Retro Time // A Software Podcast

No one likes one-play toilet paper. Yet it’s everywhere. It’s in just about every public or institutional toilet across the world.

This begs the question, if no one likes one-play toilet paper, why is it everywhere?

Well, I think it’s simple.

The people who pay for the toilet paper aren’t the ones who have to use it.

And it’s not too unlike enterprise software when you think about it.

The people who get stuck using enterprise software have very little say in what tools they’re supposed to use every day. The people who pay for the software are rarely the ones who have to use it. Not to mention enterprise software is usually seen as a cost-center, not a profit-center. So there is very little incentive to bake quality in from the beginning.

This week Derek and Jeremy dig into this conundrum and talk through some potential solutions to this unique problem.

Topics:• 03:00 – The Analogy of One-Ply Toilet Paper and Enterprise Software• 20:00 – Building Better Software and the Importance of Empathy• 27:00 – Creating Empathy and Relationships in the Workplace• 31:00 – Turning Knuckleheads into Stallions• 31:28 – Building Great Software Requires Focus and Vision• 32:27 – Empathy and Skill are Essential for Solving Problems• 33:40 – Assuming Positive Intent and Encouraging Effort• 34:09 – The Challenge of Leadership Problems• 35:03 – Lack of Vision and Strategy as Leadership Problems• 36:38 – The Need for Empowering Employees to Speak Up• 39:30 – The Iceberg of Ignorance and Incentives for Silence• 41:40 – The Lack of Democracy in the Workplace• 48:26 – Leadership’s Role in Building Better Software

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What happens when the quest for the perfect design goes too far?

Today, we’re stepping away from our usual interviews and discussions to bring you a special Halloween treat.

This is the story of Ethan. A talented UX designer so committed to creating the perfect prototype that he becomes consumed by it—so much so that he loses himself in his work… Never to be seen again.

😱

Two brave interns hear about Ethan’s tale and decide to unravel the mystery. What they discover is beyond anything they could have imagined.

Whether you’re a junior UX designer, a career shifter, or even a seasoned pro, this episode should serve as a cautionary tale. It’s a haunting reminder of what can happen when we lose ourselves in our work and the dangers of focusing on perfection at all costs.

So go ahead and give it a listen… If you dare!

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Sit right back and you’ll hear a tale. A tale of a woman who isn’t quite careful about what she does with her personal information while browsing the internet.

Do you think you’re safe online? Do you pay close attention to the websites you visit?

Unscrupulous UX designers might use some dirty tactics to trick you into doing their evil bidding.

Don’t fall for these dirty tricks. Find out how to protect yourself by listening to this cautionary tale of UX dark patterns.

We want to give a huge shout-out to Kat Richards for writing an awesome article about UX dark patterns that inspired this story. Thanks Kat!

Helpful Links:• A Very Scary UX Halloween Story: Dark Patterns and Bad UX

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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Lots of folks have ended up in the position of being at a higher level than they maybe should be.

This sounds like a blessing, but it could quickly turn into a curse when you decide to move to a new job where you may be viewed as less experienced than other people at your level.

Overlevelling can happen for several reasons. It’s possible your current team doesn’t have a lot of rigor around promotions or hiring. It’s also possible a new company would offer a higher band to help give recruiters more wiggle room during compensation negotiations.

If you’ve been over leveled it means you may have a hard time making a lateral move and may have to think about making a more horizontal switch.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to ignore titles and focus on your experience level and the context of the team.

A great team will know your level and be able to get you up to speed.

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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AI isn’t coming. AI is here.

There are two types of people in this world. Those who are chomping at the bit to embrace AI tools like ChatGPT, and those who are terrified the end is nigh.

Let’s face it, AI is pretty incredible. But it’s also kind of dumb right now. We’re not quite to the point of dealing with Skynet and Terminator-style robots looking to completely wipe out humanity… yet.

Is there any point in fighting it? Does it do any good? Or should you pop some popcorn, sit back, relax, and get ready for the end?

It all depends if you agree with Derek or not.

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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Photo by Owen Beard on Unsplash

Most software teams don’t realize the power they have over our everyday lives. With the proliferation of smart technology and connected networks, when product teams miss seemingly little software bugs, the consequences can be astounding.

Where does the software industry start to draw the line between innocent oversight and criminal negligence? Will a licensing scheme similar to the law and medical industries help to hold people accountable?

This week Derek and Jeremy interview the esteemed Gojko Adzic. They talk about some examples of software gone wrong and offer some insights on how to address these issues.

Gojko is the author of Running Serverless, Impact Mapping, Specification by Example and a few more books… He’s now working on Narakeet – narakeet.com and MindMup – mindmup.com.

Topics:• 03:00 – Very close to reaching Peak Software $#!%• 04:24 – Software is starting to negatively affect people’s lives.• 15:25 – Illegal vs unethical patterns• 20:20 – “Automation helps to get things done faster, not better”• 25:40 – Software that breaks is often meant to serve the underprivileged.• 30:00 – Gojko’s state of the industry

Helpful Links:• Gojko.net• Humans vs Computers• Narakeet• MindMup

Order your Peak Software $#!% stickers!

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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•

You may have never heard of “The Network Effect” but you most certainly have experienced it.

If you’ve used social media, watched TV, or subscribed to a streaming service like Spotify, or Netflix, you’ve been a part of the network effect. Even if you didn’t realize it.

The Network Effect is when a system brings value to users because of the number of other users active in the system.

The more producers on a platform the more it is desirable for users. The more users on the platform the more desirable it is for the producers to join the platform.

This week, Derek explains The Network Effect and how this might influence your approach to planning out your system.

When we think about it in the context of software, this is something that can improve the experience of our users. Or it can have a negative effect and end up hurting the experience.

When you’re in the planning phase, it’s important to think about The Network Effect and make sure you’re setting your team up for success.

Helpful Links:• The Network Effect on Wikipedia

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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Episode Thumbnail by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

Every once in a while, a great team will fall into an alternate universe. One where things don’t go according to plan. Where things could have gone right if only someone made a different decision. It might look a lot like the universe you’re used to, but it just doesn’t feel quite right.

The multiverse is often described as different bubbles. If you don’t like the universe you’re in. You might need to pop that bubble.

How do you get a team from a state of chaos to a state of enlightenment? How do we pull out the pin and pop the bubble? It requires time and energy to pop the bubble. If the leaders are unwilling, sometimes the leaders have to go.

When we reinforce and incentivize good behavior we get good results.

It’s often that simple.

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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Episode thumbnail by Israel Piña on Unsplash

Who the software teams serve is a great question and often gets conflicting answers, depending on who you ask.

This week, Derek and Jeremy discuss this question and dive into some deeper questions about why the software team exists in the first place. What is the point of “the product”? Why do we even have a job in the first place?

Check out this week’s episode for some deep conversation about these topics and find out if Jeremy finishes all of his king cake.

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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Episode thumbnail by William Krause on Unsplash

Making decisions is hard.

What’s harder is documenting those decisions.

What’s often impossible is trying to figure out why a decision was made years before you joined the team.

And all too often that decision lingers for a very, very, very long time.

This week Derek and Jeremy discuss decisions, their long-term impact, and what happens when those decisions turn into ancient history that predates your modern era.

Topics:• 10:25 – The Great Stink• 12:59 – Let the PSR commence• 14:06 – Teams often value speed over quality• 20:30 – Create a stakeholder map• 24:29 – Teams often have problems with decision making• 24:52 – Org charts don’t always tell the whole story• 28:13 – Visions can be great, but there’s a catch• 33:17 – You don’t have to be that wrong to still be wrong

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Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton.

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