Software Process And Measurement Cast

Consider sailing on a lake. It is a great day, there is only a slight rolling swell to contend with. Because you are so relaxed, you slip below and start a game of billiards with your mate. Its not too hard to time the rocking, but nothing is perfect. Then, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm. Who knows where the cue ball will land?  How different is this example to any organizational transformation (or project or program) you have been involved in? The SPaMCAST 856 features an essay on delivery in an unstable environment and why it is like playing billiards on a boat. The outcome is unpredictable. We also have a visit from ! Mr Quigley brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the cast. In this installment, we talk about configuration management.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! From ad-hoc to optimized! Dive deep into work intake with this insightful book. Learn the "Gold Standard" and practical deviations, plus how to use flow metrics effectively. Understand the human element and alig

The SPaMCAST 855 features my conversation with Khurram Mir. We talked about testing, quality assurance, control, and frameworks. We discussed whether we would still discuss the link between continual schedule pressure and reduced quality in 19 years. What is your opinion? Let's face it: Effective testing is essential for the effective delivery of value.   Bio Steering Kualitatem as Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Khurram focuses on nurturing client relationships through transparency and a commitment to quality. The team's dedication to customer satisfaction and growth has been unwavering for over 15 years. With a distinct proficiency in new business development and software applications, they have successfully positioned Kualitatem as a leader in quality assurance. Founding Kualitee highlighted Khurram's journey in product management, channeling his competencies into creating a tool that simplifies and enhances the testing process for teams. The platform reflects their mission to make quality manageme

The SPaMCAST 854  features an essay on the linkage of accountability, responsibility, performance, and freedom. In our ongoing Re-read Saturday series featuring Amartya Sen's "Development As Freedom," we've found a compelling connection between Sen's insights and this week's discussion on personal accountability and performance. Specifically, Chapter 12's exploration of the interdependence between freedom and responsibility resonates deeply with the core concepts of our essay. We also have a visit from . In this installment of Not A Scumdamentalist, we discuss accountability. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Keyan Reid bought a copy and wrote a review titled “” Links to buy a copy… Amazon (US) — JRoss — Interested in continuing the conversation on w

The SPaMCAST 853 features our interview with John Conafay. CEO and Co-Founder of Integrate. John and I talked about program management in complex environments and real-time collaboration. In complex environments with multiple teams, real-time collaboration not only saves time but also saves money.  John Conafay is a US Air Force Veteran and the CEO and Co-Founder of Integrate, building program management software with a systems engineering approach for the world’s most ambitious machines. Previously he was an early employee at three space unicorns – Head of BD at ABL Space Systems, was one of the first ten employees at Astranis, and Interned at Spire Global early on. He also worked at the Office of the CFO NASA Headquarters while at BryceTech and was a Director of Business Development at Spaceflight LinkedIn:   Integrate: Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's

SPaMCAST 852 features our essay on scaling attention. Seth Godin's observation that attention doesn't scale highlights a crucial point: attention, like time, is a finite resource. We often conflate scaling and allocation, but they are distinct concepts. A human's capacity for focused attention is limited, regardless of how much time we spend awake. This fixed amount of attention, our "attentional budget," can be allocated to various tasks and activities. Allocation involves choosing where to direct our focus, like deciding to read a book instead of browsing the internet. Scaling, on the other hand, refers to the intensity and scope of that focus. While reading, you narrow your focus to absorb information more deeply, increasing the intensity of your attention on the chosen subject. We will also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist, . Mr. Berriault and I discuss the pervasive use of the term resources that allow organizations to distance themselves from people.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! L

SPaMCAST 851 will feature our interview with Mike Paciello. Accessibility which should be a basic human right has always been a struggle and now seems even farther from reality. Mike and I talk about the definition of accessibility, the issues we face, and why this is an ethical issue not just a compliance problem. Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., where he drives advancements in digital accessibility. He previously founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, delivering insights on disability and accessibility technology, and authored the pioneering book “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities.” Recognized by President Bill Clinton in 1997 for his role in the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative, Mike has advised the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. An international leader in accessibility and usability, he also founded The Paciello Group (TPG), a leading software accessibility consultancy acquired by Vispero in 2017. Contact Information: Email: LinkedIn: https

