Drunk Agile

By Dan Vacanti & Prateek Singh

What's Drunk Agile about?

Dan Vacanti and Prateek Singh drink whisk(e)y and discuss various facets of agile software development. From scotch to bourbon and from metrics to human behaviour, we cover it all.

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Drunk Agile episodes:

06.11.2024
Episode 90 - Prioritization Level III
Nisha believes that the type of prioritization most Agile frameworks tell people to spend time on is the least important. It is also the most wasteful. Dan and Prateek wholeheartedly agree.
05.30.2024
Episode 89 - Prioritization Level II
How do Nisha, Dan, and Prateek decide the content for the next episode of hashtag#DrunkAgile? Come find out the answer to the question in the next episode of our Prioritization series. We are on to Level II of prioritization.
05.10.2024
Episode 88 - Prioritization Level I
We finally prioritized(or did we) doing the episodes. Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk about the three levels of prioritization, starting with Level I - Prioritization of Active Work.
05.02.2024
Episode 87 - The In Progress Column
Does your board have an 'In Progress' column? #Nisha thinks that is not a great idea. Find out why on the latest episode of DrunkAgile.
04.22.2024
Episode 86 - Product Roles Focus On The Wrong Things
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek are back talking about product and flow. How the most common Agile frameworks have misguided people in product roles and had them focus on the wrong things. Find out more in the latest episode of DrunkAgile.
03.25.2024
Episode 85 - How Do You Manage A Product Backlog
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss the best strategy for managing a product backlog.
03.11.2024
Episode 84 - Why Do You Hate Agile
"Why do you hate Agile?" Nisha loves Agile, but do Dan and Prateek? Find out in the latest episode of #DrunkAgile.
02.13.2024
Episode 83 - Return Of The Colleen
Colleen Johnson visits Nisha, Dan, and Prateek to discuss what is coming up for ProKanban.org. They talk about the various roles like Scrum Mastesr, managers, and team leads who can be better equipped to help teams succeed. As Agile roles...
12.31.2023
Episode 82 - Year End Wrap Up 2023
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek wrap up 2023 by looking back at our most-watched episodes of 2023 (released and watched in 2023). Which ones were your favourites? Were there topics you were expecting to see that we did not cover?
12.31.2023
Episode 81 - What If The VoP Matches The VoC
What happens when you have reduced cycle time to the point that it matches your customer's needs? Should you try to reduce cycle time further? #Nisha, Daniel Vacanti, and Prateek Singh discuss this in the latest episode of #DrunkAgile.
12.12.2023
Episode 80 - Voice Of The Process Vs Voice Of The Customer
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek explain the ideas of the Voice of the Process and the Voice of the Customer. Is your Sprint length VoP or VoC?
12.05.2023
Episode 79 - Dependency Elimination Over Dependency Management
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk about all the problems with dependency management. How focusing on dependency elimination instead, can produce better results. All that, with a good dose of rambling thrown in.
10.30.2023
Episode 78 - Just In Time Over Prioritization
Which prioritization technique do you use? Does it even matter? Is ordering your backlog waste (Yes, it is)? What if you could save all the time you spend prioritizing and still get better results? #Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss how Just...
10.24.2023
Episode 77 - Stable Systems Over Planning
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek cover their preference for creating stable systems over spending time in planning sessions. What does planning have to do with Dante's circles of hell? If Agile is about continuously learning, can you really plan in advance...
10.17.2023
Episode 76 - Change Mapping With Chris McDermott
Chris McDermott stops by to talk to Nisha, Dan, and Prateek about Change Mapping. How do you look at your practices in context to figure out what to keep, improve, or discard? Come find out in this episode of #DrunkAgile....
09.13.2023
Episode 75 - Team Size
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss the dogma that agile teams have to be small. They discuss their own experiences of working on large teams that were very effective, efficient, and predictable.
09.08.2023
Episode 74 - Timeboxes, Risk, And Complexity
Dan and Prateek stick to the same whiskey and the same topic from the previous episode - Timeboxes. This time though we go deeper into the risk and complexity associated with them. Particularly in #Agile environments. #Nisha is as active as...
09.08.2023
Episode 73 - Arbritary Timeboxes
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek are back after a bit of a break. The latest episode of #DrunkAgile is brought to you by the word 'Arbitrary'. From the OED: 'arbitrary, adj. & n. - Derived from mere opinion or preference; not based...
09.08.2023
Episode 72 - Variability And Statistical Distributions
Does variability directly imply that your data is distributed in some manner? How important is it to figure out which distribution your data follows? Are you even analyzing your data if you are not using a cubic spline? Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss.
07.10.2023
Episode 71 - Variability - The Two Mistakes
Does your team get done with work early? Or does your team get done with work a few days late? Are these problems to be addressed? Is it really a problem that your #scrum team got done with the #Sprint...
07.10.2023
Episode 70 - Variability
Episode 70 of #DrunkAgile is a start of a 3-part(at least) series on Variability. #Nisha, Dan, and Prateek start off with a high-level introduction to what the word variability means in our context.
07.10.2023
Episode 69 - Invest Vs First
In episode 69 of #DrunkAgile, #Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk through a replacement for INVEST as work-item splitting criteria. Re-emphasizing our preference for right-sizing and feedback over value and estimation.
05.30.2023
Episode 68 - Blockers Outside The Team's Control
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek answer an audience question about how to deal with blockers that are outside the team's control. They take a little detour into Little's Law as well.
05.30.2023
Episode 67 - WIP Limits And Team Capacity
