Software Process and Measurement Cast

Earlier this year (JRoss Publishing) co-authored by Jeremy Willets and myself was published. The book focuses on the full pipeline that work follows as it enters and exits your organization, including the different types of work that enter at multiple levels and times. It is a must-read for agile coaches, Scrum Masters, product owners, project and portfolio managers, team members, and anyone who touches the software development process.  Mr Willets and I are announcing a free Work Intake Summer Camp. The camp will help across eight LinkedIn Live sessions and cover the eight primary causes of work intake problems. The first session will be held on June 19th at 11:30 AM EDT (for more information ).    Each session will: Define one work intake problem per session,  Identify how to recognize the problem,  Offer a pragmatic approach to tackling the issue, and At least one scary story of work entry gone wrong (this is summer camp) We would like you to register at our Maven page  so we can remind you when the session goes live. If you register we also have a Work Intake Problem Worksheet that we use in our workshops that we will email.  However, if you’d rather not register on Maven you can set a reminder on LinkedIn at . In either case, we will announce when the sessions go live on LinkedIn. Feel free to share the invitation with others. We will ensure we have enough virtual juice boxes for stories around the campfire.

This week on the Software Process and Measurement Cast we have a replay of an interview of Jim Benson from 2019.  Jim and I focused on prioritization and how prioritization can be a reflection of more deep-seated problems. One of the ideas Jim shares is that processes are the social contract for getting work done.  In the foreword of Mastering Work Intake, I wrote with (published in January 2024), we reflected that Mastering stood on the shoulders of Jim’s Why Limit WIP. Reflecting on this interview I continue to see the relationship between work intake and the travails of prioritization.  All of us at SPaMCAST look forward to your thoughts. Contact Jim LinkedIn: Personal Kanban: Modus Cooperandi:   Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are celebrating summer in the northern hemisphere with a summer camp. We’ll look at the primary causes of work intake problems… and how to solve them! Join us for an entertaining and informative LinkedIn Live event weekly beginning June 19th at 11:30. Register at  - registration is not necessary but it will help get a count for virtual juice boxes. Re-read Saturday News This week we revisit our first re-read from 2015, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement ( or ) written by Eli Goldratt. If you are interested in the flow of work you need to read The Goal – more than once.  The link is     Re-read Saturday Instalments                                                                            Next week we will return to our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book, .   Next SPaMCAST  On the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, more of the story of Innovatech and what happens when responsibility and accountability get muddled.   We will also have a visit from and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development.

Accountability and responsibility are intertwined. In most businesses, the concepts are intertwined, and when hierarchies are present, layered. In other words, determining who is responsible and accountable is harder than deciding how many layers were in the seven-layer dip several hours after it has been served to a hungry softball team. Let’s use the example of developing a feature for a product for Innovatech, an imaginary firm. This ‘case study’ synthesizes several real-life stories. The story format protects the innocent and pokes fun at those acting like a “box of rocks.” This is part of a larger business novella David Herron and I are developing that wh hope to share over the summer. Today we will begin with a bit of background. We also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist.  and I wrestle with the question, why do we still have testers in the age of automated testing and AI. Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are celebrating summer in the northern hemisphere with a summer camp. We’ll look at the primary causes of work intake problems… and how to solve them! Join us for an entertaining and informative LinkedIn Live event weekly beginning June 19th at 11:30.     Register at - registration is not necessary but it will help getting a count for virtual juice boxes.   Re-read Saturday News Chapter 3 of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s is titled Enjoyment and The Quality of Life. This chapter resonates strongly with me. I have always struggled with the idea that lounging around or mindlessly working is enjoyable. Thinking about those scenarios the word tedious comes to mind. Let’s explore! Buy a copy and read along -   Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Next SPaMCAST  Next week, I will be traveling to attend a funeral of a family member.  We will revisit a favorite from 2019, SPaMCAST 553 - Prioritization and Capability, An Interview with Jim Benson. We will be back with new programming on June 23rd.

In this week’s SPaMCAST we speak with Brad Micklea, Founder & CEO of Jozu. We talk about the professionalization of AI and Machine Learning, the topic of Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), and why agile is integral to getting work done.  Brad is the Founder & CEO of Jozu and a project lead for the open-source Kitops.ml project, a toolset designed to increase the speed and safety of building, testing, and managing AI/ML models in production. This is Brad’s second startup, his first (Codenvy, the market’s first container-based developer environment) was sold to Red Hat in 2017. In his 25-year career in the developer tools and DevOps software market, he’s been the GM for Amazon’s API Gateway, and built open- and closed-source products that have been leaders in Gartner Magic Quadrants. He enjoys cycling, reading, and vintage cars in his free time. Websites: Kitops: Jozu: LinkedIn: X: @BradMicklea Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are running two Mastering Work Intake cohorts over the next three months. Learn to solve IT’s dirtiest secret — work intake. Stop ignoring it. Start fixing it. (Closed) Want to read the book first? Keyan Reid Stated in their review of : “What first struck me, was the immediate tie to the human equation.   Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing:   Amazon:     Re-read Saturday News We consider consciousness this week in our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s . Consciousness is a process of interpreting and processing thoughts and feelings. Buy a copy and read along -   Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Next SPaMCAST  We return to the topics of accountability and responsibility. Hierarchies generate a tangled web of overlapping relationships that can obscure who has the ball. This type of scenario might be good in sports but in business, not so much.  We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault, The Evolutionary Agilist.

