

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

Jan 8, 2020 • 30min
Conversational Transformations - Las Vegas
A special episode - audio of our talk on "conversational transformation" at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit. Practical steps you can take today to get your team on track to a successful digital/agile/devops transformation, using effective if difficult conversations.
- Video of the talk and info on the book: https://www.conversationaltransformation.com/
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Jan 1, 2020 • 34min
Non-Functional Requirements - From Rant to Agreement
After Squirrel argued passionately in a previous episode that non-functional requirements should be eliminated, we invite medtech expert and portfolio CTO Alex Hudson to visit and describe why he finds NFRs helpful. It turns out that the two positions are closer together than we might have thought, and we get fascinating stories about medical device design and 30-second page loads along the way.
SHOW LINKS:
- Alex Hudson: https://twitter.com/ealexhudson and https://alexhudson.com/
- Previous rant episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/squirrels-rant
- Twitter debate with Alex: https://twitter.com/douglassquirrel/status/1207400245002457090
- The "ilities": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-functional_requirement
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Dec 25, 2019 • 14min
Staying Agile Over the Holidays
We review our holiday reading and watching plans for listeners who might want to join us in exploring lean and agile ideas over the break. We also list our top 5 episodes from 2019 and preview a few events planned for 2020.
SHOW LINKS:
- Ed Catmull on conversations and other challenges at Pixar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2h2lvhzMDc
- Kent Beck on throughput vs latency: https://medium.com/@kentbeck_7670/inefficient-efficiency-5b3ab5294791
- Mark Schwartz, War and Peace and IT: https://itrevolution.com/war-and-peace-and-it/ https://twitter.com/schwartz_cio
- Subscribed by Tien Tzuo and Gabe Weisert.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscribed_(book)
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21343.The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team
- Lean Thinking by Womack and Jones: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/289467.Lean_Thinking
- The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255186-the-phoenix-project
- The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44333183-the-unicorn-project
- Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/762542.The_Four_Steps_to_the_Epiphany
- The Reflective Practitioner by Donald Schön : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29916803-the-reflective-practitioner
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10127019-the-lean-startup
- The Principles of Product Development Flow by Donald Reinertsen : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6278270-the-principles-of-product-development-flow
- Team Topologies by Skelton and Pais: https://itrevolution.com/team-topologies/
Top 5 episodes in 2019:
5. How to Detect Agile BS - Part 1 : https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/how-to-detect-agile-bs-part-1
4. Values of the Give Up Control Model : https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/values-of-the-give-up-control-model
3. Mutual Learning Model: Accountability and Compassion : https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/mutual-learning-model-accountability-and-compassion
2. Agile is Dead, Long Live Agile : https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/agile-is-dead-long-live-agile
1. Ryan Singer on Basecamp and Shape Up, Part I : https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-i
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Dec 18, 2019 • 19min
Nonfunctional Requirements Considered Harmful - A Rant
Squirrel gets hot under the collar about non-functional "requirements", and after he gets his rant off his chest, we discover NFRs are all too often just excuses to avoid a conversation. In addition, we touch on the "ilities", security, and ethical considerations for software developers.
SHOW LINKS:
- The "ilities": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-functional_requirement
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Dec 11, 2019 • 23min
War and Peace and IT
Mark Schwartz, author of War and Peace and IT, describes his experience in the CIO trenches, where low trust between "the business" and IT bogs the organisation down in lengthy acquisition processes and contract negotiations rather than delivering business objectives. We touch on value stream mapping, how to use devops and its relatives devsecops and finops, briefing and back briefing, and what we see as the root of the disconnect between business and tech, a lack of trust.
SHOW LINKS:
- Mark Schwartz, War and Peace and IT: https://itrevolution.com/war-and-peace-and-it/ https://twitter.com/schwartz_cio
- Value Stream Map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value-stream_mapping
- Briefing and Back Briefing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Action-Leaders-between-Actions/dp/1857885597
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Dec 4, 2019 • 19min
Making Output Visible
Last week, Domenica DeGrandis talked with us about making work visible. Today, we distinguish that idea from a related one, that of making your *output* visible. How can your team show its results frequently? What symptoms indicate that this might help you? What results can you expect from showing meaningful business value often?
SHOW LINKS:
- Domenica's Making Work Visible book: https://itrevolution.com/book/making-work-visible/
- Lean Thinking: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lean-Thinking-Banish-Create-Corporation/dp/0743231643
- Genchi Genbutsu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genchi_Genbutsu
- Alistair Cockburn on Elephant Carpaccio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lNvr2RWbFo
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
New video of us at the Las Vegas Devops Enterprise Summit 2019 is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMT_Tqzf_vc
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Nov 27, 2019 • 25min
Making Work Visible with Dominica DeGrandis
Sunday is the new Monday, and that’s a bad thing - says our guest today, Dominica DeGrandis, author of Making Work Visible. How can you move from default yes to an effective, smooth flow of work? Dominica addresses this question while touching on queueing theory, empathy, and hope!
SHOW LINKS:
- Dominica’s Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/dominicad
- Domenica’s web site: https://ddegrandis.com/
- Kanban book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kanban-Successful-Evolutionary-Technology-Business/dp/0984521402/ref=asc_df_0984521402/
- Queueing theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queueing_theory
- Paul Graham on Maker and Manager Schedules: http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order!
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Nov 20, 2019 • 18min
The Bozo Bit and Duelling Ladders
The hosts dive into the intriguing concept of the 'bozo bit,' a mental block that challenges effective collaboration. They share stories that illustrate how biases can distort perceptions of others. The idea of 'dueling ladders' highlights the complexities of communication in teams. Practical strategies are discussed for overcoming relational conflicts, embracing curiosity, and enhancing teamwork. Wrapping up, they stress the importance of recognizing personal biases to foster better dialogue and collaboration.

