LESE Lab Information

LESE Lab is an independent research group studying the lived experience of software engineers — how it actually feels to make software, day to day. We use qualitative methods: interviews, observation, grounded theory, careful interpretation. We care about questions that don't have numerical answers. How do developers think, collaborate, struggle, and thrive? What happens in the small moments of judgment and craft that shape a codebase? When does software work go well, and when does it quietly fall apart? What we study: • Writing and understanding code • Collaboration: code review, chat, meetings, pull requests • Motivation, frustration, and flow • Team dynamics and coordination • How LLMs are changing software work Software is deeply human work. A 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 works. LESE Lab was founded in 2026 by Dr. Leif Singer (Senior Engineering Manager at Ghost; PhD on persuasive interventions for software engineering practices, Leibniz Universität Hannover) and Dr. Sarah Köksal (Senior UX Researcher at HERO Software; PhD in Cultural Anthropology, LMU Munich). LESE Lab is independent and non-accredited. We are not affiliated with any university. We run the work ourselves and treat participants' time and trust with care. LESE Lab is independent, non-commercial, and non-accredited. We are not affiliated with any university, and we don't sell findings or services. Our research is curiosity-driven. We run the work ourselves and treat participants' time and trust with care. We're always looking for software professionals willing to share their experiences. Most studies involve a single 45-minute remote interview, voluntary and confidential. Get in touch: hello@leselab.org · leselab.org