Software Process and Measurement Cast

This week we dive into what is often viewed as arcane science by the development community, pricing. Pricing can make or break any product. Everyone in the value chain has to have a good understanding of how pricing decisions are made and how they can impact what should be built and when. One critical part of the conversation focuses on whether there is an ideal pattern for product and development to work together? If not, what are the consequences? Our conversation just skims the surface of Ajit Ghuman’s new book which hit the book stands in April.  Ajit is currently Head of Product Marketing at Narvar, an enterprise-grade customer engagement platform that helps retailers inspire loyalty beyond reason by enabling seamless post-purchase experiences. A SaaS Product Marketing veteran, he has helped companies such as Medallia, Helpshift, and Feedzai differentiate their products, grow revenue, and win. Ajit is an expert in software pricing and his upcoming book, Price to Scale, covers an end-to-end approach to packaging and pricing for high-growth technology companies. He is an avid writer and routinely shares his insights as a member of the Forbes Communication Council, the Bizjournals Leadership Trust, and at Sharebird.com. He is an executive member at Revenue Collective, the leading network of commercial leaders working in the fastest-growing companies worldwide.  Web LinkedIn Twitter Re-Read Saturday News  This week we tack the introduction to .   The introduction is titled The Five Axioms of Monotasking.; Staffan takes us directly into the deep end. As I noted last week, I will take at least one concept/idea for the charter we are reading forward and try to apply it in my life.  As I re-read the introduction, I identified two potential behavior changes based on the five axioms.  They are: Resume doing daily retrospectives (focused on Axiom 5) Quiesce Teams and Slack (focused on Axiom 2) I am going to resume daily retrospectives which I stopped doing early last year as I adjusted my work life after I stopped leaving the house on a daily basis. Option 3 would have the biggest impact but will require more groundwork given expectations of instant availability. Has anyone experimented with quiescing chats in Team and Slack (or other similar tools)?  Week 1 - -   Week 2 - - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt   Upcoming Events! ISMA 18 Virtual Conference, June 24th, 2021 8 AM EDT to 11:15 EDT  I will host the event.  The event will have a host of great speakers on great topics!  ISMA 18 will be free for both IFPUG members and non-members. IFPUG members are eligible for 1 credit at the CFPS Extension Program (CEP) and also attract 3 Technical PDUs in the PMI Talent Triangle®, both by attending the full conference! Register:     Real Value of TMMi  (SPaMCAST is a Friend of TMMi America) Free webinar from TMMi America featuring Mark Summers June 25th, 2 to 3 PM EDT  This webinar will explore the common usages of the TMMi Test Process Improvement framework. We will dive into how:   You can leverage this framework to transform the way your organization delivers software. The model can transform your career. Next steps to take on your journey to becoming a Test Process Improvement superhero. The real value of the TMMi is to help you dramatically change the frequency and quality of your software delivery.   Register at     Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we stay with an agile product theme with a conversation the Rahul Aggarwal. We discussed building products to support the gig economy and entrepreneurship. Anyone thinking about a side hustle or starting a business will want to listen to Rahul’s sage advice.

This week is a doubleheader (baseball term for two games played by the same teams on the same day against each other). We begin our re-read of and we have my interview with Staffan. Several years ago I read Staffan’s book on Pomodoro which changed how I work.  Monotasking might be even more useful and impactful.  We discussed how to apply the ideas in the book to improve focus, productivity, and quality of life. Staffan Nöteberg is an enterprise agility coach with years of experience in improving personal productivity. He is also the author of Pomodoro Technique Illustrated (2009) and teaches seminars on monotasking to companies in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Twitter: Website:     Re-Read Saturday News  We start our re-read of .   The book is 237 pages published by Racehorse Publishing (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) and was released in English on June 1, 2021. For most of the readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast, this will be an initial read.  The book’s contents include a Preface, Introduction, 7 numbered chapters, an Afterword, and then other stuff like index and more (we will not cover the other stuff but I am glad for the index and endnotes).   Now the fun part.  Instead of a straight re-read and discussion. I am going to read a chapter, highlight the parts I am going to implement in the next week, tell you what I am going to do, and then the following week admit how well I performed. Week 1 - -     As a reminder, all of the entries from , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller are available! Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Week 12 - -   Week 13: t -   Week 14: -   Week 15: -   Week 16 - -     Upcoming Events! ISMA 18 Virtual Conference, June 24th, 2021 8 AM EDT to 11:15 EDT  I will host the event.  The event will have a host of great speakers on great topics!  ISMA 18 will be free for both IFPUG members and non-members. IFPUG members are eligible for 1 credit at the CFPS Extension Program (CEP) and also attract 3 Technical PDUs in the PMI Talent Triangle®, both by attending the full conference! Register:   Real Value of TMMi  (SPaMCAST is a Friend of TMMi America) Free webinar from TMMi America featuring Mark Summers June 25th, 2 to 3 PM EDT  This webinar will explore the common usages of the TMMi Test Process Improvement framework. We will dive into how: You can leverage this framework to transform the way your organization delivers software. The model can transform your career. Next steps to take on your journey to becoming a Test Process Improvement superhero.   The real value of the TMMi is to help you dramatically change the frequency and quality of your software delivery.   Register at   Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we talk with Ajit Ghuman, Head of Product Marketing at Narvar.  Ajit and I talk pricing, marketing, product engagement/ownership, and development. Is there an ideal pattern for product and development to work together? If not, what are the consequences?