Nov 13, 2019 • 19min
John Willis on DevOps Past, Present, and Future - Part II
Today we finish our conversation with author, podcaster, and DevOps expert John Willis https://twitter.com/botchagalupe . John covers a wide variety of topics at lightning speed, including:
SHA - a hash algorithm, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-1
CAB - Change Advisory Board, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change-advisory_board
Jim Benson on Kanban - http://personalkanban.com/pk/about-us/team/jim-benson/
Andreesen on “software eating the world” - https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/
Knight Capital disaster - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Capital_Group#2012_stock_trading_disruption
CAMS - https://medium.com/@brunodelb/the-cams-model-to-better-understand-the-devops-movement-ffe6713c3fd7
Deming 14 points - https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_75.htm
Peter Senge 5th Discipline - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Discipline
Equifax breach - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49070596
Air France 447 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447
Sidney Dekker Murphy’s Law - http://raeda.com.au/murphys-law-is-wrong-everything-that-can-go-wrong-usually-goes-right/
David Foster Wallace “This is Water” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Water
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://itrevolution.com/book/agile-conversations/ to pre-order!
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2

Nov 6, 2019 • 20min
John Willis on DevOps Past, Present, and Future - Part I
Today we speak to author, podcaster, and DevOps expert John Willis https://twitter.com/botchagalupe . John covers a wide variety of topics at lightning speed, including:
SHA - a hash algorithm, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-1
CAB - Change Advisory Board, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change-advisory_board
Jim Benson on Kanban - http://personalkanban.com/pk/about-us/team/jim-benson/
Andreesen on “software eating the world” - https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/
Knight Capital disaster - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Capital_Group#2012_stock_trading_disruption
CAMS - https://medium.com/@brunodelb/the-cams-model-to-better-understand-the-devops-movement-ffe6713c3fd7
Deming 14 points - https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_75.htm
Peter Senge 5th Discipline - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Discipline
Equifax breach - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49070596
Air France 447 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447
Sidney Dekker Murphy’s Law - http://raeda.com.au/murphys-law-is-wrong-everything-that-can-go-wrong-usually-goes-right/
David Foster Wallace “This is Water” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Water
***
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See https://itrevolution.com/book/agile-conversations/ to pre-order!
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2