Troubleshooting Agile cover image

Troubleshooting Agile

One- and Two-Way Doors

Jan 24, 2024
Discover the value of two-way doors and reversible decisions in risk-averse organizations. Learn about the concept of one-way and two-way doors in decision-making, with strategies for simplifying the process of undoing changes. Find out how the concept can be applied technically and socially, with examples from Microsoft. Explore the importance of challenging scar tissue and conservative approaches in organizations and embracing an experimental mindset.
14:20

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Treating reversible decisions as irreversible wastes valuable time in unnecessary debates.
  • Using feature flags in code allows for reversible changes, making experimentation less intimidating and more valuable.

Deep dives

Understanding One-Way and Two-Way Doors

Roland introduces the concept of decisions as one-way or two-way doors. One-way doors are irreversible decisions, like jumping off a cliff, with no way to go back. Two-way doors, on the other hand, allow for reversibility, like a normal door that can be opened in both directions. The key insight is to not spend excessive time debating decisions that are two-way doors. By treating them as one-way doors, valuable time is wasted. Roland suggests using this concept to save time and avoid unnecessary debates.

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