What do WIP Limits have to do with a team's capacity... turns out, everything. #Nisha, Dan, and Prateek dive deeper into this question in the latest #DrunkAgile episode. Enjoy!
05.30.2023
Episode 65 - Blocker Policies
You asked for Blocker policies and #Nisha delivered. In this week's #DrunkAgile episode, Dan, and Prateek discuss how to set some policies around dealing with blocked work.
05.30.2023
Episode 64 - Blocker Data Vs Ageing
Should you collect Blocker data? If yes, how do you use it? If not, what is an alternative? #Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss this in the third episode recorded on the same night. #DrunkAgile tending towards #PlasteredAgile.
04.03.2023
Episode 63 - Audience Question - Monte Carlo And Weekends
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek answer an audience question about #MonteCarlo and the predicted date ending on a weekend. What does this mean in terms of #risk? Does the risk change based on how far out the forecast is?
04.03.2023
Episode 62 - Cycle Time And Weekends
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk through the effect weekends have on cycle time. Why they are included and what would be the effect if we did exclude them? Note : This episode includes the use of visuals and might be...
03.01.2023
Episode 61 - Flow Metrics For Scrum
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk through the applicability of Flow Metrics in Scrum. Also, they are 'Flow Metrics', not 'Kanban Metrics'. ProKanabn.Org's new AFMS course covers this as well.
02.27.2023
Episode 60 - LeBron James And Forecasting
In this episode, Dan and Prateek inspect the results of Monte-Carlo forecasts for when in the season would LeBron James break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record. Nisha does her best airbud impression.
02.27.2023
Episode 59 - The Flaw Of Averages Part III
The last episode in the Flaw of Averages series. Nisha, Dan, and Prateek answer a distillation of multiple audience questions - What is the problem with single-point answers?
02.27.2023
Episode 58 - The Flaw Of Averages Part II
The Flaw of Averages Part II. In this sequel, Dan and Prateek take on data distributions and shapes. #Nisha calls out the bull in Weibull. It is normal for your data to not be normal.
02.27.2023
Episode 57 - The Flaw Of Averages
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek discuss Dr. Sam Savage's Flaw of Averages in this episode of #DrunkAgile. Have you been thinking of the world in terms of averages? If yes, hopefully, this episode will cure that ailment.
01.17.2023
Episode 56 - Drunk Agile Live! Holiday Special
ProKanban.org hosts Nisha, Dan, and Prateek for a live edition of Drunk Agile. In this Holiday Special, the Drunk Agile crew takes on a variety of questions from the audience.
01.17.2023
Episode 55 - When Will A New Feature Be Done
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek cover an audience question - I have a new feature, not yet started, when will that feature be completed? Come find out the answer.
01.17.2023
Episode 54 - Applying Scaled Portfolio Kanban
Everything you have been told about Scaling is wrong! Nisha, Dan, and Prateek cover what is so different about Applying Scaled Portfolio Kanban.
10.17.2022
Episode 53 - Prescriptive Approach To Implementing Agile
#Nisha, Dan, and Prateek talk about being Agile when implementing Agile. They discuss the pitfalls of Maturity Models and more...
09.13.2022
Episode 52 - Audience Question - How Much Analysis Before Starting Work
Nisha, Dan, and Prateek are back with some whisky and revisiting thoughts around Ex-Ante vs Ex-Post in order to answer an audience question looking for "guidance on finding the sweet spot to achieve meaningful metrics without too much waste in...
08.12.2022
Episode 51 - Backlog Vs Ready Column
Should #Kanban boards have a "Ready" column? If they do, what's the difference between that column and a "Backlog"? Dan, Prateek, and #Nisha discuss this on this week's episode. A special thanks to Andy for the question!
07.26.2022
Episode 50 - Live At Lean Agile London
Dan and Prateek (with a Nisha slideshow) take the stage at Lean Agile London to answer questions from a live audience.
07.14.2022
Episode 49 - Are Pull Requests Work Items
Is each pull request a separate work item? How do Dan, Prateek and Nisha suggest we correlate the two? Hint - It is all about your flow policies.
07.08.2022
Episode 48 - Observations Of Flow
Nisha, Dan and Prateek talk about observations of flow outside of product development. They discuss how flow management policies have a great effect on the performance of any kind of process.
06.23.2022
Episode 47 -No Product Backlog
Nisha, Dan and Prateek discuss the merits and drawbacks of Product Backlogs. Can a team or and organization actually be successful and achieve results without a Product Backlog?
06.23.2022
Episode 46 - Is Kanban Only For Mature Teams?
Dan and Prateek answer an audience question - Is Kanban Better Suited For Mature Agile Teams? Nisha helps as usual.
06.23.2022
Episode 45 - SpotiSafe With James Scrimshire
James Scrimshire joins Nisha, Dan and Prateek to discuss the problems with trying to follow a big scaling recipe. Are you seeing problems with one of the popular scaling frameworks? You are not alone. Listen in to find out what...
04.30.2022
Episode 44 - Ex - Ante Vs Ex - Post
Potentially the most important concept in Agile that no one talks about is the difference between ex ante and ex post. Much of Agile assumes ex ante knowledge that you just don't have. #Nisha, Prateek, and Dan discuss on this...
03.28.2022
Episode 43 - Monte Carlo With Unkonwn Backlog Size
Want to forecast a release but don't know exactly how many items are in your backlog? Want to know when a bunch of features will finish but haven't broken them down yet? Find out how in this week's episode of...
03.28.2022
Episode 42 - When Will It Begin
Most #agile frameworks love to talk about "done" and most forecasting is centered around done. But how do we forecast when something will begin? (spoiler alert: or do we?) Join Nisha, Dan, and Prateek to find out in this...
03.28.2022
Episode 40 - When Will A Backlog Item Be Done
Dan, Prateek and Nisha discuss how to answer the question of "When will it be done" for an item that is still in the backlog. Can Monte Carlo help?
02.15.2022
Episode 41 - OKRs And More With Jose Casal
Jose Casal joins Nisha, Dan and Prateek for this week's edition of Drunk Agile where we talk about OKRs. Well, Jose and Prateek talk and Dan just channels his inner Demming.

