The Developer Experience Research Project examines 29 factors that shape how engineers work, collaborate, and deliver value. Grounded in hundreds of interviews with engineering leaders, it distills this breadth of evidence into five key dimensions of developer experience that drive technical excellence and business outcomes.
Authors: Anita Zbieg, PhD, and Blazej Zak, PhD
This interactive guide is designed for engineering managers, tech leads, and development leaders who want to create environments where their teams can thrive. Each section provides evidence-based insights and practical approaches to measuring and improving specific aspects of developer experience.
The research is organized into five major sections that align with the Network Perspective DevEx Survey framework: Processes and Tools and Work Environment. Each section contains detailed exploration of key dimensions that impact developer productivity and satisfaction.
Effective planning and clarity form the bedrock of successful software development. This chapter explores how clear direction, well-defined specifications, appropriate task sizing, stable priorities, and realistic timelines create environments where developers can work with purpose and autonomy.
Our research shows that teams scoring highly on planning and clarity consistently outperform their peers in both delivery metrics and developer satisfaction.
"What's frequently absent is a clear understanding of why we're doing something and what our purpose is. Without that distant guiding flag, we risk simply manipulating metrics to look good while making no real progress."
Head of Engineering, Digital Banking Platform
Key topics include: - Direction and Goal Clarity - Specification Quality - Task Batching Strategies - Priority Management - Realistic Timelines
Code quality stands at the intersection of engineering excellence and developer experience. This chapter explores five critical dimensions of code quality that emerged consistently in our research with engineering leaders across various organizations.
The research reveals how well-structured codebases, effective code reviews, efficient build pipelines, streamlined releases, and proactive technical debt management create environments where developers can work efficiently and with satisfaction.
“We can often feel and sense quality differences when working in different parts of the codebase. It's about how you visualize your modules and architecture to identify areas of varying quality. This visualization helps correlate where problems typically emerge, allowing us to target improvements in measurable source code quality or address design deficiencies in those specific areas."
Head of Engineering, Pipeline Management Platform
Key topics include: - Codebase Structure and Readability - Code Review Practices - Build Pipeline Efficiency - Release Ease and Frequency - Technical Debt Management
Testing and reliability practices directly impact both system stability and developer confidence. This chapter examines how effective testing strategies, reliable CI/CD pipelines, and robust monitoring create environments where teams can move quickly with confidence.
The research reveals specific patterns and practices that leading organizations use to balance quality and velocity while maintaining developer trust in their systems.
"Our developers consistently say they can accept a process that takes thirty minutes, provided it always takes exactly thirty minutes. This predictability allows them to plan their work efficiently before and after the process, rather than anxiously waiting and wondering if something will complete successfully or fail."
Head of Engineering, Financial Solutions Platforms
Key topics include: - Test Quality and Coverage - Testing Efficiency and Reliability - Compliance Validation - CI/CD Pipeline Performance - Monitoring and Alerting
Effective collaboration is the foundation upon which successful software development is built. This chapter examines how teams communicate, coordinate, and align their efforts to directly impact both delivery outcomes and developer satisfaction.
The research explores four distinct dimensions of collaboration, each capturing a critical aspect of how engineering teams work together to create value.
“We implemented a structured approach with designated 'focus time' blocks reserved on all team members' calendars alongside an 'interruptible engineer' rotation system. The results were remarkable—our productivity metrics showed significant improvement within just a few weeks, and our developers consistently reported reduced stress levels and greater satisfaction."
Head of Engineering, Observability Platform
Key topics include: - Intra-team Collaboration - Cross-team Collaboration - Meeting Effectiveness - User Feedback Utilization
This section explores the day-to-day work experience of software developers — the activities, practices, and environments that shape how developers spend their time and the quality of their work life.
The research evaluates ten key dimensions of work experience, each representing an important aspect of developer worklife. By addressing these areas holistically, organizations can create environments where developers thrive professionally while delivering exceptional results.
“When we asked developers how many hours they waste each week troubleshooting their dev environment, we were shocked to learn it was about 2.5 hours. Multiply that by 300 engineers, and you get a significant number of wasted hours every month.”
Head of Engineering, CRM Platform
Key topics include: - Coding Flow - Deep Work Time - Context Switching Management - Learning Culture - Experimentation Opportunities - On-call Practices - Developer Productivity - Developer Satisfaction - Developer Empowerment - Documentation Effectiveness
This research is designed to be both informative and actionable. As you explore each section, you'll find:
Evidence-based insights drawn from interviews with hundreds of engineering leaders
Practical frameworks for measuring and improving specific aspects of developer experience
Real-tech examples of how tech organizations have successfully addressed common challenges
Actionable recommendations you can apply within your own organization
For a comprehensive assessment of your organization’s developer experience, use the Network Perspective DevEx Survey AI which aims to minimize blockers dev teams face day-to-day and aligns directly with the dimensions explored in this research, and Network Perspective WorkSmart AI which aims to maximize deep work and aligns with meeting and context switching overload and collaboration paths.
Whether you’re addressing specific pain points or building a holistic developer experience strategy, this research provides the evidence and guidance to drive stronger teams and better business results.
Clear goals and measures are the bedrock of software success, giving teams purpose, autonomy, and satisfaction.
High-quality code is more than a technical ideal—it’s a strategic driver of productivity, business outcomes, and talent retention.
Reliable testing, monitoring, and pipelines free developers from firefighting, enabling focus on innovation and delivery.
In complex, distributed environments, how teams communicate, coordinate, and align multiplies delivery outcomes.
The practices and environments shaping daily work define whether teams feel fulfilled and deliver lasting results.
You’re already investing in tools, processes, and people. But without visibility into what slows teams down, you’re flying blind. Our developer experience insights help you cut delays, fix what’s broken, and unlock team speed—without the guesswork. Start small. Scale fast. See results in weeks.
I’ve been working in the Workplace Analytics field for more than 10 years. I’ve completed a Ph.D. in economics and psychology, applying ONA (Organizational Network Analysis) in organizational design.
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I’m a Passionate People and Organization Development and Future of Work Practitioner with over 15 years of experience in senior ad executive people management functions.
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I’m working experienced senior full-stack developer working with people and applying research to business. PhD on applied AI, MSc in Computer Science, and MA in Psychology.
What I like most in Network Perspective? We put a lot of conceptual and technological effort in applying ethics and protecting privacy while handling with big data which makes our work challenging and meaningful.Let’s meet on LinkedIn →
I have over 19 years of experience in consulting sales of products and services related to employee development, talent acquisition, learning and development, and transition management.
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