Understanding the Software Stack in Quantum Computing

This article is inspired by the need for more Software Engineers in quantum computing. Not to mention the other Developers, UX Designers, QA Testers, Product Managers and all the rest of the talent that makes it possible to ship a real product to real customers.

These products and the teams attempting to create them are subject to a long and challenging journey from “Science to Technology to Engineering to Product”. A series of phase shifts that are more about organisational (and community) evolution than just a linear progression through technology readiness.

This evolution doesn’t just happen. For those of us working on these teams, we face the challenge of reinventing the organisation as it shifts from academic to technical to something more broadly engaged with the marketplace. Which means sourcing and collaborating with a growing community of talent and continually evolving and growing our own skills.

This was something I touched on in my “Open Source Your Way into a Quantum Computing Career” talk back in 2022 at the Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit. And it’s grown even further in the year or so since, with a noticeable…