Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 413 features our essay on Scaling Agile and Management Styles.  This essay builds on our recent discussion of servant leadership. It is not as simple as adding teams or building a hierarchy. Steve Tendon joins the SPaMCAST this week to discuss Chapter 11 in Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban, published J Ross ().   We discussed the concept of throughput accounting.  A powerful concept that that focuses on the delivery of value through the overall process. Visit Steve at . We cap this edition of the Software Process and Measurement Cast with a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy discussed the impact of testing tools. There are significant plusses for using tools if you don’t let the tools use you! Connect with Jeremy on .   Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read/re-read of by Patrick Lencioni (published by Jossey-Bass).  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a business novel that uses a story to get important ideas across to the reader in a less threatening manner. the sections covering the background for the first major team crisis. Lots of behaviors you might, unfortunately, recognize in teams around you! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 414 will feature our interview with Marcus Hammarberg. We often think of Agile as a tool to build or maintain software.  Marcus used Agile techniques to save a clinic and to change lives.  It is an amazing and uplifting story.   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 412 features our discussion of , Second Edition with Steven Adams.  It was a great talk that helped me understand why the book has (and continues to have) such a large impact on how I view Agile and software development. Steve lives in the San Francisco Bay Area (a.k.a, Silicon Valley) where he has a successful career in software development.  Steve has worked for Hewlett Packard, Access Systems Inc,, Trilliant Inc., and Sony Mobile Communications; plus has consulted at Cisco Systems.  Steve has a computer science degree from California State University at Chico, learned software project management at Hewlett-Packard and, in 2009, started his Agile journey with Sony Ericsson.  Steve enjoys listening to technical podcasts, and SpamCast was one of the first and is a favorite!  Steve is also an avid bicyclist (road) and is on track to log over 3,500 miles in 2016. Blog: Twitter: @stevena510 Re-Read Saturday News We begin the read/re-read of by Patrick Lencioni (published by Jossey-Bass).  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a business novel that uses a story to get important ideas across to the reader in a less threatening manner.  This week we address the introduction and some of the backstory. All of this provides the background for us to recognize the impact of poor teamwork!    Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 413 will feature our essay on Scaling Agile and Management Styles.  This essay builds on our recent discussion of servant leadership.  We will also have columns from Steve Tendon talking about another chapter in his great book Hyper Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The Tame Flow Approach and a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 411 includes four columns!  The first is our thoughts on servant leadership. A servant leader facilitates collaboration not only by creating a learning environment but also by helping the team to establish a vision and goals.  Servant leadership is a powerful tool to unlock the ability of teams or groups to deliver value. Many of the links between servant leadership and Agile are because servant leadership enables several of the principles in the Agile Manifesto, but servant leadership doesn’t work in every scenario. This essay will explore the origins of servant leadership, its ties with Agile and when to apply a servant leadership approach. Jon M Quigley anchors the cast with the second installment in a three-part arc on requirements in his  “The Alpha-Omega of Product Development” column. This week Jon discusses managing requirements. Gene Hughson brings his Form Follows Function blog to the Software Process and Measurement Cast.  In this visit, Gene discusses his recent blog entry titled, “”.  Gene points out that software development organizations live in a complex world where single factor explanations are dangerous. Kim Pries, the Software Sensi, brings a great discussion of the concept of craftsmanship in software development to the Cast.  Craftsmanship and quality are related, but craftsmanship is a more intimate and personal attribute. Re-Read Saturday News This week we complete our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with final thoughts on a book that has shaped a generation's thinking on Agile, while at the same time being eminently practical. Next week we begin our read of by Patrick Lencioni (published by Jossey-Bass).  This will be a new book for me, therefore an initial read, not a re-read!  Click the link (), buy a copy, and next week we will begin to read the book together.  Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 412, if you thought we were done with , Second Edition, you would be wrong.  One of the SPaMCAST’s long term listeners, Steven Adams and I recently sat down to discuss our thoughts on the book.  It was a great conversation that we look forward to sharing with you! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 410, we feature our interview with Jessica Long.  Jessica and I discussed storytelling. I find that storytelling is a useful tool to help individuals, teams, and organizations.  Projects can use stories to generate user stories and as a tool in retrospectives.  Stories are also a tool in generating a vision of the future in organizational transformations.  Those are just a few of the multitude of uses for storytelling in changing how value is delivered! Jessica and I will both be presenting on using stories at the Agile Philly, Agile Tour 2016 on October 10th.   Jessica’s bio:Jess Long is an Agile Coach, a writer, a speaker and a mother with a passion for driving meaningful stories across multiple iterations in all facets of life. Transforming Corporate America and living to tell about it is no small feat. She keeps some level of sanity by finding humor in otherwise absurd situations. Twitter: Blog: LinkedIn: Re-Read Saturday News This week we reach the penultimate week in our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of Chapters 24 and 25. Chapter 24 discusses the value and power in communities. Chapter 25 is Beck’s conclusion and reflection on the book: XP is about people! Next week we'll wrap this re-read up and get ready to to read by Patrick Lencioni (published by Jossey-Bass).  