Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 802 features a panel discussion. Mark Metze, Jeremy Willets, and myself. discuss "Is agile still a movement or has it reached middle age?" We weigh the appropriateness of wailing and gnashing of teeth, hand wringing and sullen withdrawal, or pragmatism and philosophy. In the end perhaps the right answer is to buy a pair of mom or dad jeans and accept that all great movements reach middle age at some point. We look forward to your opinions and comments. Panelists Mark Metze: With a career spanning over 30 years in the software industry, Mark has evolved from a seasoned developer, dedicating 19 years to crafting high-quality and maintainable code that directly addressed real-world challenges. Transitioning into a management role, he spent the next 9 years leading development teams, gaining a holistic perspective on the various roles crucial for successful software delivery. Embracing the philosophy of servant leadership, he transitioned once again to the role of a Scrum Master. Over the last 3.5 years, his focus has been on fostering collaboration, continuous improvement, and empowering teams to excel in their agile practices. Mark's journey from a hands-on developer to a supportive Scrum Master reflects a deep understanding of the intricacies of software development, coupled with a passion for facilitating teams to achieve their highest potential. Mark also hosts The Agile Within podcast with new episodes debuting each week. It's mission is "Providing agile insights into human values and behaviors through genuine connections". You can listen on your favorite podcast platform or on the web: https://theagilewithin.buzzsprout.com Jeremy Willets is a coach, speaker, and author who has spent the last decade working with people and teams to achieve greatness in the workplace. He started out as a technical writer on a Scrum team and quickly fell in love with Scrum and the Agile Manifesto values and principles. Since then, he's served thriving organizations as a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Senior Agile Coach, Release Train Engineer, people manager, and mentor. Jeremy has spoken at conferences throughout the midwestern United States. He's an avid Substack blogger and music maker. He holds a SAFe® Practice Consultant (SPC) certification. Jeremy can be found at www.jeremywillets.com 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 3, Deep Work is Meaningful completes Part 1 of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. If you are reading this chapter for the first time, my interpretation of the author's intent is not to prove that deep work is meaningful but rather to argue that it is more meaningful than shallow work. On deeper reflection, there are even more cautionary notes for the always "in contact" amongst us. Read the chapter, this week's re-read post, and contemplate! 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 Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 803 we will contemplate the product roles impact on work intake. These roles appear straightforward and at the same time offer many layers and nuances. Regardless of the approach or structure someone is using, making work intake decisions might enhance or trash product decisions. Someone is making those decisions, you need to understand the impact. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not a Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

The SPaMCAST 801 will examine the question, "When is not having clear priorities a winning strategy?" While the answer might seem self-evident, I am not sure people and organizations put their money where their mouth is. We also have Kies Kostaqi's You Are Not Alone column. This installment highlights the soft skills required to be an effective Scrum Master. Soft does not mean unimportant or easy to develop. How can you spread the word about Mastering Work Intake? The best way is to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you buy your books. Reviews increase the likelihood that someone like you will discover the book! New Workshop Cohort Open! 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 one-hour 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 2 of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Is titled Deep Work Is Rare. It should be subtitled either "and that is our fault" or "stop doing what everyone else is doing". Read the chapter, this week's re-read post, and contemplate! 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 Next SPaMCAST In the next SPaMCAST 802, Mark Metze, Jeremy Willets and I discuss "Is agile still a movement or has it reached middle age?" Will it be wailing and gnashing of teeth, hand wringing and sullen withdrawal, or pragmatism and philosophy? Listen to find out!

