Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

By Dr. Mik Kersten: Author of Project to Product and Founder and CEO of TasktopBusinessManagement
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Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten episodes

  • Episode 52: Mik Kersten on the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report

    In this episode of Mik + One, we’re flipping the script!

    Debbie Konrad, an early Value Stream Management advocate, interviews Mik. The two discuss a new report, the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report, that analyzed anonymized data from 2022 of 3600+ software delivery teams representing over 38,000 business product owners and engineers combined with 326 targeted survey respondents in 34 of the world’s leading enterprises. It revealed that five years into the shift from project to product, following the publication of Mik's seminal book on the subject, only 8 percent of sample have operationalized the product model.

    Debbie and Mik discuss how the report’s findings are timely and relevant, as technology leaders are under increasing pressure to match tech giants and unicorns on digital innovation and wrestle the competitive advantage from the hands of a few companies. In this episode, Mik shares how to shift the management approach in digital portfolios from a project to a product-based model.

    Debbie and Mik also address the importance of combining systems data with survey data in order to provide additional insights into the adoption curve of value stream management.

    Key discussions include: 

    • The 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report
  • The seven dimensions of change required for a product operating model
  • Product Management Maturity
  • Insights from the 2021 State of Value Stream Management Report
  • The Journey from Product Experimentation to Operationalization
  • Survey Responses and System Data on Product Operating Model Transformations
  • Autonomy and Dependencies for High Performance Teams
  • The Benefits of Value Management for Software Development Teams
  • Implementing Build and Run Teams for Software at Scale
  • The Importance of Backlog Management and Prioritization in Product Management
  • Creating an Effective Product Management Function: Strategies for Success
  • Exploring the Benefits of Flow Metrics for Improved Efficiency and Time to Market

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter:

    @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.planview.com

    Additional Resources:

    • Download the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report and connect with Debbie
  • Portfolio SAFe
  • Dean Leffingwell on the Mik + One Podcast: Part 1, Part 2
  • MarTech
  • Dave West - podcast episode
  • Learn more and join the Flow Framework Community here
  • For more information on the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report, go here: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/mik-kersten-interview
    • 55 min
  • Episode 51: Carol Houle on Strategic Digital Transformations

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Carol Houle, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Financial Services and Insurance at Atos. With over two decades of experience in building and renovating businesses seeking to focus on strategic digital transformations, Carol shares success stories and challenging lessons she has learned in her professional journey. Carol and Mik talk about the complexities of agile transformation, and the role that education can play in optimizing value streams.  

    Mik and Carol also have a transformative discussion about how the shift from project to product is actually a shift of mindset, and for a shift of mindset to occur acknowledgment from a higher place within individuals, and fundamentally within the organization, is crucial. 

    Key discussions include:  

    • Carol’s background and history in the industry 
  • Improving technology in the last decade 
  • What is agile transformation? 
  • How to measure improvement and maintain autonomy  
  • The need for shifting mindsets and education 
  • Special focus sessions for executives and how they can be utilized 
  • The value of servant leadership and empowerment  
  • Setting up systems that include feedback loops to create a sense of control 
  • Instrumentation of business value to connect to your business strategy 
  • Why digital transformation is the vehicle for building relationships

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review. 

    Follow Mik on Twitter: 

    @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne 

    www.tasktop.com 

    Additional Resources: 

    • Connect with Carol 
  • Portfolio SAFe 
  • Dean Leffingwell on the Mik + One Podcast: Part 1, Part 2 
  • MarTech 
  • Dave West - podcast episode 
  • Scrum Studio 
  • Greenfield project 
  • Skunkworks 
  • Bimodal IT 
  • Agile Release Train 
  • Mik + One Podcast Episode 20: Justin Watts 

    • For more information on Carol Houle, please visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/carol-houle/

     

    42 min
  • Episode 50: Former Ford CEO Mark Fields on the Value of a Unified Vision

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Mark Fields, Senior Advisor to TPG Capital, a member of Planview's board of directors, and former CEO of Ford Motor Company. Mark has presided over three decades of strategic and digital transformations at global businesses and shares how he consistently succeeded with a focus on product. He discusses the value of possessing agility, a unified vision, and a rallying cry as a business to create a product that delivers more value and potentially diverts a company off more common value streams. 

