The Software Process and Measurement Cast 397 features our essay on cumulative flow diagrams.  The following file includes all of the figures referenced in the cumulative flow diagrams  essay which is part of SPaMCAST 397.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 397 features our essay on cumulative flow diagrams. A CFD can help everyone from team members to program managers to gain insight into issues, cycle time and likely completion dates. Cumulative flow diagrams are extremely versatile tools for managing work. Figures for this essay are included as a separate entry in the feed. Our second column is a visit to the QA Corner. Jeremy Berriault weighs in on the thorny question of who signs off or approves the results of testing for projects. We discuss some strange behaviors that occur when responsibility and authority for the results of testing are ambiguous. We also have the debut column from Jon M. Quigley. Jon inaugurates his column with a discussion of whether project risk, scope and strategy are related. The short answer is yes, and the longer answer suggests what happens when all of the options are not considered. Jon is a principle at Value Transformation, LLC (www.valuetransform.com) along with being a teacher, coach, serial author and past guest on SPaMCAST 346. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week’s installment will address Chapter 7, which using the monomyth structure represents both atonement and the return home, the completion of the cycle. Next week we will conclude with a few final thoughts. The next book in the Re-read Saturday Series will be Kent Beck’s xP Explained, Second Edition. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview of with bestselling author Kevin Kruse. We discussed his new book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. The ideas on managing time and more accurately managing focus are extremely useful and in some cases just a bit controversial. Listen to the interview, then buy a copy of his book and become more productive! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 396 begins our run up to Episode 400 with our interview of with Mike Burrows. Mike and I talked about his game changing idea of Agendashift. Agendashift identifies opportunities for positive change by exploring an organization’s alignment to the values of transparency, balance, collaboration, customer focus, flow, and leadership. Along the way, we also revisited parts of our previous interview on the podcast covering Mike’s book, Kanban From The Inside. Mike’s Bio Mike is the founder of Agendashift, author of the book Kanban from the Inside, consultant, coach, and trainer. In recent months, he has been the interim delivery manager for two UK government digital "exemplar" projects and consultant to public and private sector organisations at home and abroad. Prior to his consulting career, he was global development manager and Executive Director at a top tier investment bank, and IT Director for an energy risk management startup. Agendashift Blog: https://www.agendashift.com/ Twitter: @asplake and @KanbanInside Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter 6. Chapter 6 layers ideas from game theory to explain why real options works. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast includes three columns. The first is our essay on cumulative flow diagrams. Cumulative flow diagrams are extremely versatile tools for managing work. I am becoming more and more convinced that they should be used universally. We will also have a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy brings us his unique wisdom to testing topics. Our conversations are always illuminating! Jon M. Quigley. Jon is a serial author and consultant, who first appeared on SPaMCAST 346. We discussed. We began his unnamed column (we need your help) with a discussion of project risk and scope and strategy selection. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 395 features our essay on productivity. While productivity might not be the coolest subject, understanding the concept is critical to every company’s and every worker’s financial well-being. Gene Hughson brings another entry from his Form Follows Function blog to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Gene discusses the idea of accidental innovation. Gene suggests that innovation is not a happy accident, but is a result of a process, structure, and technology that can enhance innovation. However, it can just as easily get in the way. In our third column this week, Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, brings us a discussion of how software developers leverage assimilation and accommodation in the acquisition of knowledge. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter 5. It is a relatively short chapter, but it exposes one of the critical mechanisms for how Agile teams are able to self-organize and self-manage. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast begins the final approach to Episode 400 with our interview of with Mike Burrows. Mike and I talked about his game changing idea of Agenda Shift . Agenda Shift Identifies opportunities for positive change by exploring an organization’s alignment to the values of transparency, balance, collaboration, customer focus, flow, and leadership. Along the way, we also revisited parts of our first interview on the podcast covering Mike’s book, Kanban From The Inside. Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 394 features our interview with Yves Hanoulle. Yves returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss his experiences as a coach with CoderDojo Ghent which brings coding and life lessons to children in Ghent, Belgium. We also explored how Yves has been able to incorporate the lessons he has learned volunteering into his day job. This is a fun interview that has a profound message about our obligation to the future. This is a great interview to come back from vacation to edit and deliver! Yves’s Bio: Yves Hanoulle started working in IT in 1994. He has worked as software support, developer, team lead, trainer, agile coach, change artist, first follower, thought jockey. These days he calls himself Creative Collaboration Agent. Yves believes that IT is mainly about working with people. A skill that can never be learned enough. Mr. Hanoulle is deeply involved in many communities including starting the book “Who is agile” together with a team of 20 people. There are now multiple local country spin-offs of the book (we talked about this project near the end of the interview) Yearly Yves spends 10 to 20% of his revenue on training and books so that he stays at the forefront of thought on software development. Since 2005, he has worked as coach or trainer for a wide range of firms across the globe. Connect with Yves at: Twitter: @yveshanoulle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yveshanoulle Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter four, which delves into the visualization of work, staff liquidity and a focus on outcomes. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement cast will feature an essay on productivity metrics: the good, the bad and the ugly. We will also feature columns from Kim Pries and Gene Hughson. Also, I hope to have news about a new columnist joining the SPaMCAST family and more! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

One last week in mixtape format! I am completing a trip that is a mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST.  In place of our normal format, I am posting a mix tape of the answers to the “If you could change two things” question I have been asking interviewees for nearly ten years.  This week on SPaMCAST 393 we feature our top downloaded podcasts from the year 2010: SPaMCAST 85 – Cory Foy on Agile Coaching   http://bit.ly/1Qmmx0g Cory used his wishes to discuss the obsession with certification rather than performance and bring user into making critical business decisions so that usability is maximized. SPaMCAST 92 – Don Reinertsen on Product Development Flow  http://bit.ly/1WERCDZ Don used his wishes to ask that people understand the economics of product development and then to use that understanding to measure and reduce WIP queues. SPaMCAST 94 - Ivar Jacobson on SEMAT http://bit.ly/1SYSmhA Ivar discussed the SEMAT core defining software engineering and how SPaMCAST listeners can support the development of SEMAT. If these excerpts tickled your fancy listen to the whole interview by clicking on the links shown above. Next week we will return to regular programming with a thought provoking interview.

