How developers feel about tools: an investigation on software startup professionals experience with virtual kanban boards

Abstract

Virtual kanban board is a tool widely used by software teams. The board provides a rich source of information about the teams' work and the project work-in-progress. Software startups often work with small teams with few resources and under constant time pressure. In this fast-paced environment of startups, the virtual kanban boards are helpful to improve communication keeping the whole organization members informed about the workflow and the allocation of tasks. However, startup software professionals often have little experience, and consequently, they can have difficulties maximizing the benefits of the virtual kanban to manage their work. In this paper, we present an empirical study with software startup professionals in which we analyzed qualitative data using the developer experience framework. This framework allows us to find out how development-related professionals perceive the resources of the virtual kanban tools and feel and see the board's contribution to the activities of their daily work. Our results revealed that the participants agreed that the virtual kanban boards are essential to tracking ongoing software projects and performing their work. However, they reported difficulties handling the tools, which can cause the professionals frustration. Besides, our findings showed that the participants saw the kanban virtual boards as a stimulus for their autonomy in routine activities. As the main contribution, our work provides a set of startup-related recommendations that can help startup teams better use virtual kanban board resources and, consequently, impact the software professionals' experience.