This will be a new book for me, therefore an initial read, not a re-read!  Steven Adams suggested the book and it has been on my list for a few years. Click the link (), buy a copy, and in a few weeks we will begin to read the book together. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 411 will be a big show featuring our thoughts on servant leadership. In SPaMCAST 411 we will have a visit from the Kim Pries, the Software Sensei. We will have more from Steve Tendon on the Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross ().  And anchoring the cast will be Gene Hughson with an entry from his Form Follows Function Blog.   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

Special Note - SPAMCAST 409 was due to be posted last week, but bad things happened to my main computer and my backup decided to air-gap itself from the Internet.  That said, #409 is going up a week later so the Re-read Saturday news is a week out of date.  This week we talk about Chapters 22 and 23. I have declared that last weekend was a very stressful vacation from posting.  Now the show goes on! In Software Process and Measurement Cast 409, we feature our essay on advice I recently provided to a listener to the podcast on whether a team is really one or two teams.  While the essay is a result of answering a friend’s question, the ideas in the essay can be applied when you are building any sort of team. Our second column this week features a visit to Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner.  Jeremy and I discussed how QA should communicate with other leaders in the organization.  In the third and final column, Jon M. Quigley begins a three-part arc on requirements in “The Alpha-Omega of Product Development.” This week on discusses the elicitation of requirements. Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of Chapters 20 and 21.  Chapter 20 is a discussion of applying XP.  The short version is that there is no one perfect way to apply XP, which dovetails nicely with Chapter 21 which addresses the concept of purity and certification.  IF there is no one perfect way to apply XP, how can there be an absolute litmus test for XP purity?    Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next we are going to read .  This will be a new book for me, therefore an initial read, not a re-read!  Steven Adams suggested the book and it has been on my list for a few years. Click the link (), buy a copy, and in a few weeks we will begin to read the book together. Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we will feature our interview of Jessica Long.  Jessica and I discussed storytelling.  Storytelling is useful in all types of organizations for both projects and as a tool in organizational transformations.   Jessica and I will both be presenting on using stories at the Agile Philly, Agile Tour 2016 on October 10th.   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 408 features our interview with Kupe Kupersmith. Kupe and I discussed the role of the business analyst in today’s dynamic environment.  It is critical to defining and facilitating the delivery of value. Weighty topics, but we also had a bit of fun. “Kupe” Kupersmith, President, B2T Training, possesses over 18 years of experience in software systems development. He has served as the lead Business Analyst and Project Manager on projects in the energy, television and sports management and marketing industries. Additionally, he serves as a mentor for business analysis professionals. Kupe is the co-author of Business Analysis for Dummies, a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) and a former IIBA® Board Member. Kupe is a requested speaker and has presented at many conferences around the world. Being a trained improvisational comedian, Kupe is sure to make you laugh while you’re learning. For a feel for Kupe’s view on business analysis topics check out his blog on . Kupe is a connector and has a goal in life to meet everyone! Contact Information https://www.b2ttraining.com/   Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of .   Chapters 18 and 19 provide a view into two very different management philosophies that shaped software development in general and have had a major impact on XP.  Chapter 18 discusses Taylorism and scientific management; a management knows best view of the world. Chapter 19 talks about the Toyota Production System, which puts significant power back in the hands of the practitioner to deliver a quality product. Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next, we are going to read by Jossey-Bass.  This will be a new book for me, therefore, an initial read, not a re-read!  Steven Adams suggested the book and it has been on my list for a few years! Click the link (), buy a copy and in a few weeks, we will begin to read the book together.   Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we will feature essay on whether a team is really one or two teams.  While the essay is a result of answering a friend’s question, the ideas in the essay can be applied when you are building any sort of team. We will also have columns from Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner and Jon M. Quigley’ column, “The Alpha-Omega of Product Development.” Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 407 includes four separate columns.  We begin with a short essay refreshing the pros and cons of Test Driven Development. Test Driven Development promises a lot of benefits but all is not light, kittens and puppies. Still, TDD is well worth doing if you go into it with your eyes open. Our second column features Kim Pries, the Software Sensei.  Kim discusses what makes software “good.” The Software Sensei puts the “good” in quotes because it is actually a difficult word to define but Kim is willing to give the discussion a go! In our third column, we return to Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross (). We tackle Chapter 10 which is titled The Thinking Processes. Thinking processes are key to effectively using  Agile, lean and kanban processes.   