    In this episode, Mik and Mark also discuss drive-by-wire and how a point of view on what the future is, creates a demand for businesses to create organizational structure that can support strategy.

    Key discussions include: 

    • Early steps in Mark’s career
  • Turning Mazda around in Japan
  • Functional divides between business, technology, and operations
  • Focusing on product is how you get customers
  • Unifying vision and having a rallying cry in a business
  • Turning products into platforms 
  • Diverting off common platforms to deliver customer missions
  • ECUs in vehicles and the cost
  • AWS and Azure bills for organizations
  • Ford’s Mach-E
  • Digital companies Mark is on the board of and how he is helping them thrive
  • Learnings and agility

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter:

    @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

    Additional Resources:

    • Connect with Mark
  • Portfolio SAFe
  • Dean Leffingwell on the Mik + One Podcast: Part 1, Part 2
  • MarTech
  • Dave West - podcast episode
  • Scrum Studio
  • Greenfield project
  • Skunkworks
  • Bimodal IT
  • Agile Release Train
  • Mik + One Podcast Episode 20: Justin Watts

    • For more information about Mark Fields and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit:

    https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/mark-fields/

    48 min
  • Episode 49: Brendan Hopper on Lessons Learned Shifting From Project to Product

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Brendan Hopper, is the CIO for technology at Commonwealth Bank Group. He is responsible for ensuring the bank has a world leading IT engineering capability and is making the right technology investments and decisions. Brendan shares what drives his passion for driving innovation and flow at organizations and why technology should become an accelerator, not a disruptor for organizations and their customers. 

    In this episode, Mik and Brendan also discuss org structure and the core principle that to be evolutionary means focusing on small increments and not just major redesigns.

    Key discussions include: 

    • Brendan’s professional journey in strategy and engineering
  • How velocity can drive safety
  • Building technology that real people delight in
  • Creating a transformation network that is course correcting
  • Lessons Brendan has learned in shifting from project to product 
  • The need for feedback cycles in transformation
  • Understanding data that bottlenecks at the value stream level and the organization level.
  • Restoring and repairing organizational design
  • Why org structure has to continually change
  • Moving teams between value streams when roadmapping what is next
  • What Brendan is focused on today

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter:

    @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

    Additional Resources:

    • Connect with Brendan
  • Portfolio SAFe
  • Dean Leffingwell on the Mik + One Podcast: Part 1, Part 2
  • MarTech
  • Dave West - podcast episode
  • Scrum Studio
  • Greenfield project
  • Skunkworks
  • Bimodal IT
  • Agile Release Train
  • Mik + One Podcast Episode 20: Justin Watts

    • For more information about Brendan Hopper and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit:

    https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/brendan-hopper/

    51 min
  • Episode 48: Steve Berez on How to Do Agile Right

    Joining Mik on this episode of Mik + One is Steve Berez, advisory partner at Bain & Company and co-author of Doing Agile Right, Transformation Without Chaos.

    In this episode, Mik and Steve discuss:

    • Insights into Steve’s 30+ year journey developing Bain’s technology practice
  • Real examples of implementing agile practices and how to do it right
  • How to get buy-in from Finance teams and demonstrate the value of a capacity-based mindset
  • Strategies organizations can take to realize Agile benefits more quickly
  • How Doing Agile Right can improve the business technology dialogue

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

     

    Additional Resources:

    • Connect with Steve
  • Doing Agile Right
  • Dean Leffingwell on the Mik + One Podcast: Part 1, Part 2

    •  

    For more information about Steve Berez and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/steve-berez/

    49 min
  • Episode 47: Razat Gaurav on Rebuilding the Future of the Enterprise and the Three Waves of Software Value Stream Optimization

    In this episode of Mik + One, Mik is joined by Razat Gaurav, Chief Executive Officer at Planview. 


    In this episode, Mik and Razat discuss the trillion-dollar opportunity ahead to rebuild the future of how the enterprise works. Topics include:

    • How new market realities will impact the way we think about transformations
  • Designing foundational capabilities with resiliency in mind to maximize flow and unlock value
  • Deep dive into the three “waves” that optimize software value streams
  • The fundamental nature of operationalizing with learning cycles and feedback loops
  • How Tasktop joining Planview will dramatically accelerate the ability to help the world's organizations survive and thrive in the age of software

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

    For more information about Razat Gaurav and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/razat-gaurav/

     

    58 min
  • Episode 46: Sejal Amin on Lasting Organizational Change that Drives Innovation

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Sejal Amin, current Chief Product and Technology Officer for Khoros, where she leads global product development teams to build great experiences for customers.