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 800 Johanna Rothman takes over the podcast and interviews Jeremy Willets and me. We discussed Mastering Work Intake, why principles make more sense than best practices, and how disciplined work intake is the core to getting work done. We learn that in practice, stop starting and start finishing only works when you pay attention to the work that goes into a system. Contact info: Johanna Rothman LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johannarothman Website: jrothman.com Jeremy Willets LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets Website: https://www.jeremywillets.com/ Tom Calgey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tcagley/ Website: https://tomcagley.com/ I was asked the best way to spread the word about Mastering Work Intake. The single best way is to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you buy your books. Reviews increase the likelihood that someone like you will discover the book! New Workshop Cohort Open! 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 one-hour chunks. For more details hop over to our Maven site https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 for more information, sign up, or just join the mailing list! Re-read Saturday News Chapter 1, Deep Work Is Valuable, begins the first part of the book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Part 1, The Idea, comprises the book's first four chapters and focuses on making the case for Deep Work. One of the interesting arguments for the value of deep work is that we are in the throes of digital transformation. Combining that trend with position internationalization and incrementalism yields all-or-nothing jobs. Read the chapter, our re-read post and contemplate! 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 Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 801 will examine the question, "At what level does not having clear priorities create a winning strategy?" While the answer might seem self-evident, I am not sure people and organizations put their money where their mouth is. We will also have a visit from Kies Kostaqi who brings her You Are Not Alone column to the podcast.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 799 discusses why all communication is not collaboration. It is a commonly held belief that complex problems require collaborative efforts to solve. Couple that with an almost fad-like insistence that if a little collaboration is good, more is better, which leads to everything being deemed collaboration. We can do better with a little effort. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. Mr Quigley and I talk about prioritization as micromanagement. And how if you are not there to pick up the pieces when work is pushed into an organization you have a poor perspective. .New Workshop Cohort Registration Open! 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 one-hour chunks. For more details hop over to our Maven site https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 for more information, sign up, or just join the mailing list! Re-read Saturday News I ran across the quote "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me" Shakespeare, Richard II as I was listening to Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport while jogging/walking the dog. The quote and the content of Newport's book made me decide to feature my second time through Deep Work in our Re-read Saturday feature. This week we discuss how the re-read approach and the Introduction which includes important definitions. 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 Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 800 will feature Johanna Rothman interviewing Jeremy Willets and me. We discussed the book, Mastering Work Intake. Any conversation with Johanna ends up being a master class. I look forward to spending this milestone with Johanna, Jeremy, and you.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 798 features my interview with Steve Taplin of Sonatafy Technology. Steve and I discussed the nuances and benefits of nearshore software development. Steve also provided his thoughts on why building an uplifting culture both inside and outside the organization reaps powerful rewards for everyone it touches. Steve Taplin leads Sonatafy Technology as its CEO, bringing an entrepreneurial flair and inspirational leadership to the forefront of nearshore software development. His career is marked by a series of successful business scalings, showcasing his ability to tackle complex challenges within the tech industry. Steve's expertise spans across critical business domains, driving Sonatafy to excel in delivering top-tier software solutions. Contact Information: www.sonatafy.com linkedin.com/in/stevetaplin Re-read Saturday News This week we put a bow on our re-read of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability with a few final thoughts. This book has earned a place on my useful bookshelf. The quote from last week sums up my rationale for Re-read Saturday. "We take action because of our relentless pursuit of improvement. That is what professionalism is all about." Next week we will begin our re-read of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 – https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? – https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals – https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Week 8: XmR Charts and the Four Basic Metrics of Flow – https://bit.ly/48j5AU9 Week 9: Myths and Other Considerations – https://bit.ly/3SvfgVU Week 10: VoP, VoC, Predictability, Monte Carlo - https://bit.ly/3UGdxzT Week 11: Different Sampling Methods and 85 Percent or Bust - https://bit.ly/48paPlu Week 12: Scaling Monte Carlo and A Parting Thought - https://bit.ly/433nvx7 Week 13: Final Thoughts - https://bit.ly/3It9OOy Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 799 will feature an essay on why all communication is not collaboration. Like all trendy words, we are confusing the meaning and in the process losing the value of the act. One final thought before next week, just because you allow time for Q&A, a talk at an All Hands Meeting is not collaboration even if you say it is. