Software Process And Measurement Cast

SPaMCAST 575 features our essay on the lightning-rod issue: hybridizing agile methods and techniques. We can all agree that fitting a model to an observed reality requires the flexibility to hybridize. Why do we it so wrong so often? We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. Jon and I talked about Deming and his impact on our lives and a book club we are launching early next year. Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about the Fourfold Pattern, Certainty Effect and the Possibility Effect (Chapter 29).  Simply put “people are not perfectly rational choosers,” which makes it hard to make consistently good decisions.   Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy.  Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon,  It’s time to get reading! The cur

SPaMCAST 574 features our interview with Ian Reynolds, chief Solutions Architect at Zibtek  We answered the question, What is a solution architect? The discussion coved ideas across starts-ups, medium, and large-sized businesses. Ian paints the solutions architect as an action hero whose raison d'être is to deliver business value. Ian’s Bio: Ian is a partner and chief Solutions Architect at Zibtek - a software development firm focused on helping businesses of all sizes in the US to solve their core problems with the software. Ian has spent his career consulting and helping different industries to empower greater profitability and efficiency. He loves to share his experiences and ideas on building the right tools through custom software.  Website: www.zibtek.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/zibtek/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/Zibtek/ Twitter: twitter.com/zibtek Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about bad events.   The chapters in Part 4 of T

SPaMCAST 573 features our essay using a workflow to prioritize a backlog. Items on any backlog proliferate. Product backlogs used in agile and lean development approaches are no different.  Many outsiders have the mistaken notion that once on the list that that is the end of the story -- let’s dissuade them of this idea. Gene Hughson brings his Form Follows Function column to the podcast.  Gene and I discussed his experience as an application architect.   Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow Chapter 27 begins with a discussion of the classic indifference curve from Econ 101. The indifference curve shows the trade-off between two goods. In this case, Kahneman uses the trade-off between income and leisure to show how overly simple theories generate models that do not describe behavior outside the textbook. The problem that Kahneman points out is the basic indifference curve doesn’t reflect context. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of T

SPaMCAST 572 features our interview with Michael Larsen.  Mr. Larsen and I battled fires, Santa Ana winds, and power cuts to have a great conversation on testability.  Anyone that has participated in delivering software EVER has wrestled with a discussion of whether a story or requirement can be proved.  Michael brings fresh and actionable insights into how to assure testability.   Michael’s bio Michael Larsen is a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer with Socialtext/PeopleFluent. Over the past two decades, he has been involved in software testing for a range of products and industries, including network routers & switches, virtual machines, capacitance touch devices, video games, and client/server, distributed database & web applications. Michael is a Black Belt in the Miagi-Do School of Software Testing, helped start and facilitate the Americas chapter of Weekend Testing, is a former Chair of the Education Special Interest Group with the Association for Software Testing (AST), a lead instructor of the

SPaMCAST 571 features our essay titled the Art of Saying No.  I recently presented a workshop on saying no -- a simple word that is very difficult to say.  During the session, three specific reasons why participants could not say no generated a huge debate. Today we ask you to decide how you feel about the impact of a history of performance, interruptions, and demands. Feel free to share your opinion.  We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault.  In the QA Corner this month, Jeremy provides observations about outside interests and their ability to improve focus and reduce burnout. Jeremy’s outside interests are Jiu-Jitsu and his family.  Jeremy can be reached at Berriault and Associates Consulting Group or by email at Jeremy.Berriault@Berriaultandassociates.com.  We had planned to have Michael Larsen on the cast this week, however, Mr. Larsen was affected by power outages in the Bay Area of California due to wildfires.  Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and

SPaMCAST 570 features our essay on the components of good sprint goals. Sprint goals provide direction and energy, and they communicate with the outside world. A sprint goal should be a straightforward statement that a product owner should be able to craft quickly and then agree upon with a team. We provide a structure to keep goals simple and impactful.   We will also have a visit from Susan Parente. In this installment of Susan’s Not a Scrumdamentalist column, we discuss value.  Value is core to many practices, the problem is that value is a very nebulous concept. Susan provides guidance. Continue the conversation with Susan at parente@s3-tec.com and visit her company at www.s3-tec.com Re-Read Saturday News And we are back! Kahneman titled chapter 24 The Engine of Capitalism. Optimism, Kahneman's engine of capitalism, convinces entrepreneurs to take risks and start new firms even when statistically most will fail for a myriad of reasons. In addition, this type of bias pushes start-ups to be resilient in the

SPaMCAST 569 features our essay on the five types of meetings.  Meetings are the most important event in any organization — well that is what it seems like.  It can also be said that meetings are the bane of every human that isn’t buying or selling something (and that caveat might be an overstatement). Let's put a name on the five most common types in software-centric organizations. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault.  In the QA Corner this month, Jeremy provides observations about the inclusion (and sometimes the lack of inclusion) of QAs in ceremonies such as the Daily Scrum.  Jeremy can be reached at Berriault and Associates Consulting Group or by email at Jeremy.Berriault@Berriaultandassociates.com.  Re-Read Saturday News We added Mt Hood (last active in 1800s) to our tour of volcanoes so I did not get back on track, but never fear we really will be back next week (unless volcanoes pop up in Midwest…) Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please b

