Developers Can Learn a Thing or Two From Comedians
I recently discovered a pandemic era podcast by comedian and storyteller, Mike Birbiglia. You may know him from his Netflix specials or heard his stories on the radio show, This American Life. The podcast is called Working It Out.
The premise of the podcast is simple: Mike and his guest bring an unfinished joke or a draft story and work it out together on the podcast. So far, my favorite guests have been Ira Glass, John Mulaney, and David Sedaris.
A lot of work goes into creating that laugh out joke or that tear jerking story. Comedians and storytellers make it sound so effortless. Listening to the podcast, you can a peek at their work behind the scenes.
What do comedians have to do with software developers? Both are creative folks and the success of their craft depends on how they connect with their audience or users. I recognize several similarities in the actions to create a simple joke or story and what it takes to build a beautiful and easy to use product.
| Comedians | Developers |
|---|---|
| They rearrange the story for maximum effect. Land the punchline! Bring them to tears! Call to Action! | Start by clarifying the end goal: when done, what does success look like? Forget about the detailed requirements, what are the key acceptance criteria? What is the Job-to-be-Done (JTBD)? What is our punchline? |
| Comedians, no matter how famous, will test new work with a small audience. What works and what doesn’t work? | Unless you are Steve Jobs, developers build their best products while working early on with users and customers. Understand the use case better. Validate assumptions. |
| They write it down and share the drafts for feedback with their peers | They write the project charter and narrative of what they are embarking on. First of all, it will clarify their own thinking. Secondly, they get it reviewed. Capture the design and share it for feedback. |
| Comedians don’t overcomplicate the joke. They stick to one analogy. Don’t mix metaphors. Try one, adjust or throw it away if it doesn’t work | Great design limits exposing options. Try one approach and adjust if needed. Provide the user only with options when there is a high demand for them. |
| Storytellers ask themselves often Where do we go from here?. They keep an eye out on the bigger storyline. | Developers and architects need to understand the long term impact of product features and decisions. This is also true for development processes. |
Just as many teams have started improv classes at work, developers can learn a thing or two from the creative processes comedians and storytellers follow.