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. A little foreshadowing… SPaMCAST 800 will feature Johanna Rothman, Jeremy Willets, and me.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 797 we ponder a statement from Roger Turnau in SPaMCAST 796, "You can't expect the process to save you from yourself in every circumstance." The statement poses a leadership quandary leading to questions every leader must ask. When does process guidance make sense? When do processes infantilize teams and leaders? These are not the basis for an after-work philosophical discussion. Vast movements within the software industry have been spawned as cultures have swayed between directive and laissez-faire poles. We also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who brings his Evolutionary Agilst™ Column to the podcast. We discussed whether testers are part of the team and if they own quality. Re-read Saturday News This week we finish our re-read of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability with two chapters. Chapter 13 is titled Scaling Monte Carlo. In a perfect world, one team could do all of the work needed for a product or feature a manageable piece at a time. Unfortunately, this is the real world. In Chapter 14, titled A Parting Thought, Vacanti states, "We take action because of our relentless pursuit of improvement. That is what professionalism is all about." Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 – https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? – https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals – https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Week 8: XmR Charts and the Four Basic Metrics of Flow – https://bit.ly/48j5AU9 Week 9: Myths and Other Considerations – https://bit.ly/3SvfgVU Week 10: VoP, VoC, Predictability, Monte Carlo - https://bit.ly/3UGdxzT Week 11: Different Sampling Methods and 85 Percent or Bust - https://bit.ly/48paPlu Week 12: Scaling Monte Carlo and A Parting Thought - https://bit.ly/433nvx7 Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 798 will feature our interview with Steve Taplin. Steve and I discussed sourcing nearshore and creating a culture inside and around an organization.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 796 features a conversation with Roger Turnau. Roger and I talk about prioritization using the cost of delay. Every organization and team I have ever worked with has a backlog of work and lots of people screaming that their piece of the backlog is the most important. The cost of delay is an important tool to filter out the noise and it can be as nuanced as you need it to be. Roger Turnau is an Agile Coach at Accenture. His mission is to empower and inspire leaders and organizations to create an environment where high performance feels effortless. His approach to achieving this combines an emphasis on psychological safety, building trust throughout the organization, and close attention to KPIs, OKRs and flow metrics to ensure durable results. For the past five years, Roger has specialized in enterprise and DevOps coaching, product development, and Agile transformations. Contact Information LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-turnau Website: gatheringagility.com (Blog) Last Call for Cohort 1! Slay Work Intake Chaos: Become a Master in 5 Weeks! Based on Tom Cagley and Jeremy WIllet's new book Mastering Work Intake, learn to diagnose and solve work intake anti-patterns to stop drowning in work. 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. A 5-week cohort-based course, meeting weekly for an hour, includes teaching, peer feedback & discussion, feedback from the authors, time for Q&A, templates, and an electronic copy of our book, Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Are you ready to commit? Join our cohort-based workshop. The first cohort is starting on March 1st, 2024. Details at https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 Re-read Saturday News This week we tackle two chapters of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Chapter 11, "Different Sampling Methods". The chapter points out that random sampling techniques are just the tip of the iceberg in approaches. Chapter 12, "What Percentile Do I Choose?", discusses whether you always need to quote the 85th percentile range. The short answer is no but like most things, there is more to it than that. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 – https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? – https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals – https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Week 8: XmR Charts and the Four Basic Metrics of Flow – https://bit.ly/48j5AU9 Week 9: Myths and Other Considerations – https://bit.ly/3SvfgVU Week 10: VoP, VoC, Predictability, Monte Carlo - https://bit.ly/3UGdxzT Week 11: Different Sampling Methods and 85 Percent or Bust - https://bit.ly/48paPlu Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 797 we ponder the question, should the process save us from ourselves in every circumstance? We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who brings his Evolutionary Agilst™ Column to the podcast

Part of every profession is the jargon practitioners adopt. Having a language links people together and creates a sense of community. It also creates private gardens: a profession set off from those around it. Jargon is a form of secret handshake. Jargon is a two-edged sword, both gathering and excluding people. Be wary! We also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. We discussed her recent mini-sabbatical. Stepping back has the power to clear your mind. Slay Work Intake Chaos: Become a Master in 5 Weeks! Based on Tom Cagley and Jeremy WIllet's new book Mastering Work Intake, learn to diagnose and solve work intake anti-patterns to stop drowning in work. 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. A 5-week cohort-based course, meeting weekly for an hour, includes teaching, peer feedback & discussion, feedback from the authors, time for Q&A, templates, and an electronic copy of our book, Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Are you ready to commit? Join our cohort-based workshop. The first cohort is starting on March 1st, 2024. Details at https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 Re-read Saturday News This week we tackle two chapters of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. We begin with Chapter 9 - VoP, VoC, and Predictability which sums up Section I, Variability and Predictability. Chapter 10, titled Monte Carlo Simulation, Revisited begins Section II, Advanced Monte Carlo Simulation and Predictability. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 – https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? – https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals – https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Week 8: XmR Charts and the Four Basic Metrics of Flow – https://bit.ly/48j5AU9 Week 9: Myths and Other Considerations – https://bit.ly/3SvfgVU Week 10:VoP, VoC, Predictability, Monte Carlo - https://bit.ly/3UGdxzT Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 796 our conversation with Roger Turnau. Roger and I will delve deeply into prioritization using the cost of delay. Every organization and team I have ever worked with has a backlog of work and lots of people screaming that their piece of the backlog is the most important. Cost of delay is an important tool to filter out the noise.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 794 features our conversation with Nick Schrock. Nick and I discussed data engineering, AI, and entrepreneurship. As the Founder at Dagster Labs, Nick has the perfect standing to talk about three of the hottest topics of 2024. Nick's Bio: Nick is the Founder and CTO of Dagster Labs, the company behind Dagster, a popular open-source data orchestration platform. Before Dagster Labs, he was a Principal Engineer and Director at Facebook from 2009 to 2017, where he founded the Product Infrastructure team and co-created GraphQL. After cutting his teeth at Facebook, he pursued his passion for working on engineers' pain points after hearing that data infrastructure was a big issue. He founded Dagster to address this issue, highlighting how quickly open-source projects were able to make an impact at legacy companies. Dagster couldn't come at a more critical time as data and ML engineering are beginning to drive both human and business decision-making. Contact Information: Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/schrockn Website: https://dagster.io/ Stop Project Chaos: The Ultimate Guide to Predictable Work Intake Feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks and unpredictable deadlines? You're not alone. But what if you could transform your project into a well-oiled machine, delivering consistent value on time? Introducing Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Ditch the black hole of endless requests. Discover practical strategies for capturing, filtering, and prioritizing work effectively. Gain control of your work pipeline. Learn how to navigate different types of work at different stages, ensuring smooth flow and efficient delivery. Become a master of saying "no". This book equips you with the tools and techniques to confidently decline unproductive work and protect your team's focus. Stop the chaos and start delivering! Grab your copy of Mastering Work Intake today and unleash your project's full potential. JRoss: https://bit.ly/474ul6G or Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 Are you ready to commit to not letting bad work drag you down? Invest in your success and learn how to master work intake for a smoother, more rewarding project experience. Join our cohort-based workshop. The first cohort is starting on March 1st, 2024. Details at https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 Re-read Saturday News Chapter 8 shatters myths! Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I believed a few of these myths. Ok, it was just about five years ago that I was dissuaded from the last of my misbeliefs. I believe that many of my misconceptions are founded in the collision of words between classical statistics and words Shewhart used for Process Behavior Charts (PBC). Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 - https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? - https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals - https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Week 8: XmR Charts and the Four Basic Metrics of Flow - https://bit.ly/48j5AU9 Week 9: Myths and Other Considerations - https://bit.ly/3SvfgVU Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 795, why do teams, products, projects, and companies exist? Why do we care? (We really should!) We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast!

Feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks and unpredictable deadlines? You're not alone. But what if you could transform your project into a well-oiled machine, delivering consistent value on time? Introducing Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Ditch the black hole of endless requests. Discover practical strategies for capturing, filtering, and prioritizing work effectively. Gain control of your work pipeline. Learn how to navigate different types of work at different stages, ensuring smooth flow and efficient delivery. Become a master of saying "no". This book equips you with the tools and techniques to confidently decline unproductive work and protect your team's focus. Stop the chaos and start delivering! Grab your copy of Mastering Work Intake today and unleash your project's full potential. JRoss: https://bit.ly/474ul6G or Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 Ready to commit to not letting bad work drag you down? Invest in your success and learn how to master work intake for a smoother, more rewarding project experience. Join our cohort-based workshop. The first cohort is starting on March 1st, 2024. Details at https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7