Work Entry: An Introduction, focuses on what work entry is and why it is the single most important part of determining whether a team is dependable, predictable, and even remotely agile.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development. Jon and I discuss, wrestle, and chew on how the idea of a product backlog can exist in a project environment.  Re-Read Saturday News  We have read or re-read by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley cover-to-cover if you don’t count the index at the back of the book (and I certainly do not). As a wrap-up, I briefly consider three points that came to mind during the re-read. If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   Next week we will start our re-read of by laying out an approach. I am contemplating combining the re-read with experience reports as I try to put the ideas in the book to use. More on that next week. This Week’s Installment  Week 16 - -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Week 12 - -   Week 13: t -   Week 14: -   Week 15: -   Next SPaMCAST Speaking of , in the next podcast, we will feature the interview I did with Staffan covering the book that we are about to re-read.  We discussed how to apply the ideas in the book to improve focus, productivity, and quality of life.

Intellectual property protection impacts almost everyone whether they are aware of it or not.  Trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets are all part of a wide-ranging discussion of IP protection in the software environment. Rick provides great insight into a rapidly evolving field.  Rick Martin is the owner and founder of Martin IP Law Group which is based in Evansville, Indiana but serves clients throughout the United States. He is a graduate of the Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering and the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.  Prior to beginning his career as an Intellectual Property Attorney, Rick worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Rick has obtained hundreds of patents for inventors in a variety of fields, including timing systems, mine safety devices, broadband antennas, RFID, electronics, ranging, oil & gas, semiconductors, and other mechanical and electro-mechanical devices.  For over 25 years, he has been helping entrepreneurs and businesses protect their ideas, inventions, and identities through patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and related contracts, licenses, and agreements.   Email: Website:   LinkedIn:    Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 15 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, covers the retrospective. The retrospective, I think, is the most important part of Scrum. Helping it to work well is important.  Next week we will conclude our re-read with a few closing remarks. Make sure I have your input on what to re-read next by voting in the poll that can be found in the show notes.   Don’t like polls?  Email me your choice at . If you have noT bought your copy of  -- what are you waiting for?    This Week’s Installment  Week 15: -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Week 12 - -   Week 13: t -   Week 14: -     Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature a longer essay titled, Work Entry: An Introduction.  This essay brings together a number of concepts to focus on what work entry is and why it is the single most important part of determining whether a team is dependable and predictable.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development.

This week Dr. Eric Cole and I talk cybersecurity and entrepreneurship. Most of you will have been on the edge of your seat while you tracked the news of the ransomware attack on the . Security can not be an afterthought. Remember this is not a drill; this not hype.  Also, preorder Dr. Cole’s new book which will be released on June 1st. Dr. Cole is a world-renowned cybersecurity entrepreneur and founder of , Eric understands the dangers of cybersecurity and knows how to build successful companies.  Today, Dr. Cole shares the many lessons learned from overcoming adversity and staying committed to your purpose. Dr. Cole focuses on security and innovation with a mission to make cyberspace safe in a world where it can be an unrecognized danger and threat.  Website: LinkedIn:   The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit which starts tomorrow!  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast   Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 14 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, shines its spotlight on the Sprint Review. This event is geared to generating feedback to help the team and organization deliver value.  We are getting close to the end of the book and I would like your input on what to tackle next.  There is a poll in the show notes to collect your ideas! If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 14: -     Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Week 12 - -   Week 13: t -     Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, I talk with Rick Martin about intellectual property, and why everyone involved in software needs to understand how IP law can impact the value they deliver. Copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets are all part of protecting intellectual property.

Work entry, in its simplest form, is the steps needed for work to be triaged to ensure that it is the right work, that it is ready to be worked on, and the priority of the work. This week we talk about five common patterns. On Tuesday I will include the PDF in the feed to see if I can spur a discussion about other patterns.   We also have a visit from Tony Timbol with his To Tell A Story column.  In this installment we discuss different forms of user stories and when to use them.  The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 13 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, discusses the concept of a deployable product increment and done. What we deliver is a big deal, getting it right is the difference between satisfaction and all sorts of stress.  We are getting close to the end of the book and I would like your input on what to tackle next. If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 13: t -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Week 12 - -   Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we talk to Dr. Eric Cole. We talk cybersecurity and entrepreneurship.  If you did not understand the potential impact of security, just find any major newspaper for Sunday, May 9th, and read about the ransomware attack on the .  This not a drill, this not hype.

