SPaMCAST 810 features our interview with D.J. Eshelman, author of . DJ and I cover a wide range of topics including why one size fits all approaches are a prescription for burnout. We also tackle why everyone should invest in an outside mentor. D.J. Eshelman, author of Just Do THIS - Photo Credit Sarah Goff DJ with over 25 years of IT experience, d…

SPaMCAST 809 features our essay discussing whether accountability and responsibility are ever separated in real life. In a corporate setting, if you are interested in instigating a no-holds-barred debate bring up the topic of the relationship between accountability and responsibility. Get your popcorn ready BEFORE you start the discussion. We will …

SPaMCAST 808 features our discussion with Steven Schkolne. We talk about design thinking and about how design thinking impacts users and user satisfaction. We answer what happens when a design thinker builds a business. Steven Schkolne is a computer scientist, designer, and entrepreneur who’s particularly passionate about the way humans work creati…

SPaMCAST 807 looks at the Nine Core Work Intake Principles from the organization’s middle. Each layer of the organization has an approach to work intake. While the macro outcome is the same for each layer – work is accepted – each has nuances. The simple three-tier view of organization design used in Mastering Work Intake begins with an executive l…

Why write Mastering Work Intake? Because Jeremy Willets and decided maybe things could be different. That just chanting “stop starting and stop finishing” wasn’t enough. Our book provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to help you tame the chaos of work entry. If you had the world enough and time mayb…

SPaMCAST 805 features our interview with Peter Schroeder. We discuss plane crashes, fatherhood, and the journey from DJ to a technologist and then to a business person. Organizational culture is critical in all organizations, double in distributed environments. Peter discusses how he learned to craft and defend organizational culture. Peter Schroed…

The Nine Core Principles of Work Intake are a key backbone of Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley. Teams and organizations need to apply these principles to avoid chaos. In the SPaMCAST 804, we illustrate the application of the Nine Core Principles based on role and organizational hierarchy beginning with the classic Scrum team r…

Our video provides a quick overview of Work Intake and its importance. Enjoy and let's discuss the concept. Learn to solve IT’s dirtiest secret — work intake. Stop ignoring it. Start fixing it. Today we are also announcing two new Mastering Work Intake training opportunities. Diagnose and solve work intake anti-patterns Become a work intake master.…

The SPaMCAST 802 features a panel discussion. Mark Metze, Jeremy Willets, and myself. discuss “Is agile still a movement or has it reached middle age?” We weigh the appropriateness of wailing and gnashing of teeth, hand wringing and sullen withdrawal, or pragmatism and philosophy. In the end perhaps the right answer is to buy a pair of mom or dad j…

The SPaMCAST 801 will examine the question, “When is not having clear priorities a winning strategy?” While the answer might seem self-evident, I am not sure people and organizations put their money where their mouth is. We also have Kies Kostaqi’s You Are Not Alone column. This installment highlights the soft skills required to be an effective Scr…

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 800 Johanna Rothman takes over the podcast and interviews Jeremy Willets and me. We discussed , why principles make more sense than best practices, and how disciplined work intake is the core to getting work done. We learn that in practice, stop starting and start finishing only works when you pay attent…

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 799 discusses why all communication is not collaboration. It is a commonly held belief that complex problems require collaborative efforts to solve. Couple that with an almost fad-like insistence that if a little collaboration is good, more is better, which leads to everything being deemed collaboration. We…

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 798 features my interview with Steve Taplin of Sonatafy Technology. Steve and I discussed the nuances and benefits of nearshore software development. Steve also provided his thoughts on why building an uplifting culture both inside and outside the organization reaps powerful rewards for everyone it touches.…

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 797 we ponder a statement from Roger Turnau in SPaMCAST 796, “You can’t expect the process to save you from yourself in every circumstance.” The statement poses a leadership quandary leading to questions every leader must ask. When does process guidance make sense? When do processes infantilize teams and…

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 796 features a conversation with Roger Turnau. Roger and I talk about prioritization using the cost of delay. Every organization and team I have ever worked with has a backlog of work and lots of people screaming that their piece of the backlog is the most important. The cost of delay is an important tool t…

Part of every profession is the jargon practitioners adopt. Having a language links people together and creates a sense of community. It also creates private gardens: a profession set off from those around it. Jargon is a form of secret handshake. Jargon is a two-edged sword, both gathering and excluding people. Be wary! We also have a visit from S…

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 794 features our conversation with Nick Schrock. Nick and I discussed data engineering, AI, and entrepreneurship. As the Founder at Dagster Labs, Nick has the perfect standing to talk about three of the hottest topics of 2024. Nick’s Bio: Nick is the Founder and CTO of Dagster Labs, the company behind Dagst…