Software Process And Measurement Cast

Until this week, Disciplined Agile was a topic we had not investigated on the Software Process and Measurement Cast. DA is an approach to scaling agile development.  Today, Jonathan Lee and I discuss Disciplined Agile and reinventing yourself to stay relevant in a dynamic world.  Mr. Lee’s Bio: Jonathan has over 25 years of diversified IT consulting experience working with private and public sector clients.  His latest passion is in agile coaching and delivering Disciplined Agile training to individuals and organizations that want to transform themselves to practice Business Agility.  Jonathan is a Certified Disciplined Agile Instructor (CDAI). Jonathan has volunteered at PMI Chicagoland Chapter for many years serving on the board including serving as the Chapter President for 3 years in the past.  Jonathan is a frequent speaker at PMI chapters in North America. Email: Jlee@VitalityChicago.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonathanleepmp Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  The clock is ticking!  Tom Henrick

I deviated from the plan this week and recorded a conversation with my colleague, mentor, and friend Anthony Mersino (Anthony was last on the podcast SPaMCAST 583   http://bit.ly/3aJMw51 ). Our chat, titled, “Is Your Scrum Master The Problem?” Our conversation looks at transactive memory from the point of view of teams and Scrum Masters.  Is it a boon or a train wreck?  Anthony has also published a version of the conversation at https://bit.ly/3ux0Fge  We also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her I’m Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the cast. I have titled this conversation, “I Have A WIP Problem”. Ok so maybe both Susan and I have a lot on our plates, but we have the tools to tackle the problem. We talk about how to get your WIP under control.  Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences. This year he has upped the bar again! While you can attend the Summit for free, there are a number of innovative options to learn even more from

Luis Gonçalves and I talked about his new book introducing the ADAPT Methodology. We discussed why using a framework can help leaders stay relevant. Our conversation dovetails nicely into the Re-read Saturday focus on Project to Product. There is a lot of synergy between the ideas of Kersten and Gonçalves.  Luis’s Bio: Luis Gonçalves is an Entrepreneur, Best Seller Author, and International Keynote Speaker.   When consulting he works exclusively with Entrepreneurs, Founders, and Senior Leaders on the implementation of his game-changing "ADAPT Methodology".  By following the "ADAPT Methodology" Executive Leaders will be able to assess the 5 main pillars of their organization by identifying gaps that are required for them to succeed as a modern and digital leaders.   He has been successfully involved in the software industry since 2003 and his company blog https://www.adaptmethodology.com/ is considered a ‘must-read’ for everyone in the software development industry. Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  T

As a coach, I use and observe transactive memory all the time. Used wisely, transactive memory means a team can be more than the sum of its individual members. Mess it up and you might as well put your hand in a running garbage disposal. For example, my wife remembers things like special events and then clues me in…if she is around. This year I missed an important birthday.  Coaches and Scrum Masters often act as the official process memory for teams until they move on . . . you can guess what happens next. This week we explore when transactive memory works and when it does not. Also, Jeremy Berriault and I discuss helping improve Daily Scrums in his QA Corner column. Note: I have been made aware that SPaMCAST 667 is missing in action. I am trying to track the issue down. Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Registe

We are back from backpacking on Isle Royale. Simply awesome.  Today, we feature a discussion with Tom Henricksen.  You know Tom from the Agile Online Summit and the Dev Ops Online Summit however Tom is more than just the Summits. Today we discuss learning and then get into whether hybrid working scenarios are all they are cracked up to be. I am not sure we agreed. Tom Henricksen is a technology professional with over 20 years of technical experience. He has worked as a developer, Team Lead, Scrum Master, and Manager. Tom is the founder of the Agile Online Summit! Use this link: https://agileonlinesummit.shop/?utm_source=aftomas  Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Re-Read Saturday News  Next week we will begin to read Mik Kersten’s Project to Product. I will be reading from the Ki

The SPaMCAST is on summer holiday for the next two weeks (SPaMCAST 666 and SPaMCAST 667. Today we are featuring an interview released on December 27, 2015, with  Gerald (Jerry) M. Weinberg.  Gerald Weinberg is the author of more than 100 books, including the best-selling Secrets of Consulting, other non-fiction series, and the ever-popular Women of Power novels. He is a principal in the international consulting firm of Weinberg and Weinberg. The festschrift, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) honors his work for his 75th birthday. A website for Jerry’s fans may be found at http://www.geraldmweinberg.com .  A talk with Jerry was always profound, and I must admit that Jerry’s humor caused me to laugh more times than I can count during our conversation. Mr. Weinberg died on August 7, 2018, I wish I had interviewed him more times for the podcast.  Re-Read Saturday News  The poll for the next book in the series has begun! Note there are two books in the list I have not read. I am planning to read them and have

