OPRETO BLOG

Designing the Problem

8 minute read

In engineering, we often solve problems by breaking them down. Decomposition gives us clarity, focus, and manageable subproblems we can assign to teams, tools, or even entire disciplines. But decomposition comes with a cost: when functional requirements are tightly coupled, splitting a problem into independent parts can make some solutions (often the best ones) unreachable. The structure of the problem becomes the structure of the solution space. And that structure, more often than not, reflects historical accident more than deliberate design. This post explores how decomposition shapes design, using principles from axiomatic design and systems engineering. We’ll see how the act of breaking a problem into parts can inadvertently encode coupling that no amount of downstream optimization can fix; and how reframing the problem, and embedding expertise more interactively, can unlock better solutions. Axioms Picture using a water faucet. There are two things you want to control: the ...

3+ Ways Greenhouses Will Save the World

Dylan Herbert

VP of People, Opreto

9 minute read

Greenhouses Will Save the World. Those working to advance their technology and drive down their costs are contributing to one of the most consequential and human-driven missions of our time: building a sustainable future for everyone. At Opreto, we want to help make greenhouses smarter, more productive, and less expensive to operate. As a software development agency, we have helped build automation for industrial manufacturers like Reko Automation Group and Proto Manufacturing, and supported a cultivation management platform in scaling its AI and autonomous robotics into the cloud. Now we are beginning our journey deeper into the agritech sector, where the manufacturing is biological rather than mechanical, and the systems themselves are alive, and we know we still have so much to learn. Let me take a moment to explain why greenhouses matter so deeply to us, and why I, Dylan from Opreto, care so much about contributing to this field. I love greenhouses. My father was a profession...

Moria and Rivendell

Aaron Mavrinac

VP of Operations, Opreto

3 minute read

As software continues to eat the world, modern software development is flourishing and evolving in a variety of domains: web and cloud applications, industrial automation, embedded systems, gaming and graphics, scientific and high-performance computing, enterprise systems. My company, Opreto, does most of its work across the first two of these domains, and thrives in their differences. To contrast the respective development methodologies and practices of web and cloud software and industrial software, I will compare them to Rivendell and the Mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings. Rivendell: The World of Modern Web Development Rivendell is a place of fluidity, wisdom, and continuous refinement. It is an open, evolving environment where ideas and knowledge flow freely. The Elves who reside there are deeply invested in the preservation of beauty and the ongoing pursuit of perfection, yet they are adaptable and forward-thinking. This reflects the nature of modern software developmen...

The Software Industry’s Insane Commitment to Terrible Tools

Alan P. Laudicina

President, Opreto

1 minute read

The software industry has a habit of clinging to outdated, bloated tools long past their expiration date. Let’s talk about one. Jira is a universal experience in tech. We all use it, and we all hate it. Every year, despite minimal improvements, it gets slower and more expensive. It’s the perfect example of legacy software: entrenched, bloated, and coasting on inertia. Nobody picks Jira because it’s great. They prefer it because it’s the default. Safe. Unquestioned. The “nobody ever got fired for buying IBM” of project management. Sticking with Jira is an active choice to tolerate inefficiency. Want to create a simple ticket? Wait 45 seconds for the UI to load. Need to customize a workflow? Prepare for a labyrinth of confusing menus and buried settings. Need extra functionality? There’s probably a plugin. Pay up. Atlassian doesn’t improve Jira because it doesn’t need to. It’s embedded in enough organizations that they can keep ratcheting up the prices, confident that no one will ...

Agile Software Architects are Torchbearers

Dylan Herbert

VP of People, Opreto

2 minute read

Our clients are heroes, forging ahead with courage and determination to shape a better world. Each one carries a unique mission, a sword in hand and a burning quest in their heart, driving them to rescue the metaphorical royal captive, save the kingdom, or defeat the dragons that stand in their way. We are their guide and light the way. True heroes tread where others fear to go. They venture into the unknown, navigating paths that are dimly lit or shrouded in complete darkness. The stakes are high, and the obstacles are daunting, but the greatest achievements are born from the boldness to confront the uncertain. On this journey, heroes cannot travel alone. Even the most valiant knight needs a steady guide, someone who can illuminate the unseen and make the impossible tangible. This is where Opreto comes in. An Agile Software Architect is the torchbearer: a trusted companion who provides clarity, direction, and flexibility when the way forward is unclear. Like a hero’s best compan...

