“The best way to predict the future is to study the past, or prognosticate.” ― Robert Kiyosaki Finally, we’re at part 3 of this 3 part series, where I get to stick my neck out and make predictions … forecasts that are primarily driven by observations made during the collection of data for my first two…
Month: December 2018
A 33-year retrospective of DevOps-driven Continuous Integration & Delivery
Behold, a quasi-representative aggregation of events, ideas, & products contributing to the evolution of CI/CD over the past 33 years Behold, a quasi-representative aggregation of events, ideas, & products contributing to the evolution of Continuous Integration & Delivery over the past 33 years. WHY CI/CD? This is the second part of a three-part series which ends…
A 33 year retrospective of Agile-driven Product Management.
A quasi-representative time line of Agile-minded events influencing Product Management Behold, a quasi-representative list of Agile-minded events, products, & ideas that influenced or map the evolution of Product Management over the past 33 years. WHY? I created this list as I thought it might create some conversations of value in the area of where Product…
The Twelve Daze of Product — A Christmas Carol Parody
Yes folks nothing says remote work team-building for the holidays than a delightful, Zoom-based product management song parody loudly voiced together in the cumulative song style of that Old English Carol favorite, ‘The 12 Days of Christmas.’ On the First day of Christmas, my PO gave to me … An estimation that is guilt-free. On the…
When Consistency becomes Tyranny
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Let me ask you a question: As a product manager or scrum master, do you feel there is a tipping point where consistency devolves into tyranny? I posed this question to some poor unsuspecting peeps at…
A Product Owner’s Office Party Survival Guide
TL;DR — Here are 7 tips to help product managers & product owners navigate some common pitfalls associated with corporate holiday parties. 1. Don’t skip it I know that sometimes corporate Christmas parties can be a pain, and to some, they even seem spurious, but the managers and executives who are stakeholders and sponsors for your initiatives will…
Dear Product Manager, have empathy for the symptoms, but cure for the cause
Not understanding the difference in addressing the cause vs. the symptoms is what leads to bad solutions, such as bloodletting for nosebleeds. Falling into the trap is easy. You get a call from a customer or an account executive where somebody needs a ‘red button’ on ‘screen 123’ because it’s slowing their ability to complete…
Scrum Master, is your team merely singing the notes, or are they making music?
source: The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach © 1976, Prof. Peter Schickele TL;DR — Standards are important, but not so much that we shift our focus from the rapid & continuous delivery of value to merely getting Scrum right. It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the 10 pounds of ‘Christmas Cheer’ we’ll…
7 Things That Drive Your Product Manager Crazy
Here’s a list of 6 things your product person hates, 7 that drive them crazy. Please try and use this list for good rather than evil. Weather permitting, this weekend I am going to record a set of 12.25-minute podcasts for a series I’m calling “Software Product Therapy.” Topics I’m covering come from a list…
Product Managers, do you know how much your bugs cost?
TL;DR — Not knowing the cost of bugs is about as wise as learning to juggle using chainsaws. Sure, you learn from your mistakes, but at what cost? Counting the Cost Yesterday I wrote why it’s important to know how much your teams cost per sprint. Today I’d like to build on that conversation by offering thoughts on…