What's Drunk Agile about?

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Drunk Agile episodes:

Episode 90 - Prioritization Level III

Episode 89 - Prioritization Level II

Episode 88 - Prioritization Level I

Episode 87 - The In Progress Column

Episode 86 - Product Roles Focus On The Wrong Things

Episode 85 - How Do You Manage A Product Backlog

Episode 84 - Why Do You Hate Agile

Episode 83 - Return Of The Colleen

Episode 82 - Year End Wrap Up 2023

Episode 81 - What If The VoP Matches The VoC

Episode 80 - Voice Of The Process Vs Voice Of The Customer

Episode 79 - Dependency Elimination Over Dependency Management

Episode 78 - Just In Time Over Prioritization

Episode 77 - Stable Systems Over Planning

Episode 76 - Change Mapping With Chris McDermott

Episode 75 - Team Size

Episode 74 - Timeboxes, Risk, And Complexity

Episode 73 - Arbritary Timeboxes

Episode 72 - Variability And Statistical Distributions

Episode 71 - Variability - The Two Mistakes

Episode 70 - Variability

Episode 69 - Invest Vs First

Episode 68 - Blockers Outside The Team's Control

Episode 67 - WIP Limits And Team Capacity

Episode 65 - Blocker Policies

Episode 64 - Blocker Data Vs Ageing

Episode 63 - Audience Question - Monte Carlo And Weekends

Episode 62 - Cycle Time And Weekends

Episode 61 - Flow Metrics For Scrum

Episode 60 - LeBron James And Forecasting

Episode 59 - The Flaw Of Averages Part III

Episode 58 - The Flaw Of Averages Part II

Episode 57 - The Flaw Of Averages

Episode 56 - Drunk Agile Live! Holiday Special

Episode 55 - When Will A New Feature Be Done

Episode 54 - Applying Scaled Portfolio Kanban

Episode 53 - Prescriptive Approach To Implementing Agile

Episode 52 - Audience Question - How Much Analysis Before Starting Work

Episode 51 - Backlog Vs Ready Column

Episode 50 - Live At Lean Agile London

Episode 49 - Are Pull Requests Work Items

Episode 48 - Observations Of Flow

Episode 47 -No Product Backlog

Episode 46 - Is Kanban Only For Mature Teams?

Episode 45 - SpotiSafe With James Scrimshire

Episode 44 - Ex - Ante Vs Ex - Post

Episode 43 - Monte Carlo With Unkonwn Backlog Size

Episode 42 - When Will It Begin

Episode 40 - When Will A Backlog Item Be Done

Episode 41 - OKRs And More With Jose Casal

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