Software development practice based on frequent submission of granular changes
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Ever been in a meeting wondering “Why are we talking about this?” but not said anything? In this episode, Squirrel talks about a meeting where his client admitted he was thinking “What the fuck?” Join us for our thoughts on why people don't challenge this pattern and practical tips on how to speak up and embrace productive conflict. Links: - Parkinson's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law - Bikeshedding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_triviality -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Are you maintaining your software team management like you do your car? In this week's episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey use their car maintenance issues to help explore the concept of continuous monitoring versus manual checks and ask about the impact of alert fatigue. Join us to learn how you can create effective monitoring systems to prevent major issues. -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techCheck out more here:https://gotopia.tech/articles/417Olaf Molenveld - Technology Advisor at CircleCIJulian Wood - Serverless Developer Advocate at AWSRESOURCESOlafhttps://x.com/olafmolenveldhttps://medium.com/@olafmolenveldhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/olafmolenveldJulianhttps://bsky.app/profile/julianwood.comhttps://twitter.com/julian_woodhttps://github.com/julianwoodhttp://www.wooditwork.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julianrwoodDESCRIPTIONCircleCI's Technology Advisor Olaf Molenveld discusses the evolution of CI/CD practices with AWS's Julian Wood. They explore how modern software delivery has transformed from simple monolithic deployments to complex microservices ecosystems, drawing parallels between managing production code and managing the "factory" that produces it.The discussion covers optimization strategies, the balance between local and remote development, platform engineering trends, and how AI is reshaping DevOps practices. Olaf emphasizes that getting software into users' hands is as critical as writing it, and shares how teams can leverage observability, right-sizing, and intelligent automation to improve their delivery pipelines.RECOMMENDED BOOKSDavid Farley • Continuous Delivery Pipelines • https://leanpub.com/cd-pipelinesJez Humble & Dave Farley • Continuous Delivery • https://amzn.to/3ocIHwdNicole Forsgren, Jez Humble & Gene Kim • Accelerate • https://amzn.to/442Rep0Kim, Humble, Debois, Willis & Forsgren • The DevOps Handbook • https://amzn.to/47oAf3lLauren Maffeo • Designing Data Governance from the Ground Up • https://amzn.to/3QhIlnVRoy Osherove • The Art of Unit Testing • https://bit.ly/3obiKNBBurns, Beda & Hightower • Kubernetes: Up & Running • https://amzn.to/3sueuuIGojko Adzic • Lizard Optimization • https://leanpub.com/lizardoptimizationGregor Hohpe • Platform Strategy • https://amzn.to/4cxfYdbBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
Being good at something doesn't make you good at teaching it! Following on from last week's episode about forgetting the fundamentals of skiing, Jeffrey and Squirrel discuss the importance of using a beginner's mindset when teaching new skills and how you can use creative techniques, like Squirrel's Squirrelmobile, to explain ideas more effectively. Links: - Beginner's Mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin - The Squirrelmobile: https://squirrelsquadron.substack.com/p/the-squirrelmobile-the-insanely-profitabe - Wax On Wax Off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P11Bcpyw4g -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
This interview was recorded for GOTO State of the Art in October 2025.https://gotopia.techRead the full transcription of this interview here:https://gotopia.tech/articles/415Nathen Harvey - DORA Lead, Product Manager at Google Cloud & AuthorCharles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & ConsultantRESOURCESNathenhttps://bsky.app/profile/nathenharvey.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/nathenharveyhttps://github.com/nathenharveyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nathenhttps://linktr.ee/nathenharveyhttp://nathenharvey.comCharleshttps://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.socialhttps://linkedin.com/in/charleshumblehttps://mastodon.social/@charleshumblehttps://conissaunce.comLinkshttps://dora.devhttps://dora.dev/research/2025/dora-reporthttps://dora.dev/research/2024/dora-reporthttps://thenewstack.io/ebooks/kubernetes/kubernetes-at-the-edge-container-orchestration-at-scaleDESCRIPTIONCharles Humble speaks with Nathen Harvey, leader of Google's DORA research team, about the real impact of AI on software development.Drawing from surveys of nearly 5,000 practitioners, Nathen reveals a surprising finding: increased AI adoption initially correlates with decreased stability and throughput - the very metrics teams have