Troubleshooting Agile

A bit of festive magic for you. 

We have invited Marcin Floyran and Sebastian Lambla back onto the podcast to discuss VeST (Vertical Slice Technologies). They were last on the podcast about two years ago to talk about Agile Anarchy and we asked them back to talk about VeST. So here it is. Aslak is asking the questions. 

This is a great listen for those who are interested in building customer-centric, high-quality software products.


Topics discussed during the podcast include:

 - The core concepts of VeST and its benefits.

 - Why focusing on the customer can be a great first-step for teams steeped in legacy code.

 - Debunking hexagonal architecture and ports and adapters. 

 - The role of traditional testers and mob testing. 

Shownotes

 - Sebastian's blog - https://serialseb.com/serials/vest-redux/

 - Agile Anarchy podcast - https://cucumber.io/blog/2016/02/16/agile-anarchy

 - Kind of Green - Aslak's post about how we are building Cucumber Pro -https://sdjournal.org/bdd-like-jazz/

Shout out the pod on Twitter @cucumberbdd - https://twitter.com/cucumberbdd

VeST - Vertical Slice Technologies

In this week's podcast Jeffrey tells us a story about the dangers of blaming human error in the workplace, and we discuss root cause analysis, the blameless postmortem approach and how these are essential components in building productive systems and a great agile team.

Normal Accidents – http://bit.ly/2CtawMg

http://troubleshootingagile.com/

The Blameless Postmortem Approach

In episode 2 of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey look at what to do when you've adopted good agile practices but are not seeing good business outcomes; how the most beautiful kanban board on earth doesn't necessarily mean results; and why the 12 agile principles work as a form of feedback and a great guide.

Shownotes:

- Jeffrey's 2008 blog post – https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2008/11/08/searching-for-an-agile-core/

- The 12 agile principles – http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

- Chris Matts's blog – https://theitriskmanager.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/communities-of-need-community-of-solutions/

Why not let us know what you think on Twitter @TShootingAgile https://twitter.com/TShootingAgile

The Importance of the Agile Principles

In this third episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey take a look at the first of the 12 Agile Principles: "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.” As Jeffrey point out, this principle contains so much that it "could have been an agile manifesto in itself.” 

Squirrel and Jeffrey both tell stories about previous consulting experiences to highlight where clients have failed to fully deliver on this vital principle in the past, and how businesses can troubleshoot various common problems that arise.


Show Notes:

- The 12 Agile principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html 

- “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement”, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0566086654/ref=sr_1_1 

- CITCON website: http://citconf.com/


We’d love to hear any thoughts you have about this Agile Principle, or about the podcast in general. 

You can email us, here:
agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Or send us a tweet, here:
https://twitter.com/TShootingAgile


Also, why not Like, Share and Subscribe. We’d really appreciate it.

The First Agile Principle: Delivering Fully

In this episode Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the Second Agile Principle: ‘Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.’

We hear how the principle is closely related to Lean Startup and Minimal Viable Product, and how, at its core, it is about understanding and learning from one’s environment as quickly and as often as possible.

This reminds Squirrel of the OODA loop, the decision cycle developed by military strategist and US Air Force Colonel John Boyd, and he tells us a story about fighter jet dogfights in the Korean War.

Jeffrey also tells us a story, about a startup he started way way back in the first dotcom bubble in 1999, which brings to mind another military lesson that ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy.’.

Finally, we hear examples of common errors witnessed over the years, such as refusals to fully embrace the Second Agile Principle in favour of misguided efficiency and an often irrational attachment a plan.

***

SHOWNOTES:

-The 12 Agile Principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

-The OODA Loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop

-Lean Startup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_startup

***

We’d love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the episode (or regarding anything else, for that matter).

You can email us, here:
agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Or send us a tweet, here:
twitter.com/TShootingAgile

Or you can find our website, here:
http://troubleshootingagile.com/

Also, here is a link to our iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
If you felt like liking, Sharing and/or Subscribing, we’d really appreciate it.

Embracing Change & Maximising Validated Learning

In episode 5 of Troubleshooting Agile we discuss the Third Agile Principle: 'Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.'