When I published Accountability vs. Responsibility I did not anticipate being drawn back into the discussion of whether committees can be accountable and responsible. Over the last few weeks, I have observed several “product meetings.”  In these meetings, consensus decisions are being made about releases, what they will contain, and a marketing approach. These are committee meetings. Is the committee accountable for their decisions and to whom?  It is not a moot point In mid-2008, I wrote “Responsibility, Got Some?”  As I considered the topic of accountability and responsibility, I re-read the piece and polished it a bit. It speaks to the idea of committees and the diffusion of responsibility. So a little detour on our summer road trip. We also have a visit from Susan Parente.  Susan and I discussed certifications. Does having a bunch make sense or does it reflect mass insanity? The answer is…it depends.  Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are running two Mastering Work Intake cohorts over the next three months. Learn to solve IT’s dirtiest secret — work intake. Stop ignoring it. Start fixing it. (only a few seats left) Want to read the book first? , The Evolutionary Agilist™, described as a  “Fantastic work. Very practical and helps improve workflows."    Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing:   Amazon:   Re-read Saturday News We begin the meat of our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s with Chapter 1, Happiness. Csikszentmihalyi highlights that happiness requires an individual perspective stating, “The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” Read and discuss!   Buy a copy and read along -   Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Next SPaMCAST  Next week we will feature our interview with Brad Micklea, Founder & CEO at Jozu on the topic of Machine Language Operations (MLOps) and why agile is integral to getting work done.

SPaMCAST 810 features our interview with D.J. Eshelman, author of . DJ and I cover a wide range of topics including why one size fits all approaches are a prescription for burnout. We also tackle why everyone should invest in an outside mentor.  D.J. Eshelman, author of Just Do THIS - Photo Credit Sarah Goff DJ with over 25 years of IT experience, dedicated his career to Citrix Systems since 2004. He authored books, runs blogs at  and , hosts the "THRIVE-IT" YouTube channel and "THRIVEcast" show, interviewing IT leaders. Recognized as a Citrix Technology Advocate in 2017, he has been a senior consultant/architect at Citrix Consulting Services since 2011, serving both independently and with white-label services through BOT Consulting and THRIVE-IT.com. D.J.'s mission is to leave a positive impact on the world and inspire others to do the same. Contact Information:  LinkedIn Web Site   YouTube   Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are running two Mastering Work Intake cohorts over the next three months. Learn to solve IT’s dirtiest secret — work intake. Stop ignoring it. Start fixing it. This course is for you if you’re a… 01 Scrum Master / Agile Coach who aspires to help teams and organizations predictably deliver. 02 Project Manager / Program Manager / Portfolio Manager who craves better ways to facilitate conversations around scope, schedule, priority, a 03 Product Owner / Product Manager / Release Manager / Delivery Manager / Delivery Lead who truly wants to maximize value delivery. Want to read the book first? Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing:   Amazon:   Re-read Saturday News I have read and quoted parts of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s over the last ten years. It has been on my list to read cover to cover for several years. My wife pointed out that my copy has yellowed, so it’s time to read now, better late than never :). We began the re-read on May 18 and plan to complete it on August 3 or 10th.  Buy a copy and read along -   Week 1: -   Next SPaMCAST  IN the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will continue on the path of exploring how responsibility and accountability cascade in an organization. We will also have a visit from Kies Kostaqi who brings her You Are Not Alone column to the podcast..

SPaMCAST 809 features our essay discussing whether accountability and responsibility are ever separated in real life. In a corporate setting, if you are interested in instigating a no-holds-barred debate bring up the topic of the relationship between accountability and responsibility. Get your popcorn ready BEFORE you start the discussion.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the podcast. Jon and I discuss a nefarious form of micromanagement.  Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Whether you’re creating, enhancing, or maintaining software products, work intake is a challenge you deal with constantly. Doing the right work at the right time can make or break your project, and there are surprisingly few resources to show you how to manage this process effectively. You need to know what your team is executing, what work is next, and the skill sets required to do the work. Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery by Tom Cagley and Jeremy Willets A testimonial! “I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone who has suffered through work intake missteps in Agile teams and wants to find a better way to deliver predictable results.” Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing:   Amazon:     Re-read Saturday News We have just completed our re-read of  by Cal Newport. Newport concludes with a reminder that working deeply is a skill for getting important stuff done. We can learn and hone the skills needed for deep work by putting in the effort. The author suggests that deep work is not a moral or philosophical statement, I am not sure. Aristotle stated the most important virtue is wisdom. Deep work is required to develop wisdom.                                                                                                       Remember to buy a copy of and read along. Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Week 8: -   Week 9: -     Next week we begin Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Buy a copy and read along - ). I have read parts of this book, not the whole therefore I am going into this read with imperfect information. My biggest worry, however, is learning to pronounce the Author’s name. I am wise enough to have already started practicing! Next SPaMCAST  SPaMCAST 810 features our interview with D.J. Eshelman, author of Just Do This. One of the topics we will discuss is how badly implemented methodologies like Agile and DevOps are causing burnout in IT Services. Fighting words?