optimized for decades. The conversation explores why this happens, what capabilities organizations need before scaling AI adoption, and how AI acts as an amplifier of existing systems rather than a silver bullet.Nathen introduces DORA's seven AI capabilities model and discusses critical issues around trust, documentation, skill devaluation, and the future of software delivery in an AI-native world.RECOMMENDED BOOKSEmily Freeman & Nathen Harvey • 97 Things Every Cloud Engineer Should Know • https://amzn.to/3UlWBLtCharles Humble • Professional Skills for Software Engineers • https://www.conissaunce.com/professional-skills-shortcutNicole Forsgren, Jez Humble & Gene Kim • Accelerate • https://amzn.to/442Rep0Kim, Humble, Debois, Willis & Forsgren • The DevOps Handbook • https://amzn.to/47oAf3lJez Humble & David Farley • Continuous Delivery • https://amzn.to/452ZRkyJez Humble, Joanne Molesky & Barry O'Reilly • Lean Enterprise • https://amzn.to/47pcOXDAdrienne Braganza Tacke • "Looks Good to Me": Constructive Code Reviews • https://amzn.to/3E75XrDYevgeniy Brikman • Fundamentals of DevOps and Software Delivery • https://amzn.to/3WMPMFUBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
If something feels hard, you might not be the problem, it might be your tools. On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Jeffrey shares a skiing mishap, which had him believing he forgot how to ski - until he looked at his feet! Tune in for our thoughts on using the right tools for the right problems, checking assumptions, and the benefits of external perspectives. Links: - Betterism: https://squirrelsquadron.substack.com/p/stop-improving-your-product-squadron - The Checklist Manifesto: https://atulgawande.com/book/the-checklist-manifesto/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
One time on the podcast, we released the wrong episode - twice! But listener feedback meant we could correct it quickly - and it got us asking, do you know what users think of your software as soon as it's done? On this re-run episode, which shares the theme of a recent episode, Gliding to Success [see below], Squirrel and Jeffrey show you how daily feedback IS possible and why we'd strongly recommend it. Links: - Previous episode on the Glidepath Indicator: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gliding-to-success - Glidepath Indicator: agileconversations.com/blog/glideslope/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Worried non-techy people will expect too much from Vibe Coding? Listener, Tom, wrote to us with his concerns about the actual productivity of AI development. Listen in for Jeffrey's experience on trivial tools that make a big difference and how to manage expectations, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile. Links: - Community of Needs: https://snowbirdcollaboratory.org/community-of-needs/ - First episode of the podcast series on Vibe Coding: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gene-kim-on-vibe-coding-part-i -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
It's okay to be confused about Vibe Coding! On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey respond to a listener's argument from our series with Gene Kim on Vibe Coding and reflect on the question, what stage are we at in the industry when it comes to Vibe Coding and what can we expect for the future? Links: - Community of Needs: https://snowbirdcollaboratory.org/community-of-needs/ - First episode of the podcast series on Vibe Coding: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/gene-kim-on-vibe-coding-part-i -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Are you using the Glidepath Method? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about how the method of landing a plane - something Jeffrey's done - can be useful in effective project management. Join us to learn how you can navigate uncertainty and complexity in your projects - no plane landing experience necessary! Links: - Printed glidepath booklet: https://douglassquirrel.com/resources.html - The Squirrel Squadron: https://squirrelsquadron.com -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
How do you get the best out of AI tools when you don't have the talent that understands them? In the final of a three part series with guest, Gene Kim, we look at the misconceptions of AI for non-techy people, what happens when you don't have industry-leading talent to discuss leaf nodes and whether vibe coding really means switching your brain off. Links: - Gene Kim: https://itrevolution.com/author/gene-kim/ - Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/ - Claude code: https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code - Erik Meijer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Meijer_(computer_scientist) - Vibe Coding podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@VibeCodingWithSteveandGene -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Should you fire all your engineers and replace them with AI? That's what Squirrel