Podcasts about ongoing improvement

Welcome to Episode 202 of Speaking with One Voice, where your host, "The Coach" Rodney Payne, takes you on an inspiring journey to M.O.V.E. to the Next Level. Together, we'll explore the power of Motivation, Ongoing Improvement, Value and Values (not optional), and the importance of Engagement, reminding you that this is your journey, and every step counts in crafting your personal success story.

How do you maintain lean principles when things are temporary? From setting up makeshift workstations to dealing with process drift and forgotten improvements, Andrew and Jay discuss the cost of cutting corners ... even in short-term production. You'll hear real-life shop floor stories about mislabeled kits, cracked lenses, and the subtle erosion of good processes. Plus, they explore how visibility, standardization, and a culture of “stop and fix what bugs you” can transform workflow—no matter how small the task.Book mentioned:The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler explores the key lessons from The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, a foundational book in operational excellence, systems thinking, and continuous improvement. Dave breaks down the core concepts of the Theory of Constraints and how it applies to real-world business challenges. Whether you're in manufacturing, service-based industries, or professional services, this episode provides actionable insights on how to optimize your operations and increase throughput. What You'll Discover: The core lessons from The Goal and why it's a must-read for business leaders. How the Theory of Constraints helps identify bottlenecks and improve workflow. Why efficiency and effectiveness are not the same—and which one matters more. Real-world applications of Goldratt's principles in manufacturing and service-based businesses. The importance of subordinating processes to constraints to maximize throughput. Why small changes in workflow management can lead to massive improvements in output. Practical examples of applying The Goal to optimize business operations. Subscribe to the Business Systems Saturday Newsletter

Welcome to The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, brought to you by Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplaces Services, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Retail Operations. Joining us today is none other than Chris Perry of firstmovr — a frequent guest and the industry's go-to “CPG whisperer.” Chris is here to introduce The ENDCAPS, his innovative new industry award that debuted just a few months ago. We'll explore key insights from the recently announced grocery category winners and get a sneak peek at what's ahead as other categories and brands compete for ENDCAP supremacy this year. Don't miss this exciting conversation—tune in now!   KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Chris discuss: Importance of a detailed rubric for shopper-centric content. Consistency, storytelling, and clarity in visual content to engage shoppers. Digital shelves require ongoing updates and feedback-driven enhancements. Targeting content appropriately, maintaining relevance, and engaging storytelling. Emphasis on mobile-friendly content length and visibility. Creative mobile hero images maximizing product appeal. Comparison of platform restrictions, with Amazon being more restrictive than Target and Walmart. Avoiding overlays that obscure important content through regular audits. End Cap Awards Introduction to the End Cap awards for excellence in digital merchandising. Methodology and objective assessment by industry judges. Focus on U.S. markets initially, with potential international expansion. Shopper centricity, mobile optimization, and sales growth incrementality as key factors. Future improvements include accessibility, ADA compliance, and retailer-specific tailoring. Complexity of ROI, focusing on leading metrics and actions instead of just lagging metrics. Examples of inclusive marketing approaches like razor brands attracting new and maintaining existing customers. Enhancing PDPs with User-Generated Content to boost customer confidence. Legal considerations and innovative uses of influencer content and statistical endorsements. Storytelling and Incrementality: Effective PDPs answering essential consumer questions and utilizing cross-selling strategies. Highlighting marketing occasions such as Super Bowl or back-to-school for sales driving.  

To bring specialists into teams with different skill sets takes good communication and a knowledge of the history of the team you're integrating. Doing this well means everyone can point their skills at solving problems.Ash Winter is an experienced software tester who has a particular interest in how teams and organisations work. Ash has been a software tester for over 15 years, and has experience as a consultant, helping organisations improve their testing processes.In his role he's seen a wide range of team structures and sizes, and he's particularly focused on the challenges and opportunities of being a specialist within a team.Three reasons to listenUnderstand the unique challenges and opportunities of being a specialist in a cross-functional teamExplore the impact of team history and dynamics on integrating new specialistsLearn about the evolving role of software testers and their influence in modern development teamsEpisode highlights[00:09:14] Testing teams[00:14:29] The problem with "embedding" into a team[00:16:30] The Spotify model[00:19:48] Communities of practice[00:22:57] Agile methodologies with multidisciplinary teams[00:28:05] The benefits of a coaching qualification[00:30:19] Ash's book recommendation[00:31:42] Takeaways from Dan and PiaLinksConnect with Ash via LinkedInTeam Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow, by Matthew Skelton & Pais ManuelThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick LencioniThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu GoldrattThe Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, by Gene KimLeave us a voice note