Several weeks ago I spent too much time in the middle of the night considering a scenario of apparent change resistance. I concluded that not everything that looks like resistance is what it appears.  Rather there was a bigger issue hiding in plain sight; the concept of change indifference/change apathy. As a change leader, the difference is not academic because it impacts how to address the issue. As organizations remold themselves to address the culture and pressures of the 2020s we need to find a path to empower organizations and to improve their craft while at the same time struggling with pressures to contain costs and grow. The solution cannot merely be messaging.  We also have a visit from . We discuss manipulation and persuasion from the Not A Scrumdamentalist perspective.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy

SPaMCAST 849 features our interview with . Mr Mosaari is the co-founder and CEO of . We talked about the industrialization of AI and using AI to deliver value now that it is more than chatbots. If you have looked at your bills as you develop and run AI’s in your business, you will want to spend a few minutes listening to this conversation. Barzan Mozafari is the co-founder and CEO of , Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, and a for his award-winning research at the intersection of ML and database systems across the Univ. of Michigan, MIT, and UCLA. A sought-after expert in the space who has spoken on panels like , he’s passionate about sharing his research and expertise for advancing and optimizing data teams everywhere.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life ba

I've often heard the argument that only outcomes matter, from bosses and colleagues to pundits, and more recently, even from coaches and change agents. This consequentialist view—that the ends justify the means ultimately harms individuals, organizations, and their stakeholders. In SPaMCAST 848 we discuss why the consequentialist argument that only the outcome matters is flawed for several reasons. We also have a visit from  who brings his wonderful Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast. In this episode Jon and I discuss a topic aligned with consequentialism, the use of manipulation and persuasion.   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss —   Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned

SPaMCAST 847 features a wide-ranging discussion with Pete Oliver-Krueger and Michael Dougherty. We discuss their new book, Shift: From Product To People. Shift is a business novel of organizational change. You will find this an important view into change and transformation. We also hit science fiction and psychology. I even dissed George RR Martin. Two notes.  This is the last cast of year 18.  We begin year 19 next week.  Also a quick content warning – there is laughter in this podcast. If you don’t like listening to people have fun while they discuss a serious topic listen anyway.    Check it out on Oikosofy: Buy from Amazon:    

SPaMCAST 846 features a discussion based on Seth Godin’s , Seth stated. “Busy is a morally superior distraction. Busy gets us off the hook. Busy is a great place to hide.” The comment greatly impacted me because I had a conversation in which someone had equated being busy to value and productivity. Efficiency is vital. It is however only a tool for improving productivity and value – not the ultimate goal.  We will also have a visit from , the Evolutionary Agilist. Mr. Berriault and I discuss the distinction between manipulation and persuasion.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! As the new year builds up steam, have you looked at your to-do list and said, “Oh my” (or something saltier)? I know I have. This is a symptom of a work intake issue. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss —   Do you want to test the water before spending your year-end bonus?

The SPaMCAST 845 features our interview with David Minarsch. We discuss AI, co-owned AI,  multi-agent systems in complex environments, and governance. These are singularly the most important technical topics for the new year. If you are in the “business” you need to listen carefully to David’s perspective on agents.     DAVID MINARSCH is a distinguished expert in the fields of Applied Game Theory and Multi-Agent Systems, holding a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. His groundbreaking work includes the creation of the first multi-agent system framework with native support for distributed ledger technologies. As the co-founder and CEO of Valory, David has been at the forefront of integrating AI and blockchain technology since 2021, pioneering the development of open-source and user-ownable autonomous agents. David has established himself as a visionary leader in the tech industry, most notably by his latest venture, Valory, which is a co-creator of Olas, the platform for co-owning AI, which has generated

Another year has flown by, 2025 is near.  The SPaMCAST 844 features our year-end panel discussion. This year  , , , and I discuss AI, Agile, mixing methods and try to forecast what comes next. This episode is a cornucopia of opinions and frivolity. Websites: Jeremy Berriault: https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Susan Parente: http://www.s3-tec.com/ Jon M Quigley: https://valuetransform.com/ Jeremy Willets: https://www.jeremywillets.com/   Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us, we’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-li

Jeremy Willets and I have had a blast sharing the ideas in Mastering Work Intake (JRoss Publishing). This week Jeremy and I sat down to discuss the year in review and plans for 2025. One of the important things we have demonstrated is the link between the work teams and organizations put on their plate and what gets delivered. The relationship is not linear and gets ugly when you cross the tipping point. There is a path to avoid that pain! Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us, we’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-li