pitches to Gene Kim, our guest, when he returns for the second of a three part series exploring the themes of his new book Vibe Coding. Tune in to discover how you can transform your organisation with Vibe Coding and the power of AI assistance. - Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/ - Dr. Pal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapabratapal - Jevon's Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox - Reinertsen, Principles of Product Development Flow: http://lpd2.com/ - DORA report 2025: https://dora.dev/research/2025/dora-report/ - MIT beer game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_distribution_game -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Want to be more productive, creative and joyful? That's the outcome of Vibe Coding, a new concept and book by Gene Kim and Steve Yegge. In the first of a three-part series with co-author Gene Kim, he talks about how he got started on this project and how Vibe Coding offers new ways of working to tech and non-tech people alike. Links: - Gene Kim: https://itrevolution.com/author/gene-kim/ - Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/ - Steve Yegge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Yegge - Erik Meijer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Meijer_(computer_scientist) -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What is ‘movie logic' and how does it work in real life? Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting, as Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about how movies rely on artificial drama and withheld information to create tension, but open communication and marginal gains is how effective teams really thrive. Links: - Cate Hall, "Are You Stuck In Movie Logic?": https://usefulfictions.substack.com/p/are-you-stuck-in-movie-logic - James Clear on UK Cycling's marginal gains: https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What happens when you have the knowledge but not the skills? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey continue to discuss the three basic elements of learning, how they apply to software development, and what problems arise when you have one or two of them, but not all three. Links: - Orienteering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orienteering - Building to learn: https://www.strategyzer.com/library/dont-build-when-you-build-measure-learn - Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow - Three Types of Learning Venn Diagram: https://squirrelsquadron.com/images/threetypesoflearning-25Nov2025.png -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What can we learn about learning from driving in Alabama? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the challenges and rewards of learning and focus on three times of learning - knowledge, methods and skills - and how Squirrel applied all of them (but not quite well enough) when he had to drive in Alabama to visit family. Links: - CFAR workshop: https://www.rationality.org/workshops/upcoming - Mundanity of Excellence paper: https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-mundanity-of-excellence-an-ethnographic-report-on-stratification-and-olympic-swimmers -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is “Systems Thinking is dead” the new “Agile is dead”? In this episode, we do a summary episode on what became a 4 episode series stemming from a disparaging article about systems thinking by Ed Braden. We react to the article, get Ed's response and then - using a little help from Google Ai - offer successful examples of implementing systems in large government projects. Links: - Bradon's article: worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/ - Bradon's self-responses on X: x.com/EdBradon/status/1966470317288616342 - Ed's reply on Twitter: x.com/EdBradon/status/1971266284990976361 - Gall's Law: www.driverlesscrocodile.com/processes-w…-galls-law/ Shape Up episodes: Ryan Singer on Basecamp and Shape Up, Part I https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-i Ryan Singer on Basecamp and Shape Up, Part II https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-ii Ryan Singer on Basecamp and Shape Up, Part II https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-iii Full episodes on this topic: Someone is wrong on the internet about systems thinking! https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/someone-is-wrong-on-the-internet-about-systems-thinking Systems Thinking rant redux, Part I https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-i Systems Thinking rant redux, Part II https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-ii Systems Thinking rant redux, Part III https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-iii -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What can a solo around-the-world sailing race teach us about software development? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the ‘Maintenance Race' - a story of robust preemptive maintenance, which highlights the importance of proactive maintenance in your agile team. Links: - Stewart Brand's chapter: https://books.worksinprogress.co/book/maintenance-of-everything/the-maintenance-race/the-maintenance-race/7 - Brian Marick, Ease and Joy: http://exampler.com/ease-and-joy/ - Previous episode on root-cause analysis: https://agileconversations.com/blog/root-causes/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