Copywrong.

Aaron Mavrinac

VP of Operations, Opreto

5 minute read

The legal basis of software licensing, the reader is no doubt aware, is copyright law. But copyright law, originally designed to protect artistic and literary works, was not crafted with software in mind. Software, after all, is a functional tool, a set of instructions designed to perform tasks, not a creative work in the traditional sense. Yet, due to historical circumstances and the lobbying of powerful interests, software has been shoehorned into this framework, leading to a range of philosophical and practical problems that continue to affect the industry today. So how did we get here? Software began to be recognized as an important commercial product in its own right in the early 1970s. Companies naturally wanted to protect their investments in development, and pushed for a legal framework under which they could control the distribution and use of their software. As a result, in 1974, the U.S. Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) was established to...

Building Strong Client Relationships with the T.R.U.S.T. Model in Agile Software Development

Dylan Herbert

VP of People, Opreto

3 minute read

In the frenetic world of agile software development, it’s crucial to maintain strong, transparent, and effective communication with our clients. That’s why we’ve put a lot of thought into developing the T.R.U.S.T. model to guide our interactions. T.R.U.S.T. stands for Tact, Responsibility, Understanding, Speed, and Thoroughness. Each element of this model plays a crucial role in fostering a trusting and collaborative environment, and we strongly believe in the power of these principles. Disclaimer: This text benefits from the collaboration between advanced AI and human expertise. Sections of this content may be partially or wholly generated by AI, but has been carefully reviewed and edited by human hands to ensure clarity, accuracy, goal realization, and a high standard of quality. Tact Tactfulness is at the heart of our client interactions. We believe in conveying information with sensitivity and consideration, always maintaining a respectful and empathetic tone. Even when addre...

Mastering Time: My Journey with AI Scheduling Tools

Alan P. Laudicina

President, Opreto

3 minute read

Managing your time is hard, but it’s the cornerstone of personal and professional success. Without a structured approach to time management, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by tasks and commitments. This overwhelming feeling often increases stress, reduces productivity, and causes the dreaded overload-induced task dropping. It’s common to find yourself highly organized in one aspect of your life, such as your business. In contrast, your personal life suffers from neglect, or vice versa. The real magic in time management lies in managing all your time in one place, harmonizing personal and professional commitments to effectively achieve personal and professional goals. There are plenty of resources from which to learn how to manage your time. Yet, most of them focus on systems that require a lot of manual intervention, which I have always found annoying. The idea of time blocking always worked for me, but the overhead was extreme. I have been experimenting with AI schedulers for th...

Common Sense Password Policies

Xavier Spriet

VP of Technology, Opreto

3 minute read

When you overcomplicate security, you compromise user experience. When you compromise the user experience, your users have to fight back. When your users fight back, they compromise security. D’oh! We recently purchased a new car, which came with a free 3-month trial for a WiFi hotspot provisioned from an included cellular data plan. I connect to the hotspot and am then taken to an AT&T Captive portal to create an account. I’m already painfully aware that I’m likely about to subscribe to a lifetime of spam emails from AT&T, as well as consent to sending them a bunch of personal information and telemetry data about my driving habits, but as usual, I’m considering, once again, selling my privacy in the name of convenience. After entering my personal info, it’s time to provide a password for my account. No problem! I fire up my password manager, and ask it to generate a new secure password that will be used only for this service. I paste the password into the form, and voila...

Fully Remote Work All The Time

Dylan Herbert

VP of People, Opreto

3 minute read

Fully Remote Work, All the Time! The upsides outnumber the downsides. If you can get away with it, you should. If there is any way that you can restructure your company and/or your line of business to accomodate fully remote work, you should employ it. You should get as far from limitations like WhErE yOu ArE rIgHt NoW as quickly as you can. If you don’t work in a business that can make that transition to fully remote right now, you should seriously consider changing your vocation and getting the hell out of your industry. Because the Robots Are Coming. Pundits may pund that Only Human Hands Are Capable of Handling Certain Tasks, but I’m convinced that isn’t true. We are directly on the trajectory towards full automation of everything; where our screens end there will be drones to complete the work. Increasingly sophisticated drones with increasingly better fingers and eyes, and stronger limbs. Star Trek may have foretold the cell phone, but Star Wars foretold the Droid Economy w...