In January of 2024, JRoss Publishing brought Mastering Work Intake by and I to the world. The activities supporting the book have been a blast! One of the common problems we have observed as we have spread the message is that often those with the biggest work intake problem get mesmerized by the symptoms and fail to see the root cause of the problem. When this happens the symptom becomes the root cause causing people and organizations to spend significant amounts of time and money fixing the wrong problem. To borrow a line from Manfred Mann, they are “.” We will discuss this topic in a minute or so. We also have a visit from the inestimable Susan Parente. Susan and I discussed how to integrate a new team member into a team. It is not easy when everyone has an opinion.  Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of

We are back from our adventure and our trips down memory lane (at least for a while). Today we feature our interview with Gorkem Ercan. We discussed open source, leadership, and learning. FYI – this podcast has a ton of great advice for anyone pursuing a career in software development! Gorkem Ercan is a founding Distinguished Engineer and CTO of Jozu. Gorkem has experience working and leading teams with various technologies ranging from building IDEs, to building mobile phones, and CI/CD systems. He is an avid contributor and supporter of open source. Gorkem is the creator of the wildly popular Eclipse JDT language server and vscode-java extension, as well as the YAML Language server and vscode-yaml extension. He is a committer on various projects, including Eclipse Che, Eclipse Theia, and Apache Cordova. Gorkem is a member of the Eclipse Architecture Council and one of the longest-serving Eclipse committers. Contact Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorkemercan/ Website:https://jozu.com/ Mas

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew are off for an adventure. We will be back on December 8th with new content. In the interim, we share four gems from our back catalog of over 800 interviews, essays, and conversations. You can check out the entire catalog at . Our final trip down memory lane with Paul Gibbons. This week we step back to SPaMCAST 582 from January 2020. In this episode, Paul and I discussed his new book I. The interview started by exploring the high-level factors that influence change and then spun down into areas such as the future of work, biases, and de-biasing.  Master Work Intake! Join one of two upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next workshop takes a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025!  Seats are available on: December 6th 9 AM EST   Noon EST More information and registration at  Simply put if you don’t control work intake IT CONTROLS YOU!   No workshops for you?  Buy a copy

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew are off for an adventure. We will be back on December 8th with new content. In the interim, we share four gems from our back catalog of over 800 interviews, essays, and conversations. You can check out the entire catalog at . Today we return to June 202 (SPaMCAST 605) for a conversation with Jodie Kane. Jodie and I discussed involving product owners in retrospectives. Jodie suggests the answer should not be cut and dry but rather context-driven.   Master Work Intake! Join one of two upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next workshop is taking a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025!  Seats are available on: December 6th 9 AM EST   Noon EST More information and registration at  Simply put if you don’t control work intake IT CONTROLS YOU!   No workshops for you?  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake and begin to take control of the flow of work for your team and organiz

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew are off for an adventure. We will be back on December 8th with new content. In the interim, we share four gems from our back catalog of over 800 interviews, essays, and conversations. You can check out the entire catalog at . Today we return to  December 2021 to remember an interview with Mauricio Aguiar and Christine Green, We discussed their vision of the state and future of Software Measurement. Mauricio, Christine, and I are all Past Presidents of the International Function Point Users Group (the largest international software measurement association). The conversation is both provocative and enlightening.  The original version of this interview was published in SPaMCAST 680. Master Work Intake! Join one of two upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next workshop is taking a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025!  Seats are available on: December 6th 9 AM EST   Noo

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew are off for an adventure. We will be back on December 8th with new content. In the interim, we share four gems from our back catalog of over 800 interviews, essays, and conversations. You can check out the entire catalog at . We return to August 2019 for a two-parter, with Al Shalloway. This was a long interview. We originally spread over SPaMCAST 559 and SPaMCAST 560. Today both parts are united.  The conversation with Al was full of huge ideas, concepts, and calls to action. Al and I talked about the troubles dogging classic agile, the Agile Industrial Complex, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX.   Master Work Intake! Join one of two upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next two workshops are taking a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025!  Seats are available on: November 9th 9 AM EST - Noon EST  December 6th 9 AM EST   Noon EST More information and r