

Troubleshooting Agile
A weekly problem-solving session for all things agile
Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for getting back on track.
Episodes
Mentioned books

8 snips
Jun 14, 2023 • 17min
Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt: Commercial and Technical Debt
Commercial and technical debt are twins: when your product is mispriced, your engineering investment is out of whack too. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn how you can build product plans that scale, with special guest Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt.
Links:
- Ulrik’s book The Pricing Roadmap: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pricing-Roadmap-Design-Models-Customers/dp/1544536305/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1682577248&sr=8-2
- Ulrik’s website: willingnesstopay.com
- Ulrik’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSPricing
- Unselling episode link: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/unselling-your-software
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Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversations at agileconversations.com
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013. A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Jun 7, 2023 • 16min
Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt: Price Your Customer, Not Your Product
If you have one product per customer and aren't charging a princely sum, you're not pricing your customers right. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to find out how you can take lessons in pricing a train ticket and apply them to your SAAS sales, with special guest Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt.
Links:
- Ulrik’s book The Pricing Roadmap: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pricing-Roadmap-Design-Models-Customers/dp/1544536305/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1682577248&sr=8-2
- Ulrik’s website: willingnesstopay.com
- Ulrik’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@SaaSPricing
--------------------------------------------------
Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversations at agileconversations.com
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013. A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

May 31, 2023 • 12min
Vagueness is Opportunity
Vague instructions from the Board or CEO are the norm, and in fact mean great opportunity. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to discover why there's no recipe that gets the right answers to executive problems, with Squirrel & Jeffrey!
Links:
- The Psychology of being a CEO: https://a16z.com/2011/03/31/whats-the-most-difficult-ceo-skill-managing-your-own-psychology/
- Cynefin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework
--------------------------------------------------
Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversations at agileconversations.com
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013. A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

May 24, 2023 • 9min
Be Your Own Devil's Advocate
You can be your own "devil's advocate" to boost the quality of what you produce. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn how and why to be self-critical, with Squirrel and Jeffrey!
Links:
- Devil's Advocate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_advocate
- Six Thinking Hats: https://www.debonogroup.com/services/core-programs/six-thinking-hats/
--------------------------------------------------
Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversations at agileconversations.com
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013. A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

May 17, 2023 • 12min
Unselling Your Software
Flickr started as an online game, but the company quickly learned that they had much greater value on tap as a photo site, and "unsold" their initial customers instead of sticking to their original idea. By being curious, you can learn what the market really needs, jettison the custom-built "products" that are holding you back, and keep the right customers delighted. Listen for more on the art and practise of "unselling"!
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

May 10, 2023 • 14min
Marking to Market for Software
Are you building a house of cards? On this week’s episode, Squirrel talks about how to test the value of what you’re doing using mark to market - and how not to be Silicon Valley Bank!
Listen to find out why you should aim to bring new software to the market every day and what methods of testing you can use to make sure that you’re always adding value to your organisation.
Links:
- Mark to Market: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marktomarket.asp
- Elephant Carpaccio episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/summer-shorts-and-learning-loops-elephant-carpaccio
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

May 3, 2023 • 10min
Try-Hards: Visibility vs Expertise
Are “Try-Hards” slowing down your team? On this week’s episode, Jeffrey describes a type of person that shows up in a lot of organisations - someone who isn’t competent, but sounds like they are!
Listen to find out about how you can spot (or self-identify) a “Try-Hard” by discounting their visibility and focussing only on their expertise.
Links:
- Hobbies article: https://brooker.co.za/blog/2023/04/20/hobbies.html
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Apr 26, 2023 • 12min
Removable Discomfort
Are you pushing alone or pushing together? On this week’s episode, we take a closer look at how to be helpfully demanding and how to identify removable discomfort, with a story about helping a product manager who's "pushing" for progress toward a quarterly goal.
Listen to find out how to approach your conversations with more curiosity, so you can uncover better solutions.
Links:
- Brooks on essential complexity: http://worrydream.com/refs/Brooks-NoSilverBullet.pdf
- Toyota Kata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Kata
- Previous episode on being helpfully demanding: https://agileconversations.com/blog/how-to-be-helpfully-demanding/
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Apr 19, 2023 • 12min
Abductive Reasoning
Are assumptions killing your curiosity? On the podcast this week, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss abduction - but not the alien kind!! Listen to learn about the methods of abductive reasoning and coherence busting, and find out how you can apply the principles of Wordle to improve your outcomes.
Links:
- Abductive reasoning: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning
- Affirming the consequent: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirming_the_consequent
- Coherence busting: https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2016/04/08/coherence-busting-explained/
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here: https://douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

6 snips
Apr 12, 2023 • 26min
I Need to F-ing Talk To You - Part II
Are you wearing a Viking helmet, sun hat or graduate cap? On the podcast this week, Squirrel and Jeffrey are joined again by fellow podcast host duo Russell and Ken of the “I Need to F-ing Talk To You” podcast.
In this episode, Russell and Ken detail the "hats" they use to identify the different patterns of human behavior that affect conversations, and how they use BEEF and COACH models to improve the outcome of conversations.
Links:
- Website, Podcast, Book, Course: www.ineedtof-ingtalktoyou.com/
- Ken Cameron: www.corporate-culture-shift.com
- Russell Stratton: www.bluegemlearning.com
- Forum Theatre: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_theatre
- Situational Leadership: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational…eadership_theory
--------------------------------------------------
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now. Go to agileconversations.com to order your copy.
Plus, get access to a free mini training video about the technique of Coherence Building when you join our mailing list.
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at info@agileconversations.com
About Your Hosts
Squirrel and Jeffrey first met while working together at TIM group in 2013 . A decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing organisations through better conversations.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant, helping companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes.
You can find out more about his work here:
douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, author and speaker.
You can connect with him here:
www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/