SPaMCAST 808 features our discussion with Steven Schkolne. We talk about design thinking and about how design thinking impacts users and user satisfaction. We answer what happens when a design thinker builds a business.  Steven Schkolne is a computer scientist, designer, and entrepreneur who’s particularly passionate about the way humans work creatively with machines. His current focus is a web project called MightyMeld, a visualization and creation platform for sophisticated React codebases. LinkiedIn:  Websites   (biz) (personal) Steven called out Dinamo, a type design agency, during the podcast.  Check them out at https://abcdinamo.com/ Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Are you ready to find the time to use design thinking? Stop letting your out-of-control backlog reduce the value your products deliver. Our next Mastering Work Intake cohort starts on 31 May through 28 June in five manageable 90-minute gatherings.    A testimonial! “[A] great memorable session and a lot of inspiration to adopt this mindset and drive this across the organization. [A] big "THANK YOU" 👏 for hosting these sessions and writing this great book on "Work Intake" ✨. You both are just AWESOME. 🔥” Soumya Sikder Enterprise Agile Coach For more details hop over to our Maven site for more information, sign up, or join the mailing list! SPaMCAST listeners get a $50 discount. Use the code, SPAM50 Re-read Saturday News Chapter 7 of by Cal Newport is titled Rule #4: Drain the Shallows. During both my reads of this chapter I have been struck by the amount of shallow work that creeps into my day even after the experiments and tweaks tried over the past several weeks. This week we focus on reducing the amount of shallow work!                                                                                                   Remember to buy a copy of and read along. Week 1:  -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Week 8: -     Next SPaMCAST  SPaMCAST 809 features our essay discussing whether accountability and responsibility are really ever separated in real life. Segregating the two ‘ilities might make sense for some roles but the nuances are generally far messier.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the podcast.

SPaMCAST 807 looks at the Nine Core Work Intake Principles from the organization’s middle.  Each layer of the organization has an approach to work intake. While the macro outcome is the same for each layer – work is accepted – each has nuances. The simple three-tier view of organization design used in Mastering Work Intake begins with an executive layer followed by middle management and is anchored by teams. We addressed a team perspective in SPaMCAST 804. Middle management is an important anchor because it makes strategic or longer-term tactical decisions compared to teams.  We also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist, Jeremy Berriult. Mr. Berriult discusses the need for seamless communication  Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I have opened two cohort-based workshops to help you learn to tame the work intake beast!  The first kicks off May 3rd to May 24th and features a mixture of video and in-person gatherings. The second runs from 31 May to 28 June in five manageable 90-minute gatherings.  A testimonial! “I thoroughly enjoyed participating … I walked away with new ideas to try within my organization, new agile connections from outside my organization, and an overall better understanding of work intake's direct impact on delivering software predictably.” Cece Wolf Agile Release Manager | Agile Coach For more details hop over to our Maven site for more information, sign up, or join the mailing list! For SPaMCASTs listener we would like to offer you a $50 off discount code -    Re-read Saturday News Chapter 6 of by Cal Newport is titled Rule #3: Quit Social Media. We use a wide variety of tools in our daily lives and many of us consider social media as tools. The internet tells us that these tools make our lives better. In this Chapter, Newport asks us to consider if the value outweighs the cost.                                                                                       Remember to buy a copy of and read along. Week 1:  -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -  Next SPaMCAST  SPaMCAST 808 will feature our discussion with Steven Schkolne. We will talk about how design thinking impacts users and user satisfaction. We will also add whether AI has a role in development and design today.

Why write Mastering Work Intake? Because Jeremy Willets and decided maybe things could be different. That just chanting “stop starting and stop finishing” wasn’t enough. Our book provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to help you tame the chaos of work entry. If you had the world enough and time maybe you could put off getting better, making better choices until tomorrow. However, things are the way they are and you can act. Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake -   You could read the book on your own. Marcus Aurelius, Stoic Philosopher and Roman Emperor, wrote. “Mastery of reading and writing requires a master,” Jeremy and I have created two cohort-based workshops (starting soon) to help you discover the context you need to find your path to Mastering Work Intake.  Join us! The link to Maven to register and for more information:   SPaMCAST listeners, use SPAM50 at checkout to save 50 USD.