Do you want to build a business that you can double, triple, or even quadruple in size?   In a word, do you want to make your business scalable?   I am going to share with you where this idea came from. Hint: it's not mine; it's actually something that Bezos requires all of his executives to learn.   In this episode we will cover: The Theory of Constraints; 3 Examples of Constraints in brokers businesses; and The Finger Snap Question   The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt   In line with that, please take a minute to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.    Follow me on Instagram I Love Mortgage Brokering: ilovemortgagebrokering.com Find out more about BRX Mortgage: www.whybrx.com   I Love Mortgage Brokering is brought to you by Finmo.  To learn more, visit: www.finmo.ca/ilmb    In this episode, I dive into strategies for identifying and eliminating business constraints to achieve growth. Drawing inspiration from Jeff Bezos and Eliyahu Goldratt's book, “The Goal,” I share practical advice for mortgage professionals on streamlining operations and enhancing workflow efficiency. Hear real-life examples from top mortgage brokers and discover actionable steps to tackle issues like underperforming staff, inefficient processes and poor time management.   In this episode, we will cover:  Importance of pinpointing constraints in your business operations. Insights from Jeff Bezos and the book, “The Goal” by Eliyahu Goldratt. Practical methods to address and eliminate identified constraints. Real world tactics for improving workflow efficiency. Compelling stories from high performing mortgage brokers who overcame their unique challenges. Example of Dion, who optimized his file submission process to lenders. Development of tailored action plans to reduce stress and foster sustainable business growth.  How treating your mortgage process like a factory line can enhance workflow. Asking the right questions to uncover business constraints. Strategies for training staff and maintaining consistent prospecting efforts.

Do you feel like something's not working in your agency?You've got processes that are outdated (or just plain not documented). You've got tools that aren't the right fit or you're not getting enough out of.Even though you feel the need for change, it terrifies you.If so, you're not alone, I was at an agency-focused conference in Denver just a few weeks back, and several agency owners I spoke with said that they knew they needed to make a change with a major software platform that helps run their agency, but they were scared to make the switch.Rob Sayles, is an ex-agency founder, a seasoned operations guru, & now veteran agency advisor.  In today's episode, he takes some of the fear and uncertainity out of change management for agency leaders.In this conversation, you'll hear:The 3 symptoms to look for to ensure you actually need to change a major tool or processWhat Toyota's approach to continuous improvement can teach you about change managementThe 5 steps to make a major change in your agency without causing a revolt among your staff (& sleepless nights for yourself)Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:An Agency's Guide to Measuring And Improving Billable Utilization (Ebook)Connect with Rob on LinkedInThe Client (a film by Umault)Atomic Habits by James ClearTools of Titans Tim FerrissThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox Want to watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube?Check it out here: Agency Life Podcast on YouTube Have a question about today's topic? Text it to us here!Want to get more content to support your agency life? Subscribe to the Agency Life newsletter, check out past episodes & find more content at teamwork.com/agencylife. This podcast is brought to you by Teamwork.com.

This week on the Software Process and Measurement Cast we have a replay of an interview of Jim Benson from 2019.  Jim and I focused on prioritization and how prioritization can be a reflection of more deep-seated problems. One of the ideas Jim shares is that processes are the social contract for getting work done.  In the foreword of Mastering Work Intake, I wrote with (published in January 2024), we reflected that Mastering stood on the shoulders of Jim's Why Limit WIP. Reflecting on this interview I continue to see the relationship between work intake and the travails of prioritization.  All of us at SPaMCAST look forward to your thoughts. Contact Jim LinkedIn: Personal Kanban: Modus Cooperandi:   Learn To Tame Your Work Intake Beast! Jeremy Willets and I are celebrating summer in the northern hemisphere with a summer camp. We'll look at the primary causes of work intake problems… and how to solve them! Join us for an entertaining and informative LinkedIn Live event weekly beginning June 19th at 11:30. Register at  - registration is not necessary but it will help get a count for virtual juice boxes. Re-read Saturday News This week we revisit our first re-read from 2015, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement ( or ) written by Eli Goldratt. If you are interested in the flow of work you need to read The Goal – more than once.  The link is     Re-read Saturday Instalments                                                                            Next week we will return to our re-read of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book, .   Next SPaMCAST  On the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, more of the story of Innovatech and what happens when responsibility and accountability get muddled.   We will also have a visit from and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development.

