Inspect and Adapt
Construx
World-class software development requires far more than language/platform expertise and steady sprints. Join us as we describe time-tested, industry-proven software best practices at the team, organization, and leadership levels, sharing examples from recent engagements with software teams of all sizes.Construx is led by industry leader Steve McConnell, author of Code Complete and More Effective Agile. Software experts first and software trainers and consultants second, our team has seen what works and doesn’t work in hundreds of software organizations.Host Mark Griffin spent the first half of his career as an electrical engineer doing silicon hardware design and leading software automation teams. He moved into the sales side of software because he wanted to spread the value of what his company was building. It was supposed to be a one-year assignment that turned into the second half of his career. His balance of deeply technical skills and right-brain artistry also makes him a masterful home brewer!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 7, 2024 • 56min
#51 Professional Development 2024
To be a professional usually means a commitment to ongoing professional development. Doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants, and teachers all require periodic training to maintain their professional status, but what constitutes professional development in software? Can we consider ourselves professional without it? The Construx team will look into the state of professional development in software and give their assessment.
Sep 16, 2024 • 56min
#50 Staffing the Product Owner
Earl Beattie, a senior fellow at Construx with a wealth of experience in Agile methodologies, and Jenny Stewart, VP of Consulting at Construx, dive into the pivotal role of the product owner in software development. They discuss the complexities of staffing this role, emphasizing the balance between technical skills and business insight. The duo shares insights on navigating role transitions within Agile frameworks and highlights the importance of effective communication and trust in remote teams to foster collaboration. Their expertise provides practical strategies for optimizing product owner staffing.
Jun 4, 2024 • 53min
#49 The New
What do we do when we are faced with "The New"? When something is new to us, it's harder to estimate, harder to plan, and harder to execute. Some development projects involve much more that is new than others. How do we identify the new and deal with it in a constructive way? In this episode of Inspect & Adapt, Construx's Mark Griffin, Steve Tockey, Earl Beede, and Jenny Stuart dive into ways to have the best development project when dealing with 'The New."
May 1, 2024 • 57min
#48 Cone of Uncertainty
Why can't I know—with high precision—the final cost, scope, and time frame of my work effort? One of the biggest reasons you can't know all three at once is illustrated by Steve McConnell's Cone of Uncertainty. In this episode of Inspect & Adapt, Construx's Mark Griffin, Steve Tockey, and Earl Beede talk about what the Cone is, how it impacts your ability to estimate, and how you can use it to increase your estimate predictability.
Apr 9, 2024 • 53min
#47 Retrospectives
If hindsight is 20/20—and it's good practice to look back to find ways you could do better—then why do retrospectives seem like such a waste of time? Shouldn't they be a goldmine that we're excited about rather than just another obligatory meeting? Inspect & Adapt host Mark Griffin gathers fellow Construx staff, Steve Tockey, Jenny Stuart, and Earl Beede, to discuss how we can make retrospectives something to look forward to.
Mar 11, 2024 • 53min
#46 Reverse Agile Scaling
There is a lot of talk and ideas about how to scale agile up from the one-team, one-product base so that multiple teams can support a product (I am looking at you SAFe). But what about the case where one team must support multiple products? That is reverse agile scaling. Join Construx’s Mark Griffin, Jenny Stuart, and Earl Beede as they share strategies and proven techniques to have one team work with multiple products and multiple product owners.
Feb 6, 2024 • 56min
#45 Value Identification
What does "value" mean on your product? How do you know you are working on the most valuable thing? Construx's Earl Beede, Jenny Stuart, and Mark Griffin discuss how to clearly identify and articulate value on development projects. Knowing the targeted value is critical for prioritization and scope control and for knowing when to stop. It is also the key ingredient to meaningful feedback cycles. But how do you reliably identify value? Earl & Jenny will share stories of how they've helped organizations identify their value in a measurable way.
Jan 4, 2024 • 46min
#44 Bringing it All Together – the Successful Leadership of Hardware/Software Teams
How do you lead product development teams when a company that has always been hardware focused now owes its success to both hardware and software? Construx's Mark Griffin and Earl Beede recently spoke with Inogen's Norbert Leinfellner and Horst Pichler, who have decades of experience leading this transition. We kick off 2024 with an Inspect & Adapt episode on how successful leadership requires a certain system-level mindset to help blend those hardware and software teams.
Dec 4, 2023 • 57min
#43 Project Managers 2023
Listen to Construx's Earl Beede, Jenny Stuart, and Mark Griffin as they assess the role and duties of project managers on software intensive projects. A special focus will be on groups using agile development processes. Earl and Jenny will share stories of what they have seen work and what hasn't with their clients.
Oct 31, 2023 • 58min
#42 Splitting User Stories
Construx's Earl Beede, Jenny Stuart, and Mark Griffin investigate ways to split user stories so they fit in a sprint. Some methods are far preferable—and even easier—than others. Sometimes it just means setting yourself up to make your user stories split-able. Earl and Jenny will share their stories from the trenches and explain how they assist teams to apply the appropriate splitting practices in their environment.