We've got examples! In the third episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed Braden.They look at successful examples of systems thinking implemented in both small and large government projects, like the UK's automatic enrollment in pensions and Vietnam's education reforms. Links: - Ed Bradon's article: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/ - Parts I and II of this series: - Part I - https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-i - Part II - https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-ii - Gall's Law: https://personalmba.com/galls-law/ - Religion and Science episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science - How Big Things Get Done: https://sites.prh.com/how-big-things-get-done-book -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
DevOps can mean a lot of things, but I find in practice that this results in a team using Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment/Delivery using automation to check and evaluate your software in some way. This should result in quicker delivery of updates and changes to customers, better agility, and higher quality of code. That last one only comes if you use testing and try to ensure your code is well-written. It's easy to just use DevOps to throw out more poorly written code that doesn't perform well. Read the rest of DevOps is DevOps
Systems thinking isn't the problem! In the second episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed Braden. They clarify misconceptions about systems thinking, argue its benefits, and propose that it has shifted the 'Overton window' in project management. Links: - Ed Bradon's article: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/ - Part I of this series: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/systems-thinking-rant-redux-part-i - Works in Progress magazine: https://worksinprogress.co/ - Strangler Fig pattern: https://martinfowler.com/bliki/StranglerFigApplication.html - Overton window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window - Case studies Ed referred to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/systems-thinking-for-civil-servants/case-studies -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Kieron Allen speaks with Chris Pope, Chief Product Officer at AutomatePro, in an in-depth discussion that is part of a broader series of podcasts, articles, and reports on ServiceNow's evolving ecosystem. They explore how intelligent automation and agentic AI are reshaping DevOps and quality assurance. The conversation also highlights how AutomatePro's built-on approach enhances developer productivity, reduces risk, and ensures security, all within the ServiceNow environment.AutomatePro's AI EdgeThe Big ThemesAutomatePro's Core Mission: AutomatePro focuses on solving one of the most time-consuming parts of software delivery: testing and documentation. Pope explains that their goal isn't to replace humans but to augment their efforts through intelligent automation. By embedding deeply within the ServiceNow platform, AutomatePro allows developers and platform owners to automate repetitive tasks early in the development cycle, ensuring higher-quality releases and faster deployment.Human-AI Collaboration Wins: The myth of AI replacing people is outdated. Pope reframes the conversation: it's not about replacement, it's about enablement. The real winners will be those who know how to use AI effectively. Today's Copilots are context-aware, learning from human behavior and adapting to different personas — whether it's a developer, analyst, or HR owner. Prompt engineering is emerging as a vital skill, and the better the prompt, the better the AI-driven output.DevOps Innovation Without Compromise: AutomatePro and ServiceNow are reshaping DevOps by making speed and quality compatible. Historically, faster releases meant riskier ones. With AutomatePro's intelligent testing automation, that tradeoff no longer exists. Frequent, smaller releases — the “fixed forward” model — are now safer thanks to early automation, embedded security, and contextual AI. Pope argues that platform owners and developers are the new heroes in enterprise IT, and equipping them with Copilots, intelligent workflows, and instant feedback loops unlocks untapped value.The Big Quote: "You're not going to be replaced by AI per se, you're going to be replaced by someone that knows how to use AI effectively."More from ServiceNow and AutomatePro:Follow AutomatePro on LinkedIn or learn more about ServiceNow and intelligent automation. Visit Cloud Wars for more.