‍‍Are you wearied by the low reimbursements from Dental PPOs and considering if there's a different, better way to improve your practice's profitability? Then you need to tune into this compelling episode of The Dental Marketer, as I interview Dr. Ben Burkitt, who's been in your shoes and emerged victorious. After implementing a revolutionary change in his own dental practice, Dr. Burkitt demystifies the process of dropping dental PPOs and its potential ripple effects to the bottom-line profitability of your dental practice. Learn how you can switch from being insurance driven to being patient-centric and multiplying your revenue in the process.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why dropping Dental PPOs may benefit your dental practiceHow to perform effective analysis of profitability for different proceduresThe significance of the 20 code collection score in this analysisHow dropping low-paying insurance plans won't necessarily lead to a loss of your existing patientsEvidence-based tips to attract patients from better paying insurance plansAnd not just that, Dr. Burkitt takes us through his own experiences - the reservations, the risks, and how he managed it all while driving remarkable growth in his practice's revenue. Queue this podcast episode up today and dive into a data-driven approach to revamp your dental practice!‍‍Guest: Dr. Benjamin BurkittPractice Name: We Care Dental CareCheck out Ben's Media:Website: https://www.raisingdentalincome.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.fowlerburkittEmail: ben@raisingdentalincome.com‍Other Mentions and Links:‍Dr. Burkitt's Other Podcast Episodes:MMM [INSURANCE] HOW TO STRATEGICALLY START DROPPING INSURANCES WHILE MAINTAINING A HIGH PRODUCTIONMMM [INSURANCE] BEHIND THE SCENES OF DROPPING PPOS AND DOUBLING YOUR PRACTICE'S PROFITABILITYWHAT IS HYBRID SCHEDULING AND WHY IT IS KEY TO MAXIMIZING PRODUCTIONHOW TO DROP PPO INSURANCES (SO YOU CAN GET PAID FAIRLY FOR YOUR SERVICES)226: DR. BENJAMIN BURKITT | DIGGING OUT OF THE "CORONA CRATER"‍Software/Services:Google AdsMeta AdsGoogle My Business‍Insurance Companies: CignaHumanaUnitedHealthcareConnection DentalUnitas DentalDelta Dental‍Books/Publications:The Dropping Dental PPOs Playbook: A Guide to Going Out of Network Without Going Out Of Your MindThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement‍Establishments/Brands:ToyotaInternational Brotherhood of TeamstersUPSCVS‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍

In this episode we dive into Critical Chain Planning and Scheduling strategies. The Challenge Critical Chain was developed in the 1990s by the infamous Eliyahu Goldratt who wrote The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. In this episode our guest Ian Heptinstall provides an overview of the strategy and how you can being to use it on your projects. Continue Learning ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access to Top Planning and Scheduling Jobs.⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beyond Deadlines⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn newsletter. ⁠⁠Check Out Our YouTube Channel⁠⁠. Connect Follow ⁠⁠⁠Micah⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Greg⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Beyond Deadlines⁠⁠ on LinkedIn. Beyond Deadline Specialized in empowering construction planners and schedulers worldwide, we offer rich content, advice, and tools to launch and boost your career in planning and scheduling. No degree? Transitioning? Seasoned expert? We're your resource. Forget about expensive certifications and out-of-date degrees. Access the future of planning with us. About Micah Micah, an Intel project leader and Google alumnus, champions next-gen planning and scheduling at both tech giants. Co-founder of Google's Computer Vision in Construction Team, he's saved projects millions via tech advancements. He writes two construction planning and scheduling newsletters and mentors the next generation of construction planners. He holds a M.Sc in Project Management, Saint Mary's University. About Greg Greg, an Astrophysicist turned project guru, managed £100M+ defense programs at BAE Systems (UK) and advised on international strategy. Now CEO at ⁠⁠Nodes and Links⁠⁠, he's revolutionizing projects with pioneering AI controls. Experience groundbreaking strategies with Greg's expertise. Topics We Cover change management, communication, construction planning, construction scheduling, creating teams, critical path method, cpm, culture, KPI, microsoft project, milestone tracking, oracle, p6, planning, planning engineer, pmp, portfolio management, predictability, presenting, primavera p6, project acceleration, project budgeting, project controls, project management, project planning, program management, resource allocation, risk management, schedule acceleration, scheduling, scope management, task sequencing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyonddeadlines/support

