TL; DR: Portfolios of Bets, Progressive Organizations — Food for Agile Thought #340
Welcome to the 340th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 35,173 peers. This week, we list ten progressive organizations with structures rooted in practice, from Kyocera to VISA to Haier. Also, we present research results that unlocking the benefits of diversity requires that team members can ‘express their ideas, questions or concerns and not be embarrassed or ostracised.’ Moreover, we believe that Taylorism is a continuation of the Newtonian Mindset of linear causalities—with serious consequences for the way we work.
We then take a different view on product roadmaps as portfolios of bets and visualize the differences between an earlier-stage VC-backed startup and a later-stage company. Additionally, we discover ways to tame complexity in product development, dissect the abrupt demise of CNN+ and its lessons for pursuing product discovery and explore 20 typically Sprint Planning anti-patterns. Also, there is some career advice: Kristina Walcker-Mayer believes that product management is an excellent apprenticeship to becoming a CEO.
Lastly, we suggest playing a game to reduce your potential risk and avoid falling victim to the planning fallacy, and we appreciate a guide to help you set and achieve your goals based on Stoicism’s first principles of self-discipline, self-control, and endurance.
Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought’s issue #339?
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🏆 The Tip of the Week: Progressive Organizations
(via Corporate Rebels): 10 Progressive Organizational Structures Developed By Real Companies
Joost Minnaar lists ten progressive organizations with structures rooted in practice, from Kyocera to VISA to Haier.
➿ Agile & Scrum
and (via INSEAD Knowledge): Psychological Safety Unlocks the Potential of Diverse Teams
Amy Edmondson and Henrik Bresman present research results that unlocking the benefits of diversity requires that team members can ‘express their ideas, questions or concerns and not be embarrassed or ostracised.’
(via Medium): Don’t Step into the Three Traps of the Newtonian Mindset
Boris Karl Schlein believes that Taylorism is a continuation of the Newtonian Mindset of linear causalities and details consequences.
(via Simple Thread): Agile Principles: Reflect and Adjust
Brian Bassett reminds us of the priceless advantages of retrospectives.
🎓 🖥 🇬🇧 Professional Scrum Product Owner Training w/ PSPO Certificate — Online: May 9-10, 2022
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🎯 Product
: A Portfolio of Bets
John Cutler encourages you to take a different view of your product roadmap, a portfolio of bets, visualizing the differences between an earlier stage VC-backed startup and a later stage company.
(via UX Collective): Designing big, complex products from scratch
Sharing his personal experience at Picnic, Jake Rich delves into ways to tame complexity in product development.
(via Mind The Product): 📺 The 5 Ways Product Management Prepares You to Become a CEO
Kristina Walcker-Mayer believes that product management is an excellent apprenticeship to becoming a CEO.
: Say what???? The optimistic launch and ignominious end of CNN+
Rita McGrath dissects the abrupt demise of CNN+ and its lessons for pursuing product discovery.
📯 20 Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns
The Sprint Planning is a core event that defines how your customers’ lives will improve with the following Product Increment. Learn more on how to improve its effectiveness by avoiding 20 common Sprint Planning anti-patterns.
👉 Learn more: Scrum: 20 Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns.
🛠 Tools & Measuring
(via InfoQ): Improving Your Estimation Skills by Playing a Planning Game
To avoid falling victim to the planning fallacy, Andrew Brown suggests playing a planning game to reduce your potential risk.
: What Is a Good Growth Rate
Lenny Rachitsky reached out to 24 investors to learn about their perception of good vs. great growth rates by the stage of the business.
✂️ Cutting Room Floor
(via Daily Stoic): Goal Setting: A Philosophical Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals
The Daily Stoic created a guide to help you set and achieve your goals based on Stoicism’s first principles of self-discipline, self-control, and endurance.
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📺 Join 3,800-plus Agile Peers on Youtube
Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel to improve learning:
- 🆕 Hands-on Agile #38: The Product Owner with Roman Pichler.
- 🆕 Agile Camp Berlin 2021: The Power and Pains of Autonomy with Jimmy Janlén.
- Hands-on Agile #31: The Zones of Value Framework with Valerio Zanini & Zeina Zeitouni.
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- Hands-on Agile #34: Core Protocols for Psychological Safety with Richard Kasperowski.
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