Lived Experience of
Software Engineering.
An independent research group studying the human experience of making software.
We study how it feels to make software — how developers think, collaborate, struggle, and thrive. Our methods are qualitative: interviews, observation, grounded theory, careful interpretation. We care about questions that don't have numerical answers.
What we study
- Writing and understanding code.
- Collaboration: code review, Slack, meetings, pull requests.
- Motivation, frustration, and flow.
- Team dynamics and coordination.
- When software work goes well — and when it doesn't.
Why it matters
Software is deeply human work. Better understanding of how it actually gets done — the conversations, the judgment calls, the small moments of craft — leads to better tools, healthier teams, and software that holds up. Most existing research misses this lived experience entirely.
Take part
We're always looking for software professionals willing to share their experiences. Most studies involve a single 45–60 minute remote interview. Participation is voluntary and confidential.
Who we are
Dr. Sarah Köksal — Senior UX Researcher at HERO Software. PhD in Cultural Anthropology, LMU Munich.
Dr. Leif Singer — Senior Engineering Manager at Ghost. PhD on persuasive interventions for software engineering practices, Leibniz Universität Hannover.
Get in touch
We're glad to hear from researchers, practitioners, and anyone curious about the work. Write to hello@leselab.org.