TL; DR: Making Room, web3 Product Management — Food for Agile Thought #330
Welcome to the 330th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 34,562 peers. This week, we point out the importance of saying no to make room for tackling high-value adhoc/new activities. Also, we delve into how to change the way you respond to challenges by embracing a whole ‘body yes.’ We then explore the origins of low-quality code and what you can do to avoid accruing technical debt as a consequence, and we shed light on the problem of unwarranted confidence because a heuristic has served you well forever. (Until it doesn’t.)
We then share an epic guide on what web3 is, its pros and cons, and how web3 may become an opportunity for your product career. Also, we have eleven tips on improving communication with your engineers, from including them early to respecting their BS detector, and we learn how to switch into survival mode as a product mensch when your company is about to go belly-up.
Lastly, we revisit “real OKRs,” try to regain control over your calendar, freeing up time for critical issues, and ask: Is a Scrum certificate a sound investment for your career?
Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought’s issue #329?
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🏆 The Tip of the Week
: Making Room For New Things
John Cutler points out the importance of saying no and ditching “other things” to make tackling high-value adhoc/new activities feasible.
➿ Agile & Scrum
(via InfoQ): 🎙 Improving Software Engineering Practices using Essence
Shane Hastie interviews Ian Spence on the benefits of applying a pattern language instead of a complete framework or method.
So what most teams do when they adopt a new practice, is take two days to learn, two months to screw it up, two years to abandon it. And when it goes wrong, it won’t be their fault. It’ll be the practices fault, and they’ll gayly move on to the next one.
(via Farnam Street): 🎙 Trusting Your Instincts
Shane Parrish interviews leadership coach Diana Chapman on how to change ‘the way you respond to challenges, understanding where you are in the drama triangle so you can eliminate drama, and the power of the whole body yes.’
and (via Industrial Logic): Why Bad Code Exists
Jeff Langr and Tim Ottinger delve into the origins of low-quality code and what you can do to avoid accruing technical debt as a consequence.
🎓 🖥 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — March 29-April 1, 2022
Discover Scrum’s four success principles in this official Scrum.org Advanced Professional Scrum Master training class, leading to and including the industry-recognized PSM II certification. The training is designed as a live virtual class and will be offered in English.
Enjoy the benefits of an immersive class of four sessions with like-minded agile peers in the morning hours from 09:00 – 13:00 o’clock CET.
Learn more: 🖥 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Online Training w/ PSM II Certificate — March 29-April 1, 2022.
Customer review: “Very hands-on class with lots of concrete takeaways to help in real world scenarios. Reinforced practices and highlighted things that helped in passing the PSM II exam but that was merely a bonus as the content of the class is so useful – certifications or not. Stefan Wolpers is an excellent trainer with broad practical and theoretical knowledge on the subject and his classes seem to have very good working atmosphere (this was a second class by him that I have taken).” (Link.)
👉 From time to time, we can offer last-minute seats for training classes at cost to individuals who do not have access to a corporate training budget. If you like to be notified about these opportunities, please register here.
🎯 Product
and : A product manager’s guide to web3
Jason Shah, Head of Product at Alchemy, web3’s AWS so-to-speak, shares an epic guide on what web3 is, its pros and cons, and how web3 may become an opportunity for your product career.
(via Medium): Survival Roadmapping: Surviving in a failing company.
J. A. Becker shares his take on how to switch into survival mode as a product mensch when your company is about to go belly-up.
(via Mind The Product): Effective communication with software engineers
Simón Muñoz shares eleven tips on how to improve communication with your engineers, from including them early to respecting their BS detector.
🎓 Scrum Certification: Is It a Sound Investment for Your Career?
Do you need a Scrum certification to become good at what you do? Not really. It took me nine years after I started working in this industry to get my first certificate.
What are the benefits then of having a Scrum certification? Well, becoming certified by a recognized Scrum certification organization such as Scrum.org is sound investment advice, as documented by the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022: There is a statistical correlation between your remuneration and the certificates you hold.
Also, prospective clients and employers use, for example, PSM and CSM as search terms on LinkedIn. Scrum certificates are hence an affordable way of signaling competence and dedication. However, be smart about where to become certified and avoid investing in Scrum certificates that have no brand recognition.
Learn more: Scrum Certification: Is It a Sound Investment for Your Career?.
🛠 Tools & Measuring
: Are You Sure You Want to Use OKRs?
Christina Wodtke provides a simple introduction to “real OKRs,” not one of the cargo cult versions you may have come across recently.
: Calendar Reviews
Rich Mironov shares a worthwhile approach to gaining control over your calendar, freeing up time for critical issues.
✂️ Cutting Room Floor
: Heuristics That Almost Always Work
Scott Alexander delves into the problem of unwarranted confidence because a heuristic has served you well forever. (Until it doesn’t.)
📅 Scrum Training Classes, Workshops, and Events
See all upcoming classes here.
You can book your seat for the training directly by following the corresponding links to the ticket shop. If the procurement process of your organization requires a different purchasing process, please contact Berlin Product People GmbH directly.
📺 Join 3,500-plus Agile Peers on Youtube
Now available on the Age-of-Product Youtube channel to improve learning:
- 🆕 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.
- Hands-on Agile #35: Designing Powerful Questions to help you Coach & Create with Daniel Stillman.
- Hands-on Agile #34: Core Protocols for Psychological Safety with Richard Kasperowski.
- Agile Camp Berlin 2021: Adapt How You Lead for Agile Success with Johanna Rothman.
✋ Do Not Miss Out and Learn more about Making Room for New Things — Join the 11,000-plus Strong ‘Hands-on Agile’ Slack Community
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If you like to join all you have to do now is provide your credentials via this Google form, and I will sign you up. By the way, it’s free.
