Software Process and Measurement Cast

To paraphrase Ed Sullivan, “We have a big, big show this week,” so we will keep the up front chit chat to a minimum. First up is our essay on Agile Testing. Even if you are not a tester, understanding how testing flows in Agile projects is important to maximize value. Second, we have a new installment from Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner. In this installment Jeremy talks about test cases. More is not...

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Woody Zuill. We talked about the concept and controversy swirling around #NoEstimates. Even if the concept is a bridge too far for you, the conversation is important because we talked about why thinking and questioning is a critical survival technique. As Woody points out, it is important to peer past the “thou musts” to gain gr...

The Software Process and Measurement Cast includes three columns. The first is our essay on managing Agile projects and teams. I often say project management is dead. That does not mean that the pressures that drive the need to manage work have gone away. In the end the “what” of project management is important because control, discipline and coordination are needed tools to deliver value; the jou...

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Jon M Quigley. We discussed configuration management and his new book Configuration Management: Theory, Practice, and Application. Jon co-authored the book with Kim Robertson. Configuration management, the management and control of project deliverable, is one of the most critical practices anyone building a product, writing a pi...

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 345 features our essay on Cognitive Biases and two new columns. The essay on cognitive bias provides important tools for anyone that works on a team or interfaces with other people! A sample for the podcast: "The discussion of cognitive biases is not a theoretical exercise. Even a relatively simple process such as sprint planning in Scrum is influenced by...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 344 features our conversation with Susan Parente. We talked about Agile risk management. Risk is not always discussed in polite Agile circles however Susan suggests that if you do not have a plan to address risk you are asking for pain for yourself and everyone around you. Susan’s Bio Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and an Assoc...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 344 features our conversation with Susan Parente. We talked about Agile risk management. Risk is not always discussed in polite Agile circles however Susan suggests that if you do not have a plan to address risk you are asking for pain for yourself and everyone around you. Susan’s Bio Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and an Assoc...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 343 includes two features. The first is our essay, Commitment, Revisited: Is Commitment Anti-Agile? We think not! Commitment is a core behavior for delivering business value effectively. Our second feature is a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Kim reflects on hiring practices for software development. Among the nuggets from Kim is the reminder to kee...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 342 features our interview with Ellen Gottesdiener and Mary Gorman. We discussed their great book, Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis, requirements and Agile. Ellen and Mary provided penetrating insight into how to work with requirements in an Agile environment, from discovery to delivery and beyond. This is the second time Ellen, Mary an...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 341 features our essay titled Agile Team Decision Making. Team-based decision-making requires mechanisms and prerequisites for creating consensus among team members. The prerequisites are a decision to be made, trust, knowledge and the tools to make a decision. No one should assume that that team members have the required tools and techniques in their arsenal...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 340 features our interview with Tom Howlett. Tom is a Scrum Master. We talked about teams, collaboration and how to effectively be Agile in distributed teams. Tom’s bio: Tom's been building and working with teams that focus on continuous improvement for 15 years. In that time he's written about the difficulties he faced and how he overcame them in over 100 blo...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 339 features our essay on demonstrations and a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. Demonstrations are a tool to generate conversations about what is being delivered. Because a demonstration occurs at the end of every sprint the team will continually be demonstrating the value they are delivering, which reinforces confidence and motivation. The...

Software Process and Measurement Cast 338 features our new interview with Stephen Parry. We discussed adaptable organizations. Stephen recently wrote: “Organizations which are able to embrace and implement the principles of Lean Thinking are inevitably known for three things: vision, imagination and – most importantly of all - implicit trust in their own people.” We discussed why trust, vision and...

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature three columns! The first is our essay on the Agile release plans. Even after 12 years or more with Agile we are still asked what we will deliver, when a features will be delivered and how much the project will cost. Agile release plans are a tool to answer those questions. Our second column this week is from the Software Sense...

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Yves Hanoulle, builder of community builders. We discussed collaboration, coaching retreats and the future of Agile. Yves is an Agile thought leader among thought leaders and he shared his wisdom the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners. Yves' Bio: Yves Hanoulle has taken on almost every role in t...

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature three columns! The first is our essay on the definitions of four critical words. What do the words effectiveness, efficiency, frameworks and methodologies really mean? These words get used ALL the time, however they really do have fairly specific meanings. Meanings that, once understood and used to guide how we work, can help...

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Agile coach Mario Lucero. Mario and I discussed the nuts and bolts of coaching Agile teams, what is and isn’t Agile and the impact of coaching on success. Mario provided insights on Agile that span both Americas! Mario describes himself as an Agile evangelist (including Kanban) delivering coaching for Agile...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Kim Pries, The Software Sensei, and Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change. In this installment Kim discusses the ins and outs of selling defect control. In Explaining Change, Jo Ann tackles the concept of planning for communication (protip: it is better than winging it). The SPaM...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Shirly Ronen-Harel. We began by talking about the book she is co-authoring, The Coaching Booster, which is 80% complete on LeanPub. We branched out into other topics including coaching, lean, Agile and using lean and Agile in startups. This was an incredibly content-rich podcast. Have your notepad ready when you listen b...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Gene Hughson – Form Follows Function, completing a three-column arc on microservices. In Jo Ann Sweeney’s new Explaining Change column, Jo Ann tackles the concept of communication channels. The SPaMCAST essay this week is on Agile Coaching. Coaches help teams and projects deli...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview Anthony Mersino, author of Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers and the newly published Agile Project Management. Anthony and I talked about Agile, coaching and organizational change. It is a wide ranging interview that will help any leader raise the bar! We also talked about his new venture: Vitality Chicago. We are h...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is our magazine with three features. We begin with Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change column. In this column Jo Ann tackles the concepts of messages and themes. I consider this the core of communication. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her column. The middle segment is our essay on commitment...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Alex Papadimoulis. Alex is returning to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss Release. Release is card game about making software inspired by development strategies like Lean, Agile, and DevOps, and classic trick -taking card games. We also circled back to talk about continuous delivery and DevOps; a bit o...

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on the ubiquitous stand-up meeting. The stand-up meeting has become a feature of Agile and non-Agile project alike. The technique can be a powerful force to improve team effectiveness and cohesion, or it a can really make a mess out of things! We explore how to get more of the former and less of the later We also have a new Form...

Software Process and Measurement Cast features our Interview with Steve Tendon. We discussed his new book Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross. Steve discussed how to lead knowledge workers and build a hyper-performing knowledge work organization. We talked about the four flows, psychology, information, work and...