Troubleshooting Agile

By A weekly problem-solving session for all things agileBusiness

Troubleshooting Agile episodes

February 11 Check Your Dipstick, Continuously!
Are you maintaining your software team management like you do your car? In this week’s episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey use their car maintenance issues to help explore the concept of continuous monitoring versus manual checks and ask about the impact of alert fatigue. Join us to learn how you can create effective monitoring systems to prevent major issues.
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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
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About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
17 min
February 04 Beginner's Mind on the Ski Slope
Being good at something doesn’t make you good at teaching it! Following on from last week’s episode about forgetting the fundamentals of skiing, Jeffrey and Squirrel discuss the importance of using a beginner’s mindset when teaching new skills and how you can use creative techniques, like Squirrel’s Squirrelmobile, to explain ideas more effectively.
Links:
- Beginner's Mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin
- The Squirrelmobile: https://squirrelsquadron.substack.com/p/the-squirrelmobile-the-insanely-profitabe
- Wax On Wax Off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P11Bcpyw4g
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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
13 min
January 28 Learning You're Wrong on the Ski Slope
If something feels hard, you might not be the problem, it might be your tools. On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Jeffrey shares a skiing mishap, which had him believing he forgot how to ski - until he looked at his feet! Tune in for our thoughts on using the right tools for the right problems, checking assumptions, and the benefits of external perspectives.
Links:
- Betterism: https://squirrelsquadron.substack.com/p/stop-improving-your-product-squadron
- The Checklist Manifesto: https://atulgawande.com/book/the-checklist-manifesto/
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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
19 min
January 21 Fixing a Mistake with Immediate Feedback
One time on the podcast, we released the wrong episode - twice! But listener feedback meant we could correct it quickly - and it got us asking, do you know what users think of your software as soon as it’s done? On this re-run episode, which shares the theme of a recent episode, Gliding to Success [see below], Squirrel and Jeffrey show you how daily feedback IS possible and why we’d strongly recommend it.
Links:
- Previous episode on the Glidepath Indicator: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gliding-to-success
- Glidepath Indicator: agileconversations.com/blog/glideslope/
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
14 min
January 14 Vibing Isn't for Everyone, Part II
Worried non-techy people will expect too much from Vibe Coding? Listener, Tom, wrote to us with his concerns about the actual productivity of AI development. Listen in for Jeffrey’s experience on trivial tools that make a big difference and how to manage expectations, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.
Links:
- Community of Needs: https://snowbirdcollaboratory.org/community-of-needs/
- First episode of the podcast series on Vibe Coding: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gene-kim-on-vibe-coding-part-i
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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
13 min
January 07 Vibing Isn't for Everyone, Part I
It’s okay to be confused about Vibe Coding! On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey respond to a listener’s argument from our series with Gene Kim on Vibe Coding and reflect on the question, what stage are we at in the industry when it comes to Vibe Coding and what can we expect for the future?
Links:
- Community of Needs: https://snowbirdcollaboratory.org/community-of-needs/
- First episode of the podcast series on Vibe Coding: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gene-kim-on-vibe-coding-part-i
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
17 min
December 31, 2025 Gliding to Success
Are you using the Glidepath Method? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about how the method of landing a plane - something Jeffrey’s done - can be useful in effective project management. Join us to learn how you can navigate uncertainty and complexity in your projects - no plane landing experience necessary!
Links:
- Printed glidepath booklet: https://douglassquirrel.com/resources.html
- The Squirrel Squadron: https://squirrelsquadron.com
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
22 min
December 24, 2025 Gene Kim on Vibe Coding Part III
How do you get the best out of AI tools when you don’t have the talent that understands them? In the final of a three part series with guest, Gene Kim, we look at the misconceptions of AI for non-techy people, what happens when you don’t have industry-leading talent to discuss leaf nodes and whether vibe coding really means switching your brain off.
Links:
- Gene Kim: https://itrevolution.com/author/gene-kim/
- Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/
- Claude code: https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code
- Erik Meijer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Meijer_(computer_scientist)
- Vibe Coding podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@VibeCodingWithSteveandGene
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
24 min
December 17, 2025 Gene Kim on Vibe Coding Part II
Should you fire all your engineers and replace them with AI? That’s what Squirrel pitches to Gene Kim, our guest, when he returns for the second of a three part series exploring the themes of his new book Vibe Coding. Tune in to discover how you can transform your organisation with Vibe Coding and the power of AI assistance.
- Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/
- Dr. Pal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapabratapal
- Jevon’s Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox
- Reinertsen, Principles of Product Development Flow: http://lpd2.com/
- DORA report 2025: https://dora.dev/research/2025/dora-report/
- MIT beer game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_distribution_game
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
21 min
December 10, 2025 Gene Kim on Vibe Coding Part I
Want to be more productive, creative and joyful? That’s the outcome of Vibe Coding, a new concept and book by Gene Kim and Steve Yegge. In the first of a three-part series with co-author Gene Kim, he talks about how he got started on this project and how Vibe Coding offers new ways of working to tech and non-tech people alike.
Links:
- Gene Kim: https://itrevolution.com/author/gene-kim/
- Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/
- Steve Yegge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Yegge
- Erik Meijer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Meijer_(computer_scientist)
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
21 min

About Troubleshooting Agile

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Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for…