Small Batches will return in 2025. Until then, I recommend checking out the Complexity Lounge on YouTube, hosted by my friend Jocko Selberg. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Explore the poetic depths of programming through delightful haikus by Zen nun Yoshiko. These verses capture the emotional rollercoaster of a programmer’s journey, touching on themes of joy, solitude, and the frustration of project cancellations. Each haiku serves as both a reflection and a connection to the broader programming community, showcasing shared struggles and experiences. Dive into this unique blend of humor and poignancy, perfect for anyone in the tech world.

Explore the unique blend of Zen philosophy and programming wisdom as a master shares koans that reveal the deeper truths of software development. With humor and insight, the discussion uncovers adaptability and the inevitability of bugs in coding. Philosophical musings highlight the art of programming and its connection to corporate dynamics. This enlightening journey promises an engaging look at the challenges faced by developers, combining laughter with essential lessons for improving software delivery.

Dive into a unique blend of humor and philosophy as the host explores programming insights from Master Rinzai's analects. Discover the complexities of software development, including the tug-of-war between proprietary and open-source solutions. The conversation highlights the importance of teamwork and servant leadership. Learn how software success often hinges on personal recommendations rather than marketing hype, alongside essential tips for mastering software delivery. Get ready to rethink your approach to programming and project success!

Dive into the whimsical world of programming wisdom with charming folktales from Master Noa-Op. Each story offers humorous insights into the quirks of software development and the human side of tech culture. Learn about the persistent presence of bugs and the importance of confronting issues head-on with management. The tales explore project management and user interface design in a light-hearted yet enlightening manner, encouraging reflection on the art of software delivery.

Dive into the whimsical world of programming wisdom as a captivating tale unfolds about Master Ninjei. Discover his enigmatic rise and sudden disappearance from the programming landscape. The podcast features hilarious yet poignant allegories that illuminate critical programming principles. Emphasis is placed on user understanding, simplification of code, and nurturing human development in leadership. Get ready for laughter and insights that challenge traditional programming conventions!

Dive into the intriguing blend of Zen philosophy and programming concepts as the host introduces a new series. The exploration of The Zen of Programming reveals profound spiritual insights behind coding. Enjoy humorous and poignant readings from Geoffrey James's unique work. Discover how the programmer's mindset aligns with deeper truths while being tempted to enter a giveaway for a popular book. This captivating journey will make you see software delivery in a whole new light!

In this episode, Adam welcomes Dan Slimmon, an experienced Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) to discuss aspects of incident response and troubleshooting in software engineering. Dan explains his methodology for clinical troubleshooting, the importance of maintaining a common mental model, and techniques for leading effective incident response efforts. They also delve into the value of continuous ops reviews and ongoing mental model updates to prevent issues, emphasizing the need for structured processes and effective communication.Want more?🚀 New listener? Start with the introduction.🎁 Enter the FREE giveaway for a copy of "Release It!"🧭 Get the Small Batches Way guide to software delivery excellence 🥋 Software Kaizen: My One-on-One System for Engineering Leadership🧑‍🎓 Dan's course on leading incidents (Code SMALLBATCHES24 for 24% off!)Chapters(00:00) - Incidents & Operations (01:14) - Guest Welcome (01:40) - Dan's Career Journey (02:33) - Evolution of Tech Stacks (04:59) - Clinical Troubleshooting Explained (11:53) - Incident Response Fundamentals (17:41) - Effective Communication in Incidents (26:09) - Training for Incident Response (33:22) - The Essence of Incident Response (33:53) - Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Fixes (35:01) - The Firefighting Analogy in Software Incidents (37:11) - Postmortems: Learning from Incidents (42:14) - Building a Shared Mental Model (42:41) - Looking for Trouble: Proactive System Monitoring (47:59) - Ops Reviews: Continuous Improvement (54:37) - The Importance of Closing the Feedback Loop (59:40) - Final Thoughts and Resources ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode of Small Batches, host Adam Hawkins welcomes Alex Nesbitt, a strategy expert and member of the Flow Collective, to delve into the nuances of strategic thinking. The discussion covers different types of strategies, pro-tips on strategic thinking, and how strategy relates to the concept of flight levels. Nesbitt shares insights from his extensive consulting career, touching on topics like identifying leverage points, the relationship between strategy and tactics, and why being strategic is often more critical than having a strategy. The episode also stresses the importance of having a clear vision, enabling organizational constraints, and the roles of resilience and maintenance in strategic planning. Alex mentions practical examples, resources, and tips to help software and business leaders enhance their strategic approach.Want more?🚀 New listener? Start with the introduction.🎁 Enter the FREE giveaway for a copy of "Playing to Win"🧭 Get the Small Batches Way guide to software delivery excellence 🥋 Software Kaizen: My One-on-One System for Engineering Leadership📘 Playing to Win by Lafely & Martin📘 Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Rumelt📘 The Effective Executive by Drucker🧠 Effectuation TheoryChapters(00:00) - Intro (01:17) - Alex's Background (04:52) - What is Strategy? (08:10) - The Shadow Strategy (12:56) - How to Practice Strategy (22:03) - Software Architecture & Strategy (25:33) - Strategy & Being Strategic (29:50) - Five Pillars of Strategic Thinking (34:46) - Pain of Bad Strategy (37:22) - Alex's Tip for Surviving Ambiquitous Strategy (38:38) - Strategy Deployment & Hoshin Kanri (42:47) - Tip of Software Development (48:03) - Alex's Recommend Resources (52:47) - Adam's Takeaway & Segue into AI (55:19) - Alex's Links (57:19) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Adam discusses strategy in preparation for the next episode.Want more?🚀 New listener? Start with the introduction.🎁 Enter the FREE giveaway for a copy of "Playing to Win"🧭 Get the Small Batches Way guide to software delivery excellence 🥋 Software Kaizen: My One-on-One System for Engineering Leadership📘 Playing to Win by Lafely & MartinChapters(00:00) - Playing to Win (00:46) - Flight Levels (01:53) - What is strategy? (03:45) - Strategy for SRE at Skillshare (05:16) - Outro ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★