Experimentation is a dirty word in many organizations, however, it can be a powerful tool to drive and guide change.  Tammy Gretz shares how she adopted experiments in her practice and how she uses them to change the behavior and culture of people and organizations. I am occasionally asked why I enjoy meet-ups so much. Meeting people like Tammy is a major part of the reason.  Thanks to the for the great introduction which lead to this interview!   Tammy’s bio:  Tammy  is an “Agile Coach Making Shift Happen” “I exist to generously collaborate, embrace tension and use it to make shift happen.” I have been influencing change through servant leadership, elbow grease, and lattes for over 20 years. I am a massive maker and the majority of my education comes from experimenting and the relentless pursuit of understanding team dynamics, embracing tension, and using it to fuel innovation and change in the workplace and beyond.   The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 12 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, talks about the daily scrum. The daily “meeting” might be a ubiquitous feature of corporate life but it can be better!  If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 12 - -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -   Next SPaMCAST In the next SPaMCAST, we will chew on work entry patterns.  There are 5 basic patterns which are you?  Why is one better than another (some are downright not useful for agile). We will also have a visit from Tony Timbol bringing the story on user stories to the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners

Alex Omeyer and I discussed defining, tracking, and measuring technical debt. Technical debt generates a liability that every organization must deal with. As Alex states, “tech debt might not be the sexiest topic” but if teams and organizations don’t address their liabilities it will be difficult to deliver the value customers need and expect.  We also talk about the practicalities of pivoting life ambitions and entrepreneurship. Alex is the Co-founder and CEO of Stepsize.   Alex personally spends most of his time speaking to the best software development teams in the world about how they handle technical debt. Hit him up to talk tech debt. He loves to share what they taught him. Alex and his co-founders are building Stepsize—a free tool for engineering teams to track and prioritize technical debt. Stepsize’s mission is to make software development more accessible, efficient, and powerful.  Website: LinkedIn: Twitter @ The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast   The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the DevOps Online Summit.  Last call!  The DevOps Online Summit is nearly here!  During the week of  April 26th – 30th Tom Henricksen and crew will deliver the third summit. The goal is to bring together 5000 DevOps professionals.  Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 11 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, talks about the sprint backlog. The sprint backlog is the work teams do on a day-to-day basis.  If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 11: -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Week 10: -   Next SPaMCAST In the next SPaMCAST, we talk to Tammy Gretz. Experimentation is a dirty word in many organizations. Tammy explains how she uses powerful experiments to change the behavior and culture of people and organizations.  Thanks to the for the great introduction!

The majority of work entry problems are caused by . The eight problems often occur in clusters and are a reflection of organizational culture.  Knowing that there are eight problems is useful when they can be recognized. Unless people wear their motivations on signs hung around their neck, recognition requires conversation and observation.  Fixing any problem starts with recognizing that problem.  We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her, Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. Today Susan and I discuss the concept of Hybrid Agile and the new book Hybrid Project Management that Susan wrote with Mark Tolbert The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the DevOps Online Summit.    Next Week!  The DevOps Online Summit is nearly here!  During the week of  April 26th – 30th Tom Henricksen and crew will deliver the third summit. The goal is to bring together 5000 DevOps professionals.  Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 10 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, dives into planning. Sprint planning is one of the major events in Scrum. All sprints should start with planning (not planning is one of the silliest, but a common antipattern).  If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 10: -   Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9:  -   Next SPaMCAST In the next SPaMCAST, Alex Omeyer and I talk about technical debt.  Everyone uses the term and sometimes they even mean the same thing!  Mr. Omeyer describes why tech debt is such an important concept, how we can agree on a definition, and how to measure it.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 646, Albert Ahdoot and I focus on discussing the impact of strong off-premise infrastructure on the delivery of value, the impact on the bottom line, and the mitigation of risk. Albert Ahdoot is a successful entrepreneur focused on building IT businesses through meaningful relationships. His flagship company, Colocation America, was founded to serve as the premier data center provider for IT solutions looking for a secure and scalable IT.  Albert is a highly respected business development expert who has helped many technology companies achieve great success. Albert received his Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UCLA and his masters in Bio-Technology from NYU. Albert A.’s Profile Website  (Company Website) Email  albert@colocationamerica.com Twitter The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the DevOps Online Summit.  Tick Tock!  The DevOps Online Summit is nearly here!  During the week of  April 26th – 30th Tom Henricksen and crew will deliver the third summit. The goal is to bring together 5000 DevOps professionals.    Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 9 in , by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, addresses the ubiquitous concept of sprints. I have observed teams using weekly sprints and have even run into a team doing 6-month sprints (it did not end well).  Everyone is sprinting; Todd and Ryan address some of the more critical antipatterns in this chapter.  If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for?   This Week’s Installment  Week 9:  - Previous Installments Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -     Next SPaMCAST Broken record time, work entry is the single most important process for any team’s health.  Teams with little to no control of work entry will always be running around like their hair is on fire...which actually might be more pleasant.  We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her, Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.