Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps
Author: Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble & Gene Kim Year: 2018 Genre: DevOps
About This Book
Accelerate distils years of rigorous research into what actually drives high software delivery performance and better organisational outcomes. It identifies the key metrics that matter and the technical and cultural practices that predictably improve them.
Key Insights
- Four key metrics: Deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change fail rate, and mean time to recovery quantify delivery performance.
- Technical practices that move the needle: Continuous integration/delivery, trunk‑based development, test automation, small batches, and versioning everything.
- Architect for autonomy: Loosely coupled systems and teams reduce coordination cost and increase throughput.
- Culture matters: Generative (high‑trust, learning) cultures outperform. Psychological safety and blameless post‑mortems enable improvement.
- Lean product flow: Limit WIP, shorten feedback loops, and use value stream thinking to remove bottlenecks.
- Use cloud like cloud: On‑demand self‑service platforms (internal or public) correlate with better outcomes when used with essential characteristics.
- Evidence over folklore: The results are statistically grounded, separating correlation from spurious claims.
Why I Recommend It
It’s the most evidence‑based guide to improving software delivery I know. The research gives leaders and engineers a shared language (the four metrics) and a practical playbook for better speed, stability, and business results.
If you’re modernising delivery, this book will help you focus on behaviours and architectures that demonstrably work.
Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations
Author: Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble & Gene Kim Year: 2018 Genre: Software Architecture
About This Book
Accelerate presents research-backed insights on building high-performing technology organizations through DevOps and lean practices. Based on years of research and data from thousands of organizations, the book identifies the key capabilities that drive software delivery performance and organizational outcomes.
The authors present the Four Key Metrics that matter most: Lead Time, Deployment Frequency, Mean Time to Recovery, and Change Failure Rate. They show how these metrics correlate with organizational performance and provide actionable guidance for improvement.
Key Topics Covered
- The Four Key Metrics: Lead Time, Deployment Frequency, Mean Time to Recovery, Change Failure Rate
- Technical Practices: Continuous integration, continuous delivery, trunk-based development
- Architecture: Loose coupling, high cohesion, and architectural decision-making
- Lean Management: Focus on flow, feedback, and continuous improvement
- Culture and Leadership: Psychological safety, generative culture, and supportive leadership
- Measurement and Monitoring: Using data to drive improvement and decision-making
Why I Recommend It
This book provides empirical evidence for what many practitioners have observed intuitively. The research-based approach gives credibility to DevOps practices and provides clear guidance on what actually works in building high-performing technology organizations.
The focus on both technical and cultural factors makes it valuable for both engineers and leaders. The emphasis on measurement and continuous improvement aligns perfectly with modern software development practices.
Key Highlights
- Research-Based: Grounded in years of empirical research and data
- Practical Guidance: Clear, actionable recommendations for improvement
- Holistic View: Covers technical, cultural, and organizational factors
- Performance Focus: Clear metrics and outcomes to measure success
- Scalability: Principles that work across organizations of different sizes
Who Should Read This
- Engineering leaders and managers
- DevOps practitioners and platform engineers
- Software architects and technical leads
- Executives overseeing technology organizations
- Anyone interested in building high-performing teams
“Accelerate provides the scientific foundation for understanding what makes technology organizations successful.” - Industry Review