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 665 features our essay on the organizational aspects that impact teams. Teams don’t live in a vacuum, so when the word organization gets used it reflects the influence of all sorts of organizations. Organizations facilitate teams to a greater or lesser extent. In the workplace, the employer’s organization will have the most significant impact on how teams form and perform but it is not the totality. Other influences can affect the structure and performance of teams.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will bring his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast. In this installment, Jon and I discussed the idea of making decisions at the last responsible moment. We decided on the topic just before we began recording (just kidding).  The SPaMCAST will be on summer holiday for the next two weeks. We will be re-releasing two favorite episodes from the archives to tide you over.  Re-Read Saturday News  This week concluded our re-read of  Monot

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 664 features our interview with Sunny Han, CEO and Founder of Fulcrum.  Sunny and I talked about motivation, we talked agile development, and we talked about what it takes to see a vision through to reality. The ideas about engineering a communication architecture are phenomenal.   Sunny Han is the CEO and Founder of Fulcrum, a manufacturing ERP platform dedicated to helping manufacturers build a better future. He led Fulcrum to raise a $3.1M seed round of venture capital in 2020. Sunny is dedicated to delivering a connected future where frictionless manufacturing production and supply chains lead to faster and better product innovations. “There’s no future of innovation that doesn’t include innovation in manufacturing.” LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yusunnyhan Website: fulcrumpro.com  Email: sunny@fulcrumpro.com Twitter: sunnythehan Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 7 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  This chapter is titled “Recharge Creative Think

This week we explore the impact of process (it really isn’t a bad word) problems in prioritization. Prioritization requires a steady hand and consistency. The process for prioritization should have more in common with a well-oiled basketball or futbol team than five-year-olds playing soccer in the schoolyard. How the moving parts work together is a process We also have a visit from Tony Timbol discussing freestyling user story formats in his To Tell A Story column. Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 6 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  This chapter is titled “Simplify Cooperation.” Cooperation requires communication. Messing communication up is a problem, a problem that is the responsibility of every person involved in trying to communicate.  Last week’s experiment focused on evaluating each task as I put it on my short list for operacy.  One of the outcomes was that I broke work into smaller chunks which were simpler and more practical. I also found parts of the work that I did not have

In this week’s podcast, we speak with Mike Potter, CEO of Rewind.  Mike and I talk about the need to backup SaaS applications, remote and hybrid working, and entrepreneurship. This interview opened my eyes to the risks we all face by trusting SaaS application companies to back up our data. Mike also highlights in his answers how humanity in the workplace can help create special results.   Bio - A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Mike Potter is the co-founder of Rewind, a company that backs up and protects SaaS data. While studying Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University, Mike began his start-up career as the founder of InTheHack.com, one of the most popular sporting websites in Canada. Since founding Rewind in 2015, Mike has focused on building a company culture that values and respects employees. “I'm a big believer in building strong teams, hiring great people, and giving them the freedom to do their best work”, he adds. When Mike isn’t building companies or products, he can usually be found const

Over the past few months, I have been in traffic jams on the highway several times when traveling to our weekly hike.  In more than one instance someone has decided to pull over and drive on the berm.  In more than a few cases the outcome of this technique for getting things done ends poorly. Despite the unpredictable outcome, jumping the queue is practiced by many in traffic and even more when funneling work to teams. The consequences when working on information technology products are far more predictable than driving, and they are ALWAYS bad. Let’s fix some of the problems leading to queue jumping. We also have a visit from Susan Parente, who brings her I Am Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the cast.  We discuss risk management when using hybrid agile approaches.  Contact Susan on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/susanparente or at Parente@s3-tec.com Upcoming Events Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT   This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (S

In this week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast, I speak with Rob Rastovich, CTO of ThingLogix. We talked about meeting customer needs through developing solutions using the AIoT (not a typo).  This is a seachange for both businesses and developers who will need to reskill and rethink what is possible.  Rob has been actively involved in technology for nearly 30 years, from building a top 10 e-commerce site in a time when e-commerce was still in its infancy to establishing what is now known as Amazon’s AWS IoT.  As CTO of ThingLogix, Rob is the chief architect behind the company’s groundbreaking IoT platform that eliminates the need for code. ThingLogix uses AI to power digital transformation across industry, commerce, and government globally.  Web: https://www.thinglogix.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rob-rastovich-1560532  Upcoming Events Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (SPaMCAST is a proud

In this episode, we feature our interview with Christiano Gherardini. Chris and I talk about the impact of using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages on businesses and as importantly, the impact of packages and consultants as a tool to influence the direction of software development in a firm.  Christiano Gherardini is the President/Owner at Turnkey Technologies Inc. Turnkey offers end-to-end professional services including design, project management, implementation, application maintenance, integration services, development, analytics, training, and support services for Microsoft Dynamics solutions. https://www.turnkeytec.com/ linkedin.com/in/christiano-gherardini-73513019    Upcoming Events Making Shift Happen July 13 at 12 CDT (1 PM EDT) I will be facilitating a panel for the GIC HIMSS (Greater IL Chapter of HIMSS) discussing Agile Transformation. Our panelists will discuss their personal experiences going through agile transitions and offer some tips for moving your organization towards Agile.   P