Were we wrong about systems thinking? In the first episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed Braden. They hear from listeners, as well as Ed himself, emphasizing the importance of precise language and shared understanding. Links: - Ed Bradon's article: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/ - Ed's reply on Twitter: https://x.com/EdBradon/status/1971266284990976361 - Previous episode/rant: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/someone-is-wrong-on-the-internet-about-systems-thinking - Shape Up episodes: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-i https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-ii https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/ryan-singer-on-basecamp-and-shape-up-part-iii -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, answering listeners' questions live. Join Squirrel, Jeffrey and our live audience as we discuss integrating tools from methodologies beyond Agile, borrowing practices from different domains such as CBT, Lean Manufacturing, and strategic selling, and Squirrel's spontaneous approach for solving problems. Links: - David Burns: https://feelinggood.com/list-of-feeling-good-podcasts/ - CBT: https://beckinstitute.org/ - Shu Ha Ri: https://www.pluralsight.com/tech-blog/shu-ha-ri/ - Red Green Refactor: https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2005/red-green-refactor - Boy Scout Rule: https://medium.com/engineering-managers-journal/the-boy-scout-rule-for-better-code-e6ffda090902 - MCP: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/ - Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114683/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-daniel-kahneman/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, celebrating 400 episodes of Troubleshooting Agile. Tune in to this episode as Squirrel and Jeffrey look back on the past 400 episodes, discuss how the podcast served as a tool to flesh out ideas for their book ‘Agile Conversations' and what they would do differently in the past - or might do differently in the future! -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Have you got Systems Thinking all wrong, like the author of an article we read that got Jeffrey all riled up? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore how complex systems evolve, referencing real-world examples like water systems, Facebook, and healthcare.gov. Links: - Bradon's article (Jeffrey says don't read!): https://worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/ - Bradon's self-responses on X: https://x.com/EdBradon/status/1966470317288616342 - Gall's Law: https://www.driverlesscrocodile.com/processes-ways-to-get-stuff-done/systems-thinking-galls-law/ - How Big Things Get Done: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61327449-how-big-things-get-done - Thinking in Systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_In_Systems:_A_Primer -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
To lead effectively, you need critical thinking and a willingness to engage in productive conflict. It turns out, so do scientists! In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the art of healthy intellectual disagreement, drawing insights from a scientist's critique. SHOW LINKS: - Strong Inference article: https://courses.cs.duke.edu/fall04/cps296.2/science_platt.html - Related episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science - CITCON conference: https://citconf.com/london2025/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is being “nice” preventing you from being decent? In this episode, we are joined by guest Kevin Lucas to talk about “coaching out,” the importance of early communication and the balance between decency and obligation, all ideas taken from his new book, ‘Impact: How to Inspire, Align and Amplify Innovative Teams.' SHOW LINKS: - Keith Lucas: https://keithvlucas.com/ - Keith's book: https://keithvlucas.com/writing/impact/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Does embarrassment do you good? While most of us try to avoid it, we believe embarrassment can be a powerful motivator for teams. Join Squirrel and Jeffrey as they discuss how exposing teams to real-world pressures and public accountability can drive both performance and innovation. SHOW LINKS: - Squirrel's Newsletter: https://squirrelsquadron.com/newsletter.html - Unilateral Control: https://schwarzassociates.com/how-unilateral-control-undermines-team-results-and-relationships-2/ - Learning War: https://trenthone.com/learning-war/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Do you jump into solutions before understanding the context? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss a better way to problem-solve, the concept of form-context fit and why a better output than predicted should be investigated rather than celebrated. SHOW LINKS: - Henrik's article: https://www.henrikkarlsson.xyz/p/problem-solving - Christopher Alexander: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Alexander - Admiral Rickover: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover - CITCON: https://citconf.com/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Are you prepared to blame yourself? In this episode, Jeffrey opens up about his failed startup, and, putting external factors aside, what he could have done better. Join us for ideas around self-blame, double-loop learning, and how personal responsibility can lead to positive change. SHOW LINKS: - Jenkins's thesis: https://hj.