Join the discussion on predictability and flow in software development with expert Daniel Vacanti. Explore forecasting hurricanes vs. product development, thinking in bets like a poker player, continuous forecasting, and bankroll management. Dive into planning, kanban, flow, and foundational flow metrics like work item aging.
Predictability is crucial in agile methodologies to meet customer expectations.
Kanban optimizes workflow by visualizing and improving processes, enhancing predictability and efficiency.
Deep dives
Importance of Predictability in Agile
Predictability is vital in agile methodologies, despite being often overlooked. The speaker emphasizes that customers prioritize predictability in projects, emphasizing the need for organizations to address this aspect. By focusing on unpredictability, valuable insights concerning customer concerns and trust can be obtained. Work item aging is discussed as a key metric to highlight workflow inefficiencies, leading to a better understanding of predictability.
Optimizing Flow with Kanban
Kanban is presented as a strategy to optimize flow within processes. Defining and visualizing workflows, actively managing workflow items, and continuously improving the workflow are fundamental practices of Kanban. The primary goal of Kanban is to enhance flow, which indirectly influences predictability and overall process efficiency.
Quality Control and Continuous Improvement
Quality control and defect management play crucial roles in maintaining predictability within workflows. By addressing quality issues and defects throughout the process, teams can enhance customer satisfaction and overall workflow efficiency. Metrics like cycle time and quality indicators help in monitoring and improving the quality of work.
Community Engagement and Learning Resources
The audience is encouraged to explore resources like pro Kanban dot org, a community-driven platform dedicated to sharing knowledge and fostering learning in Kanban practices. Additionally, the speaker mentions a YouTube channel, 'Joint Casual,' where agile-related topics are discussed informally. The engagement in communities and platforms like these can greatly benefit individuals looking to enhance their understanding of agile methodologies.
What is predicting software development like?
For example, is it more like forecasting a hurricane? Or, more like forecasting the repeat manufacturing of a physical widget?
What is the appropriate level of certainty? What effect should that have on our product thinking and practices?
Join us as we explore predictability and flow with Daniel Vacanti. We not only discuss forecasting hurricanes vs. forecasting product development, but we also dive into thinking in bets like a poker player, continuous forecasting, and bankroll management. We talk through the marketability of rational uncertainty vs. overconfidence. We round it out with planning, kanban, flow, and foundational flow metrics like work item aging.