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features an essay on prioritization. We prioritize in order to establish what to work on and when to do it. There is often a difference between assigned priority and the real priority based on when teams start and complete a piece of work. This essay is part of the overall conversation on controlling work entry and answering the question: Are we working on the most important thing? We also have a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Mr. Berriault and I discussed how testing is integrated into the Agile Performance Holarchy. Re-Read Saturday News  June and early July are a busy period, this year more so (several birthdays, an anniversary, and family visits). That is a long way around to rationalizing why I am not delivering chapter 2 of Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  I am still working with shortlists (chapter 2 has helped my implementation approach.  Meetings (part of the busyness fallacy discussed in Chapter 2) are making using the techniques of panorama

In this podcast, I talk with Søren Pedersen.  We talk about teams, value streams, and leveraging agile to improve how teams deliver value.  We started with the definition of a team and then got into the practical nitty-gritty of defining value streams and coaching teams.  Bio: SØREN PEDERSEN is a co-founder of BuildingBetterSoftware, a strategic leadership consultant, and an international speaker. With more than fifteen years of software development experience, Søren knows how to help businesses meet their digital transformation goals. Using Agile methodologies, he helps leaders achieve organizational efficiency, alignment, and performance improvement while building team empowerment so that they feel confident in engaging with leadership, find managerial balance, and can focus on building better software.  Søren has spoken at DevOps Days London, is a contributor for The DevOps Institute, and is a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner. Website: www.BuildingBetterSoftware.com Email: sp@BuildingBetterSoftware

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 656 we stay with an agile product and entrepreneurship theme with a conversation with Rahul Aggarwal. We discussed building a business and products to support the gig economy and entrepreneurship. Rahul provides excellent advice on recognizing market needs, experimenting, pivoting when necessary, and building a business.  Bio: Being awarded as the Rising Entrepreneur of the year 2019 and Entrepreneur 35 under 35 in 2020, and Asia’s Most Promising Business Leaders 2021 by Economic Times, Rahul Aggarwal has co-founded Designhill and created a unique online marketplace to overcome the challenges faced by the business owners in outsourcing high-quality creative solutions and designers who have been looking for creative freedom.   He’s a serial entrepreneur, passionate marketer, investor, advisor, and a firm believer in the concept of constant learning and growing. His astounding digital knowledge and impregnable business skills have led Designhill to be acknowledged as the

This week we dive into what is often viewed as arcane science by the development community, pricing. Pricing can make or break any product. Everyone in the value chain has to have a good understanding of how pricing decisions are made and how they can impact what should be built and when. One critical part of the conversation focuses on whether there is an ideal pattern for product and development to work together? If not, what are the consequences? Our conversation just skims the surface of Ajit Ghuman’s new book Priced to Scale which hit the book stands in April.  Ajit is currently Head of Product Marketing at Narvar, an enterprise-grade customer engagement platform that helps retailers inspire loyalty beyond reason by enabling seamless post-purchase experiences. A SaaS Product Marketing veteran, he has helped companies such as Medallia, Helpshift, and Feedzai differentiate their products, grow revenue, and win. Ajit is an expert in software pricing and his upcoming book, Price to Scale, covers an end-to-en

This week is a doubleheader (baseball term for two games played by the same teams on the same day against each other). We begin our re-read of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg and we have my interview with Staffan. Several years ago I read Staffan’s book on Pomodoro which changed how I work.  Monotasking might be even more useful and impactful.  We discussed how to apply the ideas in the book to improve focus, productivity, and quality of life. Staffan Nöteberg is an enterprise agility coach with years of experience in improving personal productivity. He is also the author of Pomodoro Technique Illustrated (2009) and teaches seminars on monotasking to companies in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Twitter: https://twitter.com/staffannoteberg Website: https://monotasking.staffannoteberg.com/    Re-Read Saturday News  We start our re-read of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.   The book is 237 pages published by Racehorse Publishing (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) and was released in English on June 1,

Work Entry: An Introduction, focuses on what work entry is and why it is the single most important part of determining whether a team is dependable, predictable, and even remotely agile.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development. Jon and I discuss, wrestle, and chew on how the idea of a product backlog can exist in a project environment.  Re-Read Saturday News  We have read or re-read Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley cover-to-cover if you don’t count the index at the back of the book (and I certainly do not). As a wrap-up, I briefly consider three points that came to mind during the re-read. If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for? Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems  Next week we will start our re-read of Monotasking by Staffan Noteberg by laying out an approach. I am contemplating combining the re-read with experience reports as I try to put the id

Intellectual property protection impacts almost everyone whether they are aware of it or not.  Trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets are all part of a wide-ranging discussion of IP protection in the software environment. Rick provides great insight into a rapidly evolving field.  Rick Martin is the owner and founder of Martin IP Law Group which is based in Evansville, Indiana but serves clients throughout the United States. He is a graduate of the Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering and the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.  Prior to beginning his career as an Intellectual Property Attorney, Rick worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Rick has obtained hundreds of patents for inventors in a variety of fields, including timing systems, mine safety devices, broadband antennas, RFID, electronics, ranging, oil & gas, semiconductors, and other mechanical and electro-mechanical devices.  For over 25 years, he has been helping entr