    In this episode, Mik and Sejal discuss a wide range of topics around continuous improvement, team health, organizational design, and flow.

    Key discussions include:

    • Lessons Sejal learned from making the shift from project to product and barriers to overcome when making that shift
  • The importance of team culture and emphasizing the health of the team
  • Strategies to accelerate and make lasting organizational changes that focus on outcomes; including an example of a structure and data-driven environment in which teams can thrive
  • Proven tools that increase team performance to effectively work around data and flow
  • Structuring a product and team hierarchy that is conducive to a successful project to product transformation that enables continuous learning, improvement and innovation

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.


    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne
    www.tasktop.com

     

    57 min
  • Episode 45: Jean-Michel Lemieux on Building Great Software to Maximize Business Impact

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Jean-Michel Lemieux, author, investor, advisor, and former CTO and SVP of Engineering at Shopify.

    In this episode, Mik and Jean-Michel discuss a wide range of topics around engineering, architecture, scale, organizational design, and flow.
    Key discussions include:

    • How Lemieux approached his role at Shopify, and insights into some of the actions he took to turn Shopify into a platform to create business value
  • The importance of identifying the type of work you’re doing in order to innovate and improve the velocity of your software evolution
  • Structuring teams to ensure developer happiness, productivity, and success
  • The importance of feedback loops and viewing platform as a product
  • How to make an economic case to CEOs on why leadership needs to recognize digital platforms as important economic assets and investments

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne
    www.tasktop.com

    For more information about Jean-Michel Lemieux and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/jean-michel-lemieux/

    1 hr 1 min
  • Episode 44: Geordie Henderson on Implementing Organizational Design and Innovation to Scale High-Performing Teams

    Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Geordie Henderson, General Manager of AWS Messaging and Streaming at Amazon Web Services, and previously the VP of Engineering at Hootsuite.

    In this episode, Mik and Geordie share insights into organizational design and innovation to build, integrate and lead successful software organizations, as well as other key topics including:

    • An overview of Geordie’s experience in scaling high-performing teams at Amazon Web Services and Hootsuite, and advice to leaders on the missteps to avoid
  • Implementing the correct team structures and dynamics when optimizing flow for business outcomes
  • How to successfully approach creating microservices teams and managing product needs
  • The concept of Single Threader Owners (STOs) and the role of product and engineering leadership when organizing around products vs. technology
  • Input versus output metrics and the importance of having set goals when evolving team structure
  • Advice to leaders on creating the dynamic and structure required for driving innovation within the organization

    • Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

    For more information about Geordie Henderson and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/geordie-henderson/

    52 min
  • Episode 43: Darrell Fernandes on Driving Organizational Improvement To Deliver Customer Value

    In this episode of Mik + One, Mik is joined by Darrell Fernandes, Head of Product Technology at TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services organization that is the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and governmental fields.

    In this episode, Mik and Darrell discuss themes around driving organizational improvement and customer value, as well as other topics including:

    • The five key accountabilities that all IT product managers should consider when thinking about how an IT product fits within the market
  • Insights into successfully building out Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that align with the business outcomes and deliver customer value
  • Organizing cross-functional Agile Release Trains (ARTs) as capabilities and guidance for building them into the business and technology roadmap
  • Operationalizing at a business level and advice on educating leadership and business counterparts when getting buy-in
  • Recognizing success and building incentives that strengthen how the teams operate to become more innovative, efficient and value-focused
  • Advice on how to approach and introduce Flow within the organization to deliver greater business value

    •  

    Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

    Follow Mik on Twitter: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

    www.tasktop.com

    For more information about Darrell Fernandes and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/darrell-fernandes/

    56 min

About Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

From the publisher's feed

Since publishing best-selling book, Project to Product, technology business leader, Dr. Mik Kersten, has introduced transformative frameworks and ideas for delivering software at scale. He has given numerous standing room only keynotes and presentations worldwide and is an internationally recognized thought-leader.