Software Process and Measurement Cast

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: https://kitops.ml/ Jozu: https://jozu.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradmicklea 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. May 31—June 28, 2024 (Closed) July 12—26, 2024 Want to read the book first? Keyan Reid Stated in their review of Mastering Work Intake: "What first struck me, was the immediate tie to the human equation. Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://bit.ly/3NWOKn0 Re-read Saturday News We consider consciousness this week in our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow. Consciousness is a process of interpreting and processing thoughts and feelings. Buy a copy and read along - https://amzn.to/4b5kPmb Week 1: Preface and Logistics - https://bit.ly/3WLjFHU Week 2: Happiness - https://bit.ly/4dUSpNg Week 3: Consciousness - https://bit.ly/4bEu3pN 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. May 31—June 28, 2024 (only a few seats left) July 12—26, 2024 Want to read the book first? Jeremy Berriault, The Evolutionary Agilist™, described Mastering Work Intake as a "Fantastic work. Very practical and helps improve workflows." Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://bit.ly/3NWOKn0 Re-read Saturday News We begin the meat of our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow 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 - https://amzn.to/4b5kPmb Week 1: Preface and Logistics - https://bit.ly/3WLjFHU Week 2: Happiness - https://bit.ly/4dUSpNg 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 Just Do This. 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 ctxpro.com and thrive-it.com, 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/djeshelman/ Web Site http://djeshelman.com/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC884tHI1S92_s-b11GDxhpw 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. May 31—June 28, 2024 July 12—26, 2024 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://bit.ly/3NWOKn0 Re-read Saturday News I have read and quoted parts of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow 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 - https://amzn.to/4b5kPmb Week 1: Preface and Logistics - https://bit.ly/3WLjFHU 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." Jeffrey A. Miller Senior Consultant Purchase a copy of the book from: JRoss Publishing: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://bit.ly/3NWOKn0 Re-read Saturday News We have just completed our re-read of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World 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 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and read along. Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/43fGAMX Week 2: Deep Work Is Valuable - https://bit.ly/3TznAVd Week 3: Deep Work Is Rare - https://bit.ly/4afglsG Week 4: Deep Work Is Meaningful - https://bit.ly/3vRso09 Week 5: Work Deeply - https://bit.ly/4aQ5Uvq Week 6: Embrace Boredom - https://bit.ly/3JoBDIB Week 7: Quit Social Media - https://bit.ly/3Wk1dWK Week 8: Drain the Shallows - https://bit.ly/4drJ7YX Week 9: Conclusion - https://bit.ly/3WAGLRw Next week we begin Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Buy a copy and read along - https://amzn.to/4b5kPmb). 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: linkedin.com/in/schkolne Websites https://www.mightymeld.com/ thevaincompany.com (biz) schkolne.com (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 https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 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 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World 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 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and read along. Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/43fGAMX Week 2: Deep Work Is Valuable - https://bit.ly/3TznAVd Week 3: Deep Work Is Rare - https://bit.ly/4afglsG Week 4: Deep Work Is Meaningful - https://bit.ly/3vRso09 Week 5: Work Deeply - https://bit.ly/4aQ5Uvq Week 6: Embrace Boredom - https://bit.ly/3JoBDIB Week 7: Quit Social Media - https://bit.ly/3Wk1dWK Week 8: Drain the Shallows - https://bit.ly/4drJ7YX 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 https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 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 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World 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 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and read along. Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/43fGAMX Week 2: Deep Work Is Valuable - https://bit.ly/3TznAVd Week 3: Deep Work Is Rare - https://bit.ly/4afglsG Week 4: Deep Work Is Meaningful - https://bit.ly/3vRso09 Week 5: Work Deeply - https://bit.ly/4aQ5Uvq Week 6: Embrace Boredom - https://bit.ly/3JoBDIB Week 7: Quit Social Media -https://bit.ly/3Wk1dWK 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 Tom Cagley 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 - https://bit.ly/474ul6G 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: https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 SPaMCAST listeners, use SPAM50 at checkout to save 50 USD.