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:562610/FULLTEXT01.pdf - Double-loop learning; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-loop_learning - CVS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concurrent_Versions_System -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Can having an ego be a good thing? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how being egotistical can be a valuable trait and how to strike a balance between confident and humble. Tune in if you need help working out whether you need to bring more or less ego to work. SHOW LINKS: - Helpful Givers episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/disagreeable-givers - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team - CITCON: https://citconf.com/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Would you appreciate someone talking while you were talking? It's called "cooperative overlap,” it was introduced to us by a listener, and it's used in some cultures to reinforce and show agreement with the speaker. Join Squirrel and Jeffrey for their second week talking about how you can use interruption to improve team collaboration, in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile. SHOW LINKS: - Cooperative Overlap article: https://www.anildash.com/2021/09/26/cooperative_overlap/ - Eight Behaviors for Smarter Teams: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Can I just interrupt you there…? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey interrupt each other more than usual to demonstrate how you can use “consensual” interruption as a way of giving immediate feedback, which can greatly improve learning speeds and information retention. SHOW LINKS: - Alan Weiss on Rhetorical Permission: https://jonathanstark.com/notes-on-million-dollar-maverick - CITCON Woking: https://citconf.com/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What can Whatsapp's origin story teach us about adding business value - even when it doesn't seem “fun”? Reflecting on two weeks' backpacking, Jeffrey introduces the concept of Type 1 and Type 2 fun and Squirrel ponders how you can apply the two methods of fun to different types of work in Agile teams. SHOW LINKS: - Types of Fun: https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/fun-scale - WhatsApp baked into "dumb" phones: https://www.wired.com/story/nokia-asha-500-502-and-503-hands-on/?utm_source=chatgpt.com -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What can the TV show House teach us about centralisation? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about centralised communication, how it contributed to them first meeting and what to do when there's an imbalance of expertise in the room. SHOW LINKS: - Peer Review article: https://defenderofthebasic.substack.com/p/we-know-how-to-fix-peer-review-part - CITCON: https://citconf.com/london2025/ - Cynefin: https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/ - Situational Leadership: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Death of the junior developer but long live the co-conspirator! In this re-worked bumper episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss two of their biggest takeaways from Citcon: the evolving role of AI in coding and how ‘co-conspirators' have been pivotal in their careers and client work. SHOW LINKS: - CITCON London 2025: https://citconf.com/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Are you being unFAIR with your information-sharing? In this episode, Jeffrey talks us through the F.A.I.R principles of scientific publishing and how they can be applied to software development. Learn why you should prioritise open, accessible information and what you can do to put it into practice. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Weirdly named blog: https://slimemoldtimemold.com/ - Peer review article: https://defenderofthebasic.substack.com/p/we-know-how-to-fix-peer-review-part - Linus's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus's_law -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Forget the elevator pitch, you need a “napkin strategy!” In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore the idea of using models instead of talking, which often leads to confusion and frustration. Find out how you can collaborate better with your team when you share explicit and visually mutable models. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Balsamiq's Draft mode: https://balsamiq.com/support/docs/wireframing/editor-overview/project-properties/ - Previous episode on religion and science: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is demarcation stunting your business? In this episode, Squirrel tells us about how his 500-year-old house restoration reminded him of dealing with team members whose strict adherence to demarcation i.e. “That's not my job!” led to mistakes, poor communication and lack of problem-solving - and why un-demarcation is the best route forward. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Demarcation: https://www.fordtransition.org.uk/stories/trade-unions-at-ford/demarcation - Psychological safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_safety - Seven Habits book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
The search for ultimate truth has no place in an effective business! In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel explain how to detect when your team are stuck in the “rightness” trap and how to move from abstract debate to scientific experiments that help you discover what actually works. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Less Wrong: https://www.lesswrong.com/ - Less Online: https://less.online/ - Abor Summer Camp: https://www.arborsummer.camp/ - Manifest: https://manifest.is/ - Driftwood hiring episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/driftwood-vs-planks-agile-team-roles-and-skills - Socratic Dialogues: https://dn790004.ca.archive.org/0/items/PlatoDialogues/Plato_dialogues.pdf -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