Gene Hughson anchors the cast with an entry from his Form Follows Function Blog.  In this installment, we discuss the blog entry titled “.”  Gene and I discussed change which is inevitable and innovation which is not quite as inevitable. Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of .   Chapter 16 ends Section One with an interview with Brad Jensen.  Section Two addresses the philosophies of XP.  Chapter 17 tells the creation story of XP from Beck’s point of view. We are going to read by Jossey-Bass .  This will be a new book for me, therefore, an initial read (I have not read this book yet), not a re-read!  Steven Adams suggested the book and it has been on my list for a few years! Click the link (), buy a copy and in a few weeks, we will begin to read the book together. Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we will feature our interview with Kupe Kupersmith. Kupe brings his refreshing take on the role of the business analyst in today’s dynamic environment.  This interview was informative, provocative and entertaining.      Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 406 features our interview with Erik van Veenendaal.  We discussed Agile testing, risk and testing, the Test Maturity Model Integrated (TMMi), and why in an Agile world quality and testing still matter. Erik van Veenendaal (www.erikvanveenendaal.nl) is a leading international consultant and trainer, and a recognized expert in the area of software testing and requirement engineering. He is the author of a number of books and papers within the profession, one of the core developers of the TMap testing methodology, a participant in working parties of the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB). He is one of the founding members of the TMMi Foundation, the lead developer of the TMMi model and currently a member of the TMMi executive committee. Erik is a frequent keynote and tutorial speaker at international testing and quality conferences. For his major contribution to the field of testing, Erik received the European Testing Excellence Award (2007) and the ISTQB International Testing Excellence Award (2015). You can follow Erik on twitter via @ErikvVeenendaal. Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of .  This week we dive into design and scaling. These chapters  address two critical and controversial topics that XP profoundly rethought. I am still collecting thoughts on what to read next. Is it time to start thinking about what is next: a re-read or a new read?  Thoughts? Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will focus on our recent revisit of Test Driven Development (TDD).  TDD is an important feature of XP that can be (and should be) used if quality and efficiency are important to your organization. We will also have a new column from Steve Tendon (welcome back Steve!)  and Gene Hughson AND maybe one more but we will see!    Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 405 is a cornucopia of topics!  We begin by exploring a bit of the psychology of change in four short essays. These topics are important for any change agent at any level to understand. Change at any scale is not an easy task. Change requires establishing a goal, recruiting a sponsor, acquiring a budget, developing a set of plans and then there is the part where the miracle happens and people change. The last step is always the hardest and is often akin to herding cats. Psychology and sociology have identified many of the reasons why people embrace change and innovation in different ways.   Our second column is from Jon M. Quigley.  We have settled on a name for the column, “The Alpha-Omega of Product Development.” In this month’s column, we discuss using metrics to dispel assumptions. One item we discussed was using planning poker to expose assumptions and then to find tactics to address them. Anchoring the cast, Jeremy Berriault brings the QA Corner to the Software Process and Measurement Cast.  In this installment of the QA Corner, Jeremy talks about whether test automation scripting for new functions should be tackled or not.  Jeremy has an opinion and provides advice for testing professionals on a sticky topic.   Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of Chapters 12 and 13.  This week we tackle two concepts central to XP: planning and testing both done the XP way.   We are exactly halfway through the book.  We will have seven more installments including an entry for reflections on the overall book.  It is time to start thinking about what is next: a re-read or a new read?  Thoughts? Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature interview with Erik van Veenendaal.  We discussed the Test Maturity Model Integrated, TMMi,  and why in an Agile world quality and testing really matter. Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 404 features our interview with Ryan Ripley.  We discussed The Business of Agile: Better, Faster, Cheaper at Agile. We discussed why having the answer for whether Agile is better, faster and cheaper is still important in the business world. Along the way, we wrestled with the concept of value and why having value sooner is not the same as going fast.   Ryan Ripley has worked on agile teams for the past 10 years in development, scrum master, and management roles. He’s worked at various Fortune 500 companies in the medical device, wholesale, and financial services industries. Ryan is great at taking tests and holds the PMI-ACP, PSM I, PSM II, PSE, PSPO I, PSD I, CSM and CSPO agile certifications. Ryan lives in Indiana with his wife Kristin and their three children. He blogs at and hosts the . You can also follow Ryan on twitter:   Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of ’s , Second Edition with a discussion of Chapters 9 and 10. It is great to see the concepts we explored when we re-read Goldratt’s The Goal come back to roost.  This week we focus on roles, the definition of team, flow and more flow.     Use the link to X in the show notes when you buy your copy to read along to support both the blog and podcast. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay productivity.  A lot of people would tell you productivity does not matter or that discussing productivity in today’s Agile world is irrational. They are wrong. Productivity is about jobs. We will also have columns from the QA Corner and for Jon M Quigley.  I think 405 might be just a bit controversial.   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.