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Blog, General, General Agile, Scrum

Understanding The Agile Manifesto: A Brief & Bold Guide to Agile – Podcast Now Available

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I am pleased to announce that my first book, Understanding the Agile Manifesto: A Brief & Bold Guide to Agile is now available as a podcast. Over the next few days / weeks I will be releasing the book, chapter by chapter, on this website and through the iTunes store under my “Agile Doctor” podcast.

Backlog, Blog, General, General Agile, Leadership

Will Your Development Practices Shield You From Malpractice?

By
Gavel

Perhaps malpractice litigation will not affect the realm of software development as I anticipate, but that does not mean it is not appropriate. In some cases, people who with authority to make decisions regarding software development show a willful ignorance of the nature of software development. I believe their behavior is not only detrimental to the production of quality software and the satisfaction of customers and employees alike, but certainly borders on the realm of malpractice.

Blog, General, Leadership

Yahoo! – Some Thoughts on Regaining Former Glory

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Yahoo Building Photo

My topic this week is the fall of a company I (still) have a great deal of affection for, one that I continue to support. To me this company “was” the internet and their rise and past prominence represented what was best of Silicon Valley. More troubling is their subsequent lack of direction and downfall represents what can be thought of as the worst of Silicon Valley. I am not the first (and will not be the last) to weigh in on the tragedy that goes by the name of Yahoo!

Agile Coaching, Agile Transitioning, Blog, General, General Agile

The 3Ps of Agile Software Development

By
einstein

I am often faced with explaining the various aspects of Agile to people new to Agile and I have come up with a very simple way to remember (and explain) Agile. I present to you now the “3Ps of Agile Software Development” with the hope you find this useful to your own understanding and an aid in your ability to explain Agile to others.

Agile Management, General, Scrum

Five Impactful Interview Questions for Prospective Scrum Masters

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interview

If people cannot fail a test how good can the test be. Given this fact I am not even certain that a CSM should be part of the job description. A few months of “boots on the ground” scrum is better than the two-day training.

Agile Coaching, Agile Transitioning, Blog, General, General Agile

Apke's Law

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Most of my 7+ years of Agile coaching and scrum mastering has been working with existing waterfall organizations and helping them become more agile. During this period I have seen a wide range of companies and a wide range of successful adoption, but I have noticed one thing that is constant. This was brought home recently as I reflect on my most recent agile presentation/discussion given at Geekdom in San Antonio last week.

In this Agile open forum the majority of the questions dealt with transitioning from waterfall to agile. This is where I first publicly broached Apke’s law which states:

Your transition to agile will only go as far as the highest ranking manager who understands and supports it.

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