With so many great reader emails recently Jeffrey and I haven't got around to discussing CitCon on the podcast yet! This week we do just that, with Jeffrey's reflections from discussions on the evolving role of AI in coding including Steve Yegge's new article which revisits whether the ‘death' of the junior developer will ultimately be a ‘revenge.' Links: - Steve Yegge article: https://sourcegraph.com/blog/revenge-of-the-junior-developer - Jevon's Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Do ‘Experts Have It Easy'? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how experts and novices can overcome the empathy gap with rapid feedback, and breaking down complex problems into smaller steps to facilitate understanding. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Boyd Kane's article: https://boydkane.com/essays/experts - Gladwell, Blink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink:_The_Power_of_Thinking_Without_Thinking - Shuhari: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari - Terence Tao on finding gaps in proofs: https://mathstodon.xyz/@tao/111287749336059662 -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What is the true meaning of accountability? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey share a real-life story that illustrates how it's often misunderstood. Listen now to learn why it's not about blame or punishment, but about 'rendering an account' - in other words, sharing reasoning and decisions transparently. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Previous episode on accountability: https://itrevolution.com/articles/accountability-leaders-are-accountable-too/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
What can perverse incentives teach us about software development? Join Squirrel and Jeffrey for a discussion on the importance of personal responsibility and the potential benefits of 'blameful' postmortems in driving accountability and improvement within organisations, in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile. SHOW LINKS: Links: - Tal's article: https://talyarkoni.org/blog/2018/10/02/no-its-not-the-incentives-its-you/ - Blameless Postmortems: https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/blameless-postmortem/ - Perverse Incentives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is topgrading a controversial topic? It seems so. In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel revisit the theme of topgrading in recruitment, featured just two episodes ago. Join as they discuss a listener's experience, the necessity for some structure in interviews and the benefits of learning from candidates' past experiences through stories. SHOW LINKS: - Topgrading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topgrading - Topgrading episode link: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/threats-and-topgrading-in-executive-hiring - Shu ha ri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari - Squirrel's interviewing event: https://squirrelsquadron.com/events/2025/04-10-interviews - TDD for People: https://itrevolution.com/articles/test-driven-development-for-people/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is shielding your team a sign of good leadership? On this episode, Jeffrey has been riled up by an episode of the podcast, Cortex, and wants to make a case against shielding, which he believes keeps teams disconnected from the reality of business conditions and leads to suboptimal results. SHOW LINKS: - Cortex podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cortex/id1001591696 - Dale Carnegie book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Is the use of threats to repel dishonest people a good idea? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about the “threat of reference check” and whether the benefits of reducing dishonesty outweigh the drawbacks of damaging trust. Get in touch to tell us what you think. SHOW LINKS: - Domain-Driven Design: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain-driven_design - Big Book of Concepts: mitpress.mit.edu/books/big-book-concepts - Specification by Example: gojko.net/books/specification-by-example/ - Walking Skeleton: wiki.c2.com/?WalkingSkeleton -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Global Agile Summit Preview: Implementing Agile Practices for Data and Analytics Teams with Henrik Reich In this BONUS Global Agile Summit preview episode, we dive into the world of Agile methodologies specifically tailored for data and analytics teams. Henrik Reich, Principal Architect at twoday Data & AI Denmark, shares his expertise on how data teams can adapt Agile principles to their unique needs, the challenges they face, and practical tips for successful implementation. The Evolution of Data Teams "Data and analytics work is moving more and more to be like software development." The landscape of data work is rapidly changing. Henrik explains how data teams are increasingly adopting software development practices, yet there remains a significant knowledge gap in effectively using certain tools. This transition creates both opportunities and challenges for organizations looking to implement Agile methodologies in their data teams. Henrik emphasizes that as data projects become more complex, the need for structured yet flexible approaches becomes critical. Dynamic Teams in the Data and