SPaMCAST 805 features our interview with Peter Schroeder. We discuss plane crashes, fatherhood, and the journey from DJ to a technologist and then to a business person. Organizational culture is critical in all organizations, double in distributed environments. Peter discusses how he learned to craft and defend organizational culture. Peter Schroeder is an accomplished DJ, entrepreneur, and technology pioneer. With over 20 platinum records, 40 gold records, and a triple nomination for the prestigious Danish DJ awards, Peter is one of Denmark's top DJs, entertaining audiences of up to 180,000. He was a featured radio host by the age of 12 and appeared on talk shows and TV stations across Denmark. In addition to his music career, Peter has over 20 years of experience creating cutting-edge technologies for companies such as Facebook, Samsung, and Airbnb. He's a true innovator who works closely with businesses to address mission-critical telecommunications, enabling them to quickly implement, manage, and expand for success. Peter's latest endeavor is Telzio, a pre-unicorn unified communications company he founded. With Telzio, Peter is developing game-changing technology and products that simplify and streamline repetitive tasks. Throughout his career, Peter has survived a plane crash and the birth of twins. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterrankschroeder/ Website: https://www.peterschroeder.com/ Telzio: https://telzio.com/ 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! "This class offered an outstanding learning experience … Engaging discussions and practical exercises illuminated the material, presenting a learning approach that was unique to me, but incredibly valuable. This class enriched my understanding and refined my practical skills, making it a truly great learning experience." Christine Green Program Manager & Advisor on Software Contracts For more details hop over to our Maven site https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 for more information, sign up, or join the mailing list! Re-read Saturday News Chapter 5 of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport is titled Rule #2: Embrace Boredom. Newport's idea in this chapter is less to be bored than to create space where you can do deep work. The pings, dings, and kitten videos need to be pushed aside. Remember to buy a copy of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and read along. Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/43fGAMX Week 2: Deep Work Is Valuable - https://bit.ly/3TznAVd Week 3: Deep Work Is Rare - https://bit.ly/4afglsG Week 4: Deep Work Is Meaningful - https://bit.ly/3vRso09 Week 5: Work Deeply - https://bit.ly/4aQ5Uvq Week 6: Embrace Boredom - https://bit.ly/3JoBDIB Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 806 will feature the next installment of our essay on applying the Nine Core Principles of Work Intake. In this installment, we explore how the principles apply to middle management through Product Management. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who brings his Evolutionary Agilst™ Column to the podcast.

The Nine Core Principles of Work Intake are a key backbone of Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley. Teams and organizations need to apply these principles to avoid chaos. In the SPaMCAST 804, we illustrate the application of the Nine Core Principles based on role and organizational hierarchy beginning with the classic Scrum team roles. We also have a visit from Susan Patente, who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. This installment discusses why organizations do projects and their role in society. Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I have opened a new workshop cohort to help you learn to tame the work intake beast! The workshop will run from 31 May to 28 June in five manageable 90-minute chunks. For more details hop over to our Maven site https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 for more information, sign up, or join the mailing list! Re-read Saturday News Chapter 4, Deep Work is Meaningful begins Part 2 of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Part 2 contains Newport's rules and ideas for learning to work deeply. There are several ideas that I want to highlight in this chapter. The first is that attention and focus are finite AND consumable resources. Remember to buy a copy of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World and read along. Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/43fGAMX Week 2: Deep Work Is Valuable - https://bit.ly/3TznAVd Week 3: Deep Work Is Rare - https://bit.ly/4afglsG Week 4: Deep Work Is Meaningful - https://bit.ly/3vRso09 Week 5: Work Deeply - https://bit.ly/4aQ5Uvq Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 805 will feature our interview with Peter Schroeder. We will discuss plane crashes, fatherhood, and the journey from a technologist to a business person. This is not a two truths and a lie exercise.

Our video provides a quick overview of Work Intake and its importance. Enjoy and let's discuss the concept. Learn to solve IT's dirtiest secret — work intake. Stop ignoring it. Start fixing it. Today we are also announcing two new Mastering Work Intake training opportunities. Diagnose and solve work intake anti-patterns Become a work intake master. Work intake is the biggest challenge facing organizations today. If you don't get work intake right, you won't be in business for very long. We offer two different versions of the cohort — One with pre-recorded videos and less time in live sessions. (Begins May 3 - 24th) One with fewer videos and more time in live sessions. (Begins May 31 - June 28 Both versions include teaching, peer feedback & discussion, feedback from Jeremy and Tom, Q&A, templates, and an electronic copy of our book, Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Enroll or join our mailing list using the links below: https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7