How many people does it take to change a lightbulb?
(Asking the Digital Team)
You’d think just one.
But as with most things in digital, the answer is: it depends.
Is the lightbulb in scope for this sprint? Who owns the socket? Does it need to go through design? Has someone raised a support ticket, or are we just talking about changing it?
At first, it’s a simple request: the room’s dark. Could we pop in a new bulb?
The front-end dev opens the office spec spreadsheet to check if light fittings are part of their remit. The back-end dev mutters something about the cabling being legacy. DevOps says they’ll need to install a new fitting - but only once someone’s completed the correct change request and confirmed the fuseboard can take it.
The accessibility lead gently reminds everyone that we shouldn’t rely on light as the only means of conveying information. They’re absolutely right. But now someone’s suggesting haptics. Or maybe a floor buzzer.
Then the stakeholders arrive.
The Product Owner asks if there’s any user research proving people need light. Security insists we conduct a risk assessment before touching anything electrical. Marketing wants to make sure the light reflects the brand tone - “Can we take another look at that shade of white?”. Legal’s unsure we can even call it a “bulb” until someone checks the trademark register. Compliance suggests we really ought to be switching to LED bulbs to meet updated government standards.
We haven’t changed the bulb yet, but the Miro board is looking fantastic.
At this point, someone whispers, “Do we need a workshop?”
Everyone pauses.
Instead, a new initiative launches to standardise lighting across the building. They call it ‘Lightbulb-as-a-Service’. There’s talk of a shared lighting platform, a centralised switchboard, and someone starts sketching wireframes. A logo is designed. There’s a roadmap.
The bulb change is re-scoped as Phase 2.
Design wants to standardise bulb shapes across all rooms. There’s concern about “bulb inconsistency”, and a Slack channel called #light-strategy quietly springs to life.
QA gets involved.
We need a test plan. A matrix is created covering dim, bright, flickering, and strobe. Someone raises a support ticket for strange shadows in certain corners. Another flags that the light appears to “jump” when the door opens too quickly.
The team agrees the bulb must be accessible. Suggestions include an audible chime when the light turns on, textured labels for the switch, and a small sign explaining what the light is for.
Turns out the existing bulb was installed ten years ago. No one ever replaced it - or questioned whether it still worked.
Procurement is looped in.
We’re told we can’t just buy a new one - it has to be sourced through an approved supplier. That supplier doesn’t stock that model anymore. A Request for Quotation is drafted. Finance raises a purchase order. Legal needs to review the warranty and the energy performance certificate. Someone suggests picking one up from B&Q - but no one’s sure if that’s allowed under the current procurement framework.
After three weeks of meetings, someone from Facilities walks in holding an empty lightbulb box and a smug expression.
“I’ve changed the bulb,” they say.
No deployment notes. No rollback plan. No audit trail.
Just… light.
So how many digital team members does it take to change a lightbulb?
Apparently none.
The light is finally on. Someone quietly says, “We probably could’ve just changed it on day one.”
There’s an awkward silence.
But hey, at least we’ve got a roadmap for next time.
Also - and this only came up last week - no one actually knows who’s paying for the electricity.
Written by Stu Collett – web veteran & recovering perfectionist.
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How many? As a software engineer I say, "none, it's a hardware problem"