4. State-of-the-Art Tooling

Time pressure significantly contributes to stress and burnout for software developers and teams. Removing needles from the haystack is tiresome work, and dated toolkits can mean more rework and delays. Choosing the right developer tools can accelerate time to market, identify and resolve bugs, optimize development workflows, and enhance the integrated development environment (IDE) overall. So, take time to investigate and find state-of-the-art tooling designed to help modern developers push the boundaries of innovation.

5. Design for the Future, Today

Feeling anxious about tomorrow’s challenges? Architecting systems with the future in mind means being confident that you have a solid foundation for safety and security now and ensuring systems remain relevant and robust in the long term.

With today’s pace of change, if you plan to adapt your software for future needs, you’ll do it tomorrow. And the next day. And the next! The better alternative is to design with future needs, safety, security and innovation built in today, as well as a platform with the stability to carry innovation into the future. Collaboration in the cloud can help share workloads, use the best skills (wherever they are), and increase efficiencies to alleviate pressure.

6. Skills Development Is an Industry Responsibility

The best platform technology is designed to evolve and educate, helping the software developer community to keep pace with the world around it and offering seamless support regardless of complexity.

Explore the education and support your choice of software development platform provider provides to gauge its commitment to the industry. Choose to work with those who invest in progressing industry talent, research and education, minimizing integration hurdles and empowering innovation every step of the way.

The tech industry is prone to burnout due to high-pressure environments. As demand for precision software to power robotics, vehicles, industrial and medical environments grows, expect pressure and pace to rise, exacerbating the high workloads and inefficient processes that are already major contributors to stress and burnout.

Choosing the right software development platform gives a firm foundation for getting it right the first time. That means developing with the future in mind and setting up for success, reducing the stress and pressure of the work.