I am still traveling for the next two weeks. The trip is a

mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you

will have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST.  In place of our

normal format, I am posting a mix tape of the answers to the “If

you could change two things” question I have been asking

interviewees for nearly ten years.  This week on SPaMCAST 392

we feature our top downloaded podcasts from the year 2009:

SPaMCAST 51 - Tim Lister on Adrenaline Junkies and

Template Zombies

http://bit.ly/1WERtk5

Tim discussed ending the estimating charade.  Tim stated it

would be better if we recognized estimating as goal setting.

Secondly, he noted that a lot of outsourcing has overshot its mark

and reduced our organizational capabilities.

SPaMCAST 67 - Murali Chemuturi on Software Estimation

Best Practices, Tools & Techniques

http://bit.ly/1MHDzeJ

Murali used his wishes to state that estimators need a better

grasp and understanding the concepts of productivity and

scheduling.

SPaMCAST 69 - Kevin Brennan on Business

Analysis

http://bit.ly/1WERB2V

Kevin answered a different question and discussed the message he

would share with a C-Level executive to describe why business

analysis is important to them.

If you enjoyed the snippets please use the links to listen to

the whole interviews.  Next week 2010!

The first full Software Process and Measurement Cast posted on January 29th, 2007. When the first cast posted we were on an every other week schedule whereas today we post weekly. Over the next few weeks, I will be traveling. The trip is a mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you will have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST. In place of our normal format, I will post a mixtape of the answers to the “If you could change two things” question I have been asking interviewees for nearly ten years.

SPaMCAST 391 will feature our top downloaded podcasts from the years of 2007 and 2008:

SPaMCAST 2 – Will McKnight on Process and Product Quality Assurance

http://bit.ly/1VBujvS

Will used his wishes to talk about the need for an organizational process focus and the guidance to sustain process improvement.

SPaMCAST 4 - Stasia Iwanicki on Six Sigma

http://bit.ly/1WdJnOP

Stasia used her first wish to address requirements capture, development, and management. Her second wish was for better measurement for supporting the software development process.

SPaMCAST 49 – Robin Goldsmith on Requirements

http://bit.ly/23ZC9Av

Robin used his wishes to discuss the need to capture and validate the real business requirements which lead to better systems.

If you enjoyed the snippets please use the links to listen to the whole interviews. Next week 2009!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 390 features our interview with Vinay Patankar. We discussed his start up Process Street and the path Vinay and his partner took in order to embrace agile because it delivered value, not just because it was cool. We also discussed how Agile fits or helps in a lean start-up and the lessons Vinay wants to pass on to others.

Vinay’s Bio:

Vinay Patankar is the co-founder and CEO of Process Street, the simplest way to manage your teams recurring processes and workflows. Easily set up new clients, onboard employees and manage content publishing with Process Street.

Process Street is a venture-backed SaaS company and AngelPad alum with numerous fortune 500 clients.

When not running Process Street, Vinay loves to travel and spent 4 years as a digital nomad roaming the globe running different internet businesses. He enjoys food, fitness and talking shop.

Twitter: @vinayp10

Re-Read Saturday News

We continue the read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle Chapters Three which explores visualization, knowledge options and focusing on outcomes. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday.

Upcoming Events

I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now!

I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, May 10th and 11th. Register Now!

Next SPaMCAST

The next three weeks will feature mix tapes with the “if you could fix two things” questions from the top downloads of 2007/08, 2009 and 2010. I will be doing a bit of vacationing and all the while researching, writing content and editing new interviews for the sprint to episode 400 and beyond.

 

Shameless Ad for my book!

Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 389 essay on different layers and anti-patterns of Agile Acceptance Testing. Many practitioners see Agile acceptance testing as focused solely on validating the business facing functionality. This is a misunderstanding; acceptance testing is more varied.

We also have a column from Kim Pries, the Software Sensei.  Kim discusses the significance of soft skills. Kim starts his essay with the statement, “The terms we use to talk about soft skills may reek of subjective hand-waving, but they can often be critical to a career.”

Gene Hughson anchors the cast with a discussion from his blog Form Follows Function, titled Gene concludes that OODA loops help address the fact that “We can’t operate with a “one and done” philosophy” when it comes to software architecture.

We are also changing and curtailing some of the comments at the end of the cast based on feedback from listeners. We will begin spreading out some of the segments such as future events over the month so that if you binge listen, the last few minutes won’t be as boring and boring.

Re-Read Saturday News

This week we begin the read by Maassen, Matts, and Geary.  Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle Chapters One and Two which set the context for the novel and introduces the concept of real options.

 

Upcoming Events

I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd.  I will be teaching a full day class on on April 18 and presenting on Wednesday, April 20th.  !

I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland May 10th and 11th.

Next SPaMCAST

The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Vinay Patankar.  We discussed his start up, Process Street, and the path Vinay and his partner took in order to embrace agile because it delivered value, not just because it was cool.  We also discussed how Agile fits or helps in a lean start-up and the lessons Vinay wants to pass on to others.

 

Shameless Ad for my book!

co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.