This week in SPaMCAST 568 marks the return of Sandeep Koorse.  Sandeep brings deep insight into the Agile mindset, passion, and experimentation. All three are required for a healthy team. Sandeep last appeared as part of SPaMCAST 511. Sandeep is an innovative leader with over 15 years of experience in helping companies achieve higher results through a careful evaluation of their processes and their technology. Known for determining the metrics and behaviors that promote consistent excellence then sharing those values with colleagues through influence and authority. Recognized by peers for exceptional problem-solving abilities, excellent communication skills, and a passion for the community. Reach out to Sandeep at sandeep@koorse.com Re-Read Saturday News I am hiking volcanoes this week, literally! The 400+ page copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow has not been in my day pack (it is in the luggage). We will be back next week.  Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, pleas

This week in SPaMCAST 567  we discuss the impact of herding on work entry.  Herding in decision making effectively takes “no” off the table, leading to uncontrolled work entry. This type of behavior is response-driven and dangerous. We will also have a visit from Gene Hughson to complete his three-part discussion of the solution architect. Today we discuss the solution architect as risk mitigation.  Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, we have a chapter that needs to be read by anyone ever who has been asked for an estimate… ever.  The chapter title is The Outside View and makes the case for another point of view when estimating. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy.  Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon,  It’s time to get reading! This week’s installment! Chapter 23: The Outside View http://bit.ly/35dOibJ

SPaMCAST 565 tackles three ways to mess up sprint goals. Sprint goals are a statement of the value that teams strive to deliver.  It is possible to complete all of the stories or work items only to realize that the team has lost sight of the goal. Alternately, it is possible to meet the goal and not complete all of the stories.  We also have a promo for the Agile Online Summit https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/2019 This year’s summit will be held October 7 - 11th --- EVERYWHERE, it’s a virtual conference.  Visit the website to sign-up. The basic conference is FREE. Rounding out the cast, we have a visit from Jon M Quigley with an installment of The Alpha and Omega of Product Development.  Jon talks about his two new books and product roadmaps. Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman opens with a discussion of a number of studies that show that professional predictions are far less accurate than simple algorithmic predictions. Remember, if you do not have a favorite,

SPaMCAST 564 is part 2 of my conversation with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron.  We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Danie ask the question “Do you need a high-performance enterprise management & governance approach improving planning, execution, and delivery while dealing with multiple projects, events, stakeholders and teams?”, the book and the interview probes potential answers. In order to answer the question, the three of us take a deep dive into applying Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints in the real world. Listen to part 1 before listing to SPaMCAST 564. Steve Tendon’s Bio With a background in software engineering (in his early career he lead the development of software applications in diverse fields, like banking, health care, legal, human resources, and more), Steve is the creator of the TameFlow ® Approach, a systems thinking approach for creating breakthrough performance innovation in knowledge-intensive digital businesses. The TameFlow Approach has been developed and used w

SPaMCAST 563 is part one of my conversation with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron.  We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Daniel share deep insights into applying Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints in the real world. After you have listened to the conversation you will never view the flow of work as an esoteric topic.  Steve, Daniel, and I had a wide-ranging conversation, I decided to ignore my own guideline on two-part interviews and let the tape run (metaphorically). We will return with part 2 next week.  Steve Tendon’s Bio With a background in software engineering (in his early career he lead the development of software applications in diverse fields, like banking, health care, legal, human resources, and more), Steve is the creator of the TameFlow ® Approach, a systems thinking approach for creating breakthrough performance innovation in knowledge-intensive digital businesses. The TameFlow Approach has been developed and used with great success since 2003, across numerous industries. Ste

SPaMCAST 562 features our essay on the power of saying no.  I firmly believe that unless you have control over the amount of work you take, you are asking for a trainwreck.  The problem is that saying no is often harder than being late or over budget.   We will also have a visit from the Software Sensei.  Kim Pries is back to kick off September with an essay titled, Real Planning. While the actual plan might not be exactly what happens in real life, the act of planning is crucial.  Re-Read Saturday News Well, I missed posting an entry of Re-read Saturday and if you had not noticed SPaMCAST 562 is not exactly what I had planned.  Five weeks ago my standard poodle Jax (named after the New Orleans Beer of yesteryear) died. My wife and I missed having a canine presence around the house.  Yesterday, we drove to Brantford, Ontario and picked up a new standard poodle, Nyssa (named after Nyssa of Traken -- Dr. Who aficionados will recognize the name). It was a round trip 14 hours, including a stop at the Resurgence B