Analytics World "When we do sprint planning, we have to assess who is available. Not always the same people are available." Henrik introduces the concept of "dynamic teams," particularly relevant in consulting environments. Unlike traditional Agile teams with consistent membership, data teams often work with fluctuating resources. This requires a unique approach to sprint planning and task assignment. Henrik describes how this dynamic structure affects team coordination, knowledge sharing, and project continuity, offering practical strategies for maintaining momentum despite changing team composition. Customizing Agile for Data and Analytics Teams "In data and analytics, tools have ignored agile practices for a long time." Henrik emphasizes that Agile isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, especially for data teams. He outlines the unique challenges these teams face: Team members have varying expectations based on their backgrounds Experienced data professionals sometimes skip quality practices Traditional data tools weren't designed with Agile methodologies in mind When adapting Agile for data teams, Henrik recommends focusing on three key areas: People and their expertise Technology selection Architecture decisions The overarching goal remains consistent: "How can we deliver as quickly as possible, and keep the good mood of the team?" Implementing CI/CD in Data Projects "Our first approach is to make CI/CD available in the teams." Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices are essential but often challenging to implement in data teams. Henrik shares how his organization creates "Accelerators" - tools and practices that enable teams to adopt CI/CD effectively. These accelerators address both technological requirements and new ways of working. Through practical examples, he demonstrates how teams can overcome common obstacles, such as version control challenges specific to data projects. In this segment, we refer to the book How to Succeed with Agile Business Intelligence by Raphael Branger. Practical Tips for Agile Adoption "Start small. Don't ditch scrum, take it as an inspiration." For data teams looking to adopt Agile practices, Henrik offers pragmatic advice: Begin with small, manageable changes Use established frameworks like Scrum as inspiration rather than rigid rules Practice new methodologies together as a team to build collective understanding Adapt processes based on team feedback and project requirements This approach allows data teams to embrace Agile principles while accounting for their unique characteristics and constraints. The Product Owner Challenge "CxOs are the biggest users of these systems." A common challenge in data teams is the emergence of "accidental product owners" - individuals who find themselves in product ownership roles without clear preparation. Henrik explains why this happens and offers solutions: Clearly identify who owns the project from the outset Consider implementing a "Proxy PO" role between executives and Agile data teams Recognize the importance of having the right stakeholder engagement for requirements gathering and feedback Henrik also highlights the diversity within data teams, noting there are typically "people who code for living, and people who live for coding." This diversity presents both challenges and opportunities for Agile implementation. Fostering Creativity in Structured Environments "Use sprint goals to motivate a team, and help everyone contribute." Data work often requires creative problem-solving - something that can seem at odds with structured Agile frameworks. Henrik discusses how to balance these seemingly conflicting needs by: Recognizing individual strengths within the team Organizing work to leverage these diverse abilities Using sprint goals to provide direction while allowing flexibility in approach This balanced approach helps maintain the benefits of Agile structure while creating space for the creative work essential to solving complex data problems. About Henrik Reich Henrik is a Principal Architect and developer in the R&D Department at twoday Data & AI Denmark. With deep expertise in OLTP and OLAP, he is a strong advocate of Agile development, automation, and continuous learning. He enjoys biking, music, technical blogging, and speaking at events on data and AI topics. You can link with Henrik Reich on LinkedIn and follow Henrik Reich's blog.
Scott and Wes dive into the State of Frontend 2024 Survey, breaking down the latest trends, tools, and frameworks shaping the developer ecosystem. Tune in as they react to hot takes on frameworks, state management, hosting, and what's next for frontend devs! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:53 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 01:15 About the survey. Follow along! State of Frontend Survey 02:10 Frameworks. 06:15 Rendering frameworks. 07:35 State management. 09:14 Other libraries. Just: Dependency-free Utilities. 13:34 Data. Syntax Episode 453. Syntax Episode 833. 16:39 Hosting. AWS Amplify. 19:51 Continuous Integration. 21:30 Micro-frontends. 23:25 Package Managers. pnpm Link Workspace Packages. Corepack. 28:35 JS Runtimes. 29:47 Typescript. 33:13 Browser Technologies. 35:05 What is app property? 38:20 Progressive Web Apps. 40:11 Styling tools. 43:17 Testing. 45:39 Code editors. 49:02 Build tools. 49:17 Linting tools. 50:26 Operating systems. 51:17 The future trends. 54:14 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks Scott: Candle Warmer. Wes: Flighty iOS App. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on Bluesky Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads