Software Process And Measurement Cast

In this episode, we feature our interview with Christiano Gherardini. Chris and I talk about the impact of using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages on businesses and as importantly, the impact of packages and consultants as a tool to influence the direction of software development in a firm.  Christiano Gherardini is the President/Owner at Turnkey Technologies Inc. Turnkey offers end-to-end professional services including design, project management, implementation, application maintenance, integration services, development, analytics, training, and support services for Microsoft Dynamics solutions. https://www.turnkeytec.com/ linkedin.com/in/christiano-gherardini-73513019    Upcoming Events Making Shift Happen July 13 at 12 CDT (1 PM EDT) I will be facilitating a panel for the GIC HIMSS (Greater IL Chapter of HIMSS) discussing Agile Transformation. Our panelists will discuss their personal experiences going through agile transitions and offer some tips for moving your organization towards Agile.   P

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features an essay on prioritization. We prioritize in order to establish what to work on and when to do it. There is often a difference between assigned priority and the real priority based on when teams start and complete a piece of work. This essay is part of the overall conversation on controlling work entry and answering the question: Are we working on the most important thing? We also have a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Mr. Berriault and I discussed how testing is integrated into the Agile Performance Holarchy. Re-Read Saturday News  June and early July are a busy period, this year more so (several birthdays, an anniversary, and family visits). That is a long way around to rationalizing why I am not delivering chapter 2 of Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  I am still working with shortlists (chapter 2 has helped my implementation approach.  Meetings (part of the busyness fallacy discussed in Chapter 2) are making using the techniques of panorama

In this podcast, I talk with Søren Pedersen.  We talk about teams, value streams, and leveraging agile to improve how teams deliver value.  We started with the definition of a team and then got into the practical nitty-gritty of defining value streams and coaching teams.  Bio: SØREN PEDERSEN is a co-founder of BuildingBetterSoftware, a strategic leadership consultant, and an international speaker. With more than fifteen years of software development experience, Søren knows how to help businesses meet their digital transformation goals. Using Agile methodologies, he helps leaders achieve organizational efficiency, alignment, and performance improvement while building team empowerment so that they feel confident in engaging with leadership, find managerial balance, and can focus on building better software.  Søren has spoken at DevOps Days London, is a contributor for The DevOps Institute, and is a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner. Website: www.BuildingBetterSoftware.com Email: sp@BuildingBetterSoftware

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 656 we stay with an agile product and entrepreneurship theme with a conversation with Rahul Aggarwal. We discussed building a business and products to support the gig economy and entrepreneurship. Rahul provides excellent advice on recognizing market needs, experimenting, pivoting when necessary, and building a business.  Bio: Being awarded as the Rising Entrepreneur of the year 2019 and Entrepreneur 35 under 35 in 2020, and Asia’s Most Promising Business Leaders 2021 by Economic Times, Rahul Aggarwal has co-founded Designhill and created a unique online marketplace to overcome the challenges faced by the business owners in outsourcing high-quality creative solutions and designers who have been looking for creative freedom.   He’s a serial entrepreneur, passionate marketer, investor, advisor, and a firm believer in the concept of constant learning and growing. His astounding digital knowledge and impregnable business skills have led Designhill to be acknowledged as the

This week we dive into what is often viewed as arcane science by the development community, pricing. Pricing can make or break any product. Everyone in the value chain has to have a good understanding of how pricing decisions are made and how they can impact what should be built and when. One critical part of the conversation focuses on whether there is an ideal pattern for product and development to work together? If not, what are the consequences? Our conversation just skims the surface of Ajit Ghuman’s new book Priced to Scale which hit the book stands in April.  Ajit is currently Head of Product Marketing at Narvar, an enterprise-grade customer engagement platform that helps retailers inspire loyalty beyond reason by enabling seamless post-purchase experiences. A SaaS Product Marketing veteran, he has helped companies such as Medallia, Helpshift, and Feedzai differentiate their products, grow revenue, and win. Ajit is an expert in software pricing and his upcoming book, Price to Scale, covers an end-to-en

This week is a doubleheader (baseball term for two games played by the same teams on the same day against each other). We begin our re-read of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg and we have my interview with Staffan. Several years ago I read Staffan’s book on Pomodoro which changed how I work.  Monotasking might be even more useful and impactful.  We discussed how to apply the ideas in the book to improve focus, productivity, and quality of life. Staffan Nöteberg is an enterprise agility coach with years of experience in improving personal productivity. He is also the author of Pomodoro Technique Illustrated (2009) and teaches seminars on monotasking to companies in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Twitter: https://twitter.com/staffannoteberg Website: https://monotasking.staffannoteberg.com/    Re-Read Saturday News  We start our re-read of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.   The book is 237 pages published by Racehorse Publishing (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) and was released in English on June 1,

Work Entry: An Introduction, focuses on what work entry is and why it is the single most important part of determining whether a team is dependable, predictable, and even remotely agile.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development. Jon and I discuss, wrestle, and chew on how the idea of a product backlog can exist in a project environment.  Re-Read Saturday News  We have read or re-read Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley cover-to-cover if you don’t count the index at the back of the book (and I certainly do not). As a wrap-up, I briefly consider three points that came to mind during the re-read. If you have not bought your copy -- what are you waiting for? Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems  Next week we will start our re-read of Monotasking by Staffan Noteberg by laying out an approach. I am contemplating combining the re-read with experience reports as I try to put the id

Intellectual property protection impacts almost everyone whether they are aware of it or not.  Trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets are all part of a wide-ranging discussion of IP protection in the software environment. Rick provides great insight into a rapidly evolving field.  Rick Martin is the owner and founder of Martin IP Law Group which is based in Evansville, Indiana but serves clients throughout the United States. He is a graduate of the Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering and the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.  Prior to beginning his career as an Intellectual Property Attorney, Rick worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Rick has obtained hundreds of patents for inventors in a variety of fields, including timing systems, mine safety devices, broadband antennas, RFID, electronics, ranging, oil & gas, semiconductors, and other mechanical and electro-mechanical devices.  For over 25 years, he has been helping entr

This week Dr. Eric Cole and I talk cybersecurity and entrepreneurship. Most of you will have been on the edge of your seat while you tracked the news of the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline. Security can not be an afterthought. Remember this is not a drill; this not hype.  Also, preorder Dr. Cole’s new book Cyber Crisis which will be released on June 1st. Dr. Cole is a world-renowned cybersecurity entrepreneur and founder of Secure Anchor Consulting, Eric understands the dangers of cybersecurity and knows how to build successful companies.  Today, Dr. Cole shares the many lessons learned from overcoming adversity and staying committed to your purpose. Dr. Cole focuses on security and innovation with a mission to make cyberspace safe in a world where it can be an unrecognized danger and threat.  Website: https://secure-anchor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericcole1/  The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit which starts tomorr

Work entry, in its simplest form, is the steps needed for work to be triaged to ensure that it is the right work, that it is ready to be worked on, and the priority of the work. This week we talk about five common patterns. On Tuesday I will include the PDF in the feed to see if I can spur a discussion about other patterns.   We also have a visit from Tony Timbol with his To Tell A Story column.  In this installment we discuss different forms of user stories and when to use them.  The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast http://bit.ly/scrummastersummit21 Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 13 in Fixing Your Scrum, Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems, by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller, discusses the concept of a deployable product increment and done. What we deliver is a big deal, getting it right is the diff

Experimentation is a dirty word in many organizations, however, it can be a powerful tool to drive and guide change.  Tammy Gretz shares how she adopted experiments in her practice and how she uses them to change the behavior and culture of people and organizations. I am occasionally asked why I enjoy meet-ups so much. Meeting people like Tammy is a major part of the reason.  Thanks to the Women in Agile, Cleveland for the great introduction which lead to this interview!   Tammy’s bio:  Tammy  is an “Agile Coach Making Shift Happen” “I exist to generously collaborate, embrace tension and use it to make shift happen.” I have been influencing change through servant leadership, elbow grease, and lattes for over 20 years. I am a massive maker and the majority of my education comes from experimenting and the relentless pursuit of understanding team dynamics, embracing tension, and using it to fuel innovation and change in the workplace and beyond. https://tammygretz.com/ linkedin.com/in/tammygretz tsgretz@gmail.co

Alex Omeyer and I discussed defining, tracking, and measuring technical debt. Technical debt generates a liability that every organization must deal with. As Alex states, “tech debt might not be the sexiest topic” but if teams and organizations don’t address their liabilities it will be difficult to deliver the value customers need and expect.  We also talk about the practicalities of pivoting life ambitions and entrepreneurship. Alex is the Co-founder and CEO of Stepsize.   Alex personally spends most of his time speaking to the best software development teams in the world about how they handle technical debt. Hit him up to talk tech debt. He loves to share what they taught him. Alex and his co-founders are building Stepsize—a free tool for engineering teams to track and prioritize technical debt. Stepsize’s mission is to make software development more accessible, efficient, and powerful.  Website: https://www.stepsize.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-omeyer-060a0175/ Twitter @AlexOmeyer

The majority of work entry problems are caused by eight problems. The eight problems often occur in clusters and are a reflection of organizational culture.  Knowing that there are eight problems is useful when they can be recognized. Unless people wear their motivations on signs hung around their neck, recognition requires conversation and observation.  Fixing any problem starts with recognizing that problem.  We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her, Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. Today Susan and I discuss the concept of Hybrid Agile and the new book Hybrid Project Management https://amzn.to/3al4b4F that Susan wrote with Mark Tolbert The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast http://bit.ly/scrummastersummit21 The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the DevOps On

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 646, Albert Ahdoot and I focus on discussing the impact of strong off-premise infrastructure on the delivery of value, the impact on the bottom line, and the mitigation of risk. Albert Ahdoot is a successful entrepreneur focused on building IT businesses through meaningful relationships. His flagship company, Colocation America, was founded to serve as the premier data center provider for IT solutions looking for a secure and scalable IT.  Albert is a highly respected business development expert who has helped many technology companies achieve great success. Albert received his Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UCLA and his masters in Bio-Technology from NYU. Albert A.’s Profile linkedin.com/in/albertahdoot Website  ColocationAmerica.com  (Company Website) Email  albert@colocationamerica.com Twitter AlbertAhdoot The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.  The First Glo

The headlines of 3 and 4 April 2021 are stark - the data of 533 million Facebook users available on the web (change your password now).  You have 533 MILLION reasons to take Paul Katzoff’s message on data security to heart. Paul Katzoff (Twitter) For almost a decade, Paul has worked with technology companies seeking manageable growth and brand loyalty/expansion. His career has ranged from being an integral part of a new business start-up team to becoming a key driver in the business enabling it to become both sustainable and profitable. Currently, Paul serves as the CEO of White Canyon Software -- a data security company used by 44 of the fortune 100 companies. As a leader in the data security industry, Paul would love to chat about how to mitigate any potential data breaches with work-from-home becoming the new norm.  The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.    The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organize

In the SPaMCAST 644, we talk teams. At the core of agile is the belief that the team is the fundamental building block of work. Because they are so important, organizations put tons of effort into helping and guiding teams. The problem is not that teams aren’t important or that we aren’t working hard to make them better, teams are still chronically messed up. We discuss a framework for guiding support for teams.  We also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who brings his QA Corner to the podcast.  Jeremy and I discuss the differences between static and dynamic testing. Understanding the definition of each is an important step in improving quality.  The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the Global Scrum Master Summit.    The First Global Scrum Master Summit Week of May 17th, 2021, Live and Recorded Organized by the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast http://bit.ly/scrummastersummit21 The Software Process and Measurement Cast is a proud media sponsor of the DevOps Online Summit.  DevOps

This week, Caleb Woods, CEO and Senior Software Craftsman at RoleModel Software joins the podcast. Caleb and I talk about the role of craftsmanship in developing and maintaining software (or really anything else). Caleb Woods - RoleModel’s CEO - Caleb is a proven leader with extensive experience evaluating technology trends, leading teams, and implementing best practices. As CEO, Caleb promotes continuous improvement while cultivating a collaborative work environment. Caleb is a technologist who understands and solves complex business problems. He has a passion for software craftsmanship and producing sustainable software and has become the visionary leader of the next generation of RoleModel Software. Caleb began his software career as a web developer at an academic coaching company, where he gained experience in infrastructure migrations, team leadership, and business analysis. He’s continued that dedication to technology advancement. At his previous position as Chief Technology Officer for RoleModel, Caleb

Vasco Duarte returns to the podcast to discuss the Scrum Master. Scrum Masters are the face of agile in many organizations. Helping team facilitators get the role right benefits not only the agile community but every business they are involved with!   Vasco has been working in the software industry since 1998 and has learned the hard way what works (most of the time) and what does not work (almost never). His goal is to help our industry evolve. We can’t become better without trying out new and innovative approaches to software development. The majority of our businesses run on software. We owe it to our society to get better at an activity that affects so much our lives and our countries’ economies. Vasco consults companies that understand software is a key component of their business model. Get in touch via twitter: @duarte_vasco; or on his company’s web-site: http://www.oikosofy.com/. Check out the Scrum Master’s Toolbox Podcast: https://scrum-master-toolbox.org/ The Software Process and Measurement Cast i

In the podcast this week, we discuss the Agile Coaching Code of Ethics and the process of building an ethical foundation.  Shane Hastie and Craig Smith have been leading the effort to craft a useful Agile Coaching Code of Ethics for the past year. These two thought leaders have helped to pull together a diverse group of coaches, and then guide that herd of cats in order to create a new force to guide agile coaches of all stripes.  In May 2017 Shane Hastie joined ICAgile as the Director of Agile Learning Programs, tasked with ensuring the learning objectives remain valid and useful, supporting the various communities that make up the ICAgile ecosystem, and seeking ways to advance the state of agile learning. In November 2019 he moved into the Director of Community Development role, building and supporting the global community of thought leaders, members, instructors, and certification holders. Shane’s Profile - linkedin.com/in/shanehastie Email - snhastie@gmail.com  Twitter - shanehastie Craig Smith has been a

The idea of Communities of Practice is thrown around alot in organizations, often without thinking about the goals of a CoP.  Why? Organizations are increasingly becoming more diverse and distributed, while at the same time pursuing mechanisms to increase collaboration between groups and consistency of knowledge and practice hence the rapid growth of Communities of Practice.  Let's explore the goals of a CoP. This week also marks the premiere of Tony Timbol’s new column, “To Tell A Story.” In this week’s installment, we begin to explore the nuances of User Stories.  Tony is a practitioner, consultant, entrepreneur, and science fiction author -- Tony does it all.  Email: tony.timbol@agileready.net Web: BeAgileReady.com  Interested in Mikolaj Pawlikoski’s book, Chaos Engineering, Site reliability through controlled disruption I have discount codes for the listeners of the Software Process and Measurement Cast, ping me @tcagley@tomcagley.com and I will share them with you!   The Software Process and Measurement