In SPaMCAST 561 we discuss making the Daily Scrum work for the mission it was intended.  When a Daily Scrum or daily stand-up is not used for micro-planning and collaborating to achieve the team’s goal, they are occurring for a reason.  Those meetings are scratching some other itch than planning, an itch that however unagile is often defended. When the goal of a daily meeting is something other than group planning there are more efficient and less expensive approaches even for highly agile teams to address status and have a social event. Also in this podcast, Susan Parente brings us her Not A Scrumdamentalist column.  Susan discusses the product owner's role and why it is important.   Susan’s LinkedIn Profile  linkedin.com/in/susanparente Websites techriskmanager.com  (Technical Risk Management) s3-tec.com  (Company Website) Email Address Parente@s3-tec.com Twitter TechRiskManager Re-Read Saturday News I took a day off from our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow to spend the day at a pickle festival. 

In SPaMCAST 560 we complete our wide-ranging interview with Al Shalloway.  We continue our conversations about the troubles dogging classic agile, the Agile Industrial Complex, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX.  I recommend that you listen to SPaMCAST 559 before listening to this week’s podcast  Mr. Shalloway’s bio: Al Shalloway is the creator of FLEX (FLow for Enterprise Transformation), a framework that is a platform for any practices consistent with Flow, Lean, and Agile, including technical practices. Al has made explicit his thought leadership in Scrum, XP, SAFe, Lean, Flow, design patterns and test-first methods into creating FLEX. FLEX takes a scientific approach regarding what methods work best. While it integrates with its own baseline of practices to offer a complete solution to organizations, its architecture enables it to be both tailored as needed to an organization as well as having other consultants integrate their own practices in it. The intention is to create a community of co

SPaMCAST 559 part one of our interview with Al Shalloway. I am breaking two guidelines this week.  First, rarely do I bring guests back so quickly. And secondly, I have not broken an interview into two parts for 7 years (ish). The conversation with Al was full of huge ideas, s, concepts, and calls to action cutting any of the content did not make sense. Al and I talked about about the troubles dogging classic agile, the Agile Industrial Complex, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX.  Edited, the interview was 49 minutes (with about 20 minutes of chit chat ended up on the cutting room floor - figuratively). I have broken the interview into two parts of approximately 27 and 22 minutes.  Today we have part one and next week we will complete the interview.   Mr. Shalloway’s bio: Al Shalloway is the creator of FLEX (FLow for Enterprise Transformation), a framework that is a platform for any practices consistent with Flow, Lean, and Agile, including technical practices. Al has made explicit his thought l

SPaMCAST 558 features our essay Story Points – Leave Them, Don’t Love Them.  Story Points are not evil and they may be useful in some circumstances. But like most tools, at some point, they lose focus. They have outlived their usefulness, therefore, I will leave them when at all possible.   This week, Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast.  We talked about focus. How much focus is enough and how much is too much? Mr. Berriault has an opinion and stories to back his opinion up.  Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 15 of Thinking, Fast and Slow we explore two types of fallacies. Logical and conjunction fallacies can impact any process improvement effort, typically in a manner that does not benefit change.  Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy.  Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon,  It’s time to get reading!    The installments: Wee

SPaMCAST 557 features our interview with Jorgen Hesselberg.  We talked about his book Unlocking Agility,  assessing agility, and whether leadership and structure lead culture when adopting an agile mindset.  It is a thought-provoking and fun interview. Jorgen’s irrepressible nature shines through even when tackling tough topics!  Jorgens Bio: “Jorgen Hesselberg is the author of Unlocking Agility and co-founder of Comparative Agility, a leading agile assessment, and continuous improvement platform. A proven thought leader of numerous successful enterprise transformation efforts since 2009, Jorgen provides strategic guidance, executive counsel, and coaching to some of the world’s most respected companies both as an internal change agent and an external consultant. He has trained thousands of people on agile and Scrum, disruptive innovation, and enterprise transformation strategy.” Contact Information Email: jorgen@comparativeagility.com  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jhesselberg  Comparative Agility:  https://www.c

SPaMCAST 556 features our essay on Socratic Questioning.  Questions are a critical tool that every coach, mentor or leader uses to help shape and improve the performance of those they interact with — I don’t think this statement should surprise anyone.  That said, pushing past the concept of just asking questions, Socratic questioning is a formal and disciplined approach to getting the person answering the questions to synthesize and answer based on knowledge and logic. We also have a visit from Susan Parente.  Susan brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the SPaMCAST. In this installment, Professor Parente discusses being agile in name only. Being agile in name only is not an enviable place to be! Re-Read Saturday News The availability heuristic, introduced in Chapter 12,  states that we make judgments about an attribute based on how easy or hard it is to retrieve information about the attribute. In Chapter 13, Kahneman dives deeper into how the availability heuristic functions, and provides some hints