There are a couple of practices I value greatly, and which many engineers struggle with, usually for the same reason. One practice is planning for value in small increments, which … Continue reading There are many things to optimise for
Category: Planning
Sharing the stakeholders’ mindset
A few years back I was talking to a team leader about their delivery schedule. Some of her stakeholders were keen on a planning to have two milestones every quarter—that … Continue reading Sharing the stakeholders’ mindset
What makes a good plan?
In the new trailer to the forthcoming film “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” we get the following entertaining exchange. A group of thieves are trying to recruit an elf … Continue reading What makes a good plan?
Using the right words
When trying to persuade people of something—particularly something where the stakes are fairly high—it’s important to be aware of words that are and aren’t appropriate. This doesn’t just mean being … Continue reading Using the right words
Product/market fit is a dance
Some time ago I needed to get an estimate a piece of work, so I arranged a meeting with a senior engineer. The precise success criteria of the work was … Continue reading Product/market fit is a dance
Three financial benefits of time-saving investments
When we want to make a time-saving investment we often have to create a formal business justification. When I say “time-saving investment” I’m thinking about addressing tech debt, buying and … Continue reading Three financial benefits of time-saving investments
Keeping ideas open
Most people I know want to improve things, and many have ideas about how to do that. In presenting these ideas it’s easy to become possessive of them, however, and … Continue reading Keeping ideas open
Never say never
The other day I was talking to a friend about the pandemic (some topics are evergreen), and we were marvelling how, up until then, so many organisations were adamant that … Continue reading Never say never
How do we make technology strategy relevant?
I was asked the other day about creating a technology strategy, and how to ensure it’s something that the rest of the organisation cares about. By default, the non-technologists in … Continue reading How do we make technology strategy relevant?
Agile delivery is financially responsible
I was thinking recently about how agile delivery makes different demands on our budget spend compared to a more traditional delivery model. “Agile” means different things to different people, so … Continue reading Agile delivery is financially responsible
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