Evolution in our thinking, since the Agile Manifesto was written back in 2001, makes what was once considered 'shorter timescales' seem laughable now, but, when retrospecting, 'working software frequently' remains one of the core agile disciplines. But, as Squirrel and Jeffrey highlight through various client stories, it is far from easy to implement continuously.

We hear where, why and how so many companies fail to fully employ this principle, and Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss some interesting techniques to overcome common problems - from slicing up elephant carpaccio to  employing continuous integration with nothing more than a rubber chicken.

*We apologise for a few sound difficulties at the start of the episode with Jeffrey's mic. Stick with it and they soon pass.*

***

Squirrel and Jeffrey have told us which common obstacles they regularly witness that prevent organisations from delivering working software frequently. Now we want to hear from you guys on the matter. You can leave your answers in the comments below, you can email us at agile@troubleshootingagile.com, or you can find a poll on our Twitter feed @TShootingAgile.

What are the obstacle for your organisation to delivering working software frequently?

1. The tech team aren't offering to do this, or don't know how.
2. Customers (external or internal or both) don't know it's possible or how to use it if offered.
3. Both 1. and 2.
4. Neither - we already deliver frequently!

***

SHOWNOTES:

-Agile Manifesto Principles - http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

-Continuous Delivery, by Jez Humble and David Farley - https://martinfowler.com/books/continuousDelivery.html 

-Continuous Delivery - https://continuousdelivery.com 

-CITCON - https://citconf.com 

-James Shore's blog: "Continuous Integration on a Dollar a Day - http://www.jamesshore.com/Blog/Continuous-Integration-on-a-Dollar-a-Day.html

-Alistair Cockburn's blog: "Elephant Carpaccio" - http://alistair.cockburn.us/Elephant+carpaccio

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the episode (or regarding anything else for that matter).

You can email us, here:
agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Or send us a tweet, here:
twitter.com/TShootingAgile

Or you can find our website, here:
troubleshootingagile.com/

Also, here is a link to our iTunes:
itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2
If you feel like liking, Sharing and/or Subscribing, we'd really appreciate it.

Delivering Working Software Frequently & Continuously

In this week's podcast we move on to the final Agile Principle, number 12: "At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly."

The hard truth is that learning is horrible. It means coming face to face with your own inadequacies, and challenging them. Consequently, mustering up the motivation to learn is too easily and too often avoided. Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss their own experiences with the importance of reflection and some troubleshooting techniques to make learning easier.

They also discuss:
-How we all need to keep sharpening the saw, because if we're constantly producing we're not learning.
-Using Production Vs Production Capacity, from 7 Habits of Highly Influential People, to remind ourselves of this.
-How Marginal Gains, just 1%-per-day, compound to make a huge difference over time.
-How, unexpectedly, it is often something as simple as poor relationships that are blocking the natural learning a company would like to have.

It's much easier to blame the circumstances than have difficult conversations, and this blocks development. Therefore, we have a challenge for our listeners:
Look at your current circumstances, at what you think the problems are, reflect, and then ask yourself: what's currently preventing you from taking action on those problems (and that means YOU. You individually. Saying your boss is an idiot is not an answer). There are always opportunities available to you, should you choose to take them. If you agree or disagree with us, let us know, via email, Twitter or in a review below. We'd love to take on some of your cases in upcoming episodes.

***

SHOW LINKS:

-The 12 Agile Principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

-James Clear on Marginal Gains: https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains

-The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R Covey: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit7.php

-London Organisational Learning Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/London-Action-Science-Meetup/

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.

Email us: agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile

Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2

Finding the Motivation to Learn - & Stay Agile

This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel are on the road at CITCON Vienna, interviewing participants about how they use agile techniques and principles outside development.

SHOW LINKS:

-The 12 Agile Principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

-CITCON: http://citconf.com/

-London Organisational Learning Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/London-Action-Science-Meetup/

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.

Email us: agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile

Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2

Agile Outside Software Teams

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 getting back on track.

Finding the Motivation to Learn - & Stay Agile

Troubleshooting Agile

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