TL; DR: Predictability, Team Alignment — Food for Agile Thought #265
Welcome to the 265th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,728 peers. This week, we delve into why large organizations undertake agile transitions; it’s predictability, stupid! We also embrace the importance of team alignment, and we apply the concept of critical core components to self-organization.
We then come back to (strategic) planning with two helpful tools: the Futures Wheel and the ‘alternative futures analysis.’ Also, we support the idea that our main objective should be solving problems instead of focusing on adhering to previously defined processes if those distract from the solutions.
Lastly, we applaud Dolly Chugh for pointing at 15 ways to make our virtual meetings better and more inclusive.
TL; DR: PM-PO Delta, Lead-Squad Protocol — Food for Agile Thought #264
Welcome to the 264th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,603 peers. This week, we delve into the PM-PO delta, the difference between product managers and Product Owners. We also revisit the Agile Manifesto’s notion that working software is the primary measure of progress, and we learn how to avoid becoming a lonesome servant leader.
We then come back to critical issues of the practical use of user stories; we create an evidence-based Product Backlog, and we consider quitting saying ’no‘ but asking a question instead when it comes to prioritizing the Product Backlog.
Lastly, we applaud Crisp for sharing the Lead-Squad Protocol, a lightweight attempt to align several teams collaborating on joint projects, products, or initiatives.
TL; DR: Engineering Sanity, Skill Mapping — Food for Agile Thought #263
Welcome to the 263rd edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,516 peers. This week, we delve into how UX can support engineering sanity; we study a recent survey among CIOs on technical debt, and we learn about options of remote engineers if they want to be noticed.
We then enjoy an audio guide to product discovery; we take it beyond the usual ‘output vs. outcome’ discussion, and we learn how to ask better questions when we need to decide what to measure on our quest to create value for customers.
Lastly, we are grateful for a downloadable template that supports skill mapping to identify educational needs.
TL; DR: Product Management Dysfunctions, Play SHIP IT — Food for Agile Thought #262
Welcome to the 262nd edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,421 peers. This week, we delve into product management dysfunctions; we revisit our video, light, and audio gear to improve our remote presence, and we turn to change agency from the sustainability perspective.
We then embrace a free product management game as well as empathy to build better products, and we analyze a nerdy topic: why do we waste most efforts in the product analytics field?
Lastly, we are grateful to add another twelve icebreakers to our toolbox.
TL; DR: Business Agility 2020, How to Succeed w/ Agility — Food for Agile Thought #261
Welcome to the 261st edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,344 peers. This week, we are curious about the state of business agility 2020; we delve into a new recipe to succeed with agility, and we check the benefits that developers derive from estimating their work.
We then abandon the label ‘MVP,’ probably to embrace the ‘Maximum Viable Product.’ We also revisit Ben Horowitz’s famous quote from 20 years ago: Are product managers really the CEO of their product?
Lastly, we applaud a new initiative to develop a code of ethical conduct to raise agile coaching standards.
TL; DR: Kiss Dual Track Agile Good-Bye? — Food for Agile Thought #260
Welcome to the 260th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 27,261 peers. This week, we ask: Is it time to kiss Dual Track Agile good-bye? We also learn about the experience of a large insurance company with a cross-functional product-team and brush up our understanding of a nasty cognitive bias that makes collaboration less effective.
We then listen to Shazam’s founder on lessons learned on the path to product/market fit; we pick up a few good suggestions regarding Product Backlog management, and we understand why Basecamp does not use product roadmaps.
Lastly, we enjoy an interview with Reed Hastings on the roots of Netflix’s culture.
