Quality can be improved over time, and while it’s difficult to change perception, it’s still possible. But poor security can sink your ship before it even leaves the dock. Invest in the security of your application and be sure to spread that responsibility to multiple levels of your software team.

When you see a coworker who’s stuck or upset, it’s natural to ask, “What can I do to help?" But this can be the wrong thing to do because the question, though well-intended, is too vague. It puts the burden on someone who is already stressed to identify the possible ways you might help. Here's what you can do instead.

Pair programming generally involves two programmers working on a single change from start to finish. You can augment this pattern by adding a test specialist, so you can test-drive feature changes first and the tester can ask questions and guide test and code design. What you get is quality built in from the start.