What is Software Quality was founded by Ger Cloudt in 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis. Its mission is to help organizations, leaders, and software professionals develop a deeper understanding of software quality and the systemic factors that shape it.
Software quality does not originate in the product.
It emerges from the system that creates it.
After many years working as a software engineer, architect, manager, and leader, Ger observed that many organizations focus heavily on processes, tooling, and delivery speed, while often lacking a deeper understanding of what truly drives software quality.
This realization led to the publication of the book What is Software Quality? – Understanding What Really Matters in Software Development, first released in 2021 and later expanded into the Extended Edition in 2023.
The work eventually evolved into The 1+3 Software Quality Model (1+3 SQM), published in 2026; a systemic framework describing how Organizational Quality enables Design Quality, Code Quality, and Product Quality.
What is Software Quality continues to explore software quality as a socio-technical system, combining engineering, architecture, leadership, organizational dynamics, and systems thinking into a more holistic understanding of software development.
The books:
