TL; DR: Spotify Model Critique — Food for Agile Thought #377
Welcome to the 377th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 36,609 peers. This week, we start with a Spotify Model critique: Jason Yip dissected what many consider an agile framework from an insider’s perspective. Also, we point to issues contributing to management’s failure to keep pace with innovation, from branded management practices vying for attention to business school complicity to confusing management with exact science, and we appreciate John Cutler’s sketch of a simple framework to become a better leader.
Then, we apply the 5C model to ‘bring some structure and product thinking to AI solutions.’ Additionally, we share practical advice on a common product management challenge: feature or product? Also, we listen to Jason Knight and Jeff Gothelf philosophizing about the necessary shift from output to outcome orientation and why organizations still struggle to do so, and we explain Spotify’s approach to validation employing the broader DIBB framework: Data, Insight, Belief, and Bet.
Finally, John Shook shares his guidelines for Gemba walks as an outside advisor, from asking why to showing respect. Moreover, RebootHQ released a bundle of free self-guided courses, and Puppet made the 10th edition of the State of DevOps Report available. Lastly, we shed light on quality metrics, defining different ones for different stakeholder groups while warning of the risks of gaming them.