Today, we are scaling up our knowledge of supply chain management and small business resilience with our special guest, Dave Fitzgerald. Dave, who oversees a small team at a 102-year-old chemical manufacturing company, shares his expertise on critical topics that impact water treatment professionals. From understanding the complexities of molybdenum and the challenges of azole tariffs to navigating the phosphonates market, Dave provides valuable insights to help you make informed decisions in a dynamic landscape. Discover how small businesses like Dave's thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic by prioritizing customer needs and maintaining inventory, even in the face of higher costs and delays. Dave's commitment to reliability and customer satisfaction shines through as he discusses the importance of serving customers and shares his willingness to go the extra mile. Join us as we explore the key takeaways from Dave's experience, including the importance of small businesses in finding innovative solutions, the challenges of reshoring, and the potential for lower tariffs to reduce costs. Learn how to apply inventory intelligence to enhance profitability and make better inventory decisions. This episode is a must-listen for water treaters looking to scale up their knowledge and optimize their operations. Tune in to gain valuable insights that can help you thrive in today's ever-changing market. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your inventory intelligence and boost your bottom line.   Timestamps 1:00 Trace Blackmore invites you to be part of the water community 4:15 Periodic Water Table With James McDonald  6:10 Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals  11:00 Interview with Dave Fitzgerald Of North Metal & Chemical Co. about mastering inventory and product costs 49:30 Lightning Round Questions   Quotes “Molybdenum is a crazy product. Most of the primary molybdenum mines have closed down because there is residual molybdenum available in copper mines. It's a byproduct of copper mines, meaning that the copper market ends up driving how much molybdenum is dug out of the ground.”  - Dave Fitzgerald “The volatility of azoles has been difficult to manage and to import.” - Dave Fitzgerald “Phosphonates go through cycles over the course of the year.” - Dave Fitzgerald “We found during COVID, that it was the small companies that could go ahead and dig in and find ways to take care of customers, when larger companies (just because of the nature of their size), because of the different silos, and sometimes because their key performance indicators would keep them from doing the right thing and making the purchases, it may be these higher prices.” - Dave Fitzgerald   Connect with Dave Fitzgerald  Phone: 717.845.8648 Email: dfitzgerald@northchem.com Website: northchem.com LinkedIn: in/dave-fitzgerald-b9809475 Read or Download Dave Fitzgerald's Press Release HERE   Links Mentioned Industrial Water Week 2024 The Rising Tide Mastermind Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea AWT (Association of Water Technologies)   2023 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE or using the dropdown menu.   Books Mentioned The Gap and Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation by Dr. Benjamin Hardy 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt with Jeff Cox   Periodic Water Table With James McDonald The chemical formula of citric acid is C6H8O7. Its preferred IUPAC name is 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid.  How is citric acid used in industrial water treatment?  In what concentrations is it available?  Have you ever used it?  Is citric acid a strong or weak acid?  Does it react with metals?  If used to clean a system, what precautions or special measures should be taken?  Can citric acid in a system interfere with any water analysis you may be conducting?  

Today, I'm sharing three books that have massively impacted my productivity, not just in business but in life.First up, "The One Thing" by Gary Keller. It's all about finding that one key task that, when accomplished, makes everything else easier or irrelevant.Next, we have "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" by Eliyahu Goldratt.While it's technically about manufacturing, it's a gem for understanding constraints and continual improvement.Lastly, "The Four Disciplines of Execution" offers a fantastic framework for goal-setting, accountability, and execution.But remember, it's not about the system…it's about applying it consistently. Knowledge without action is just wasted potential. So grab one of these books, apply the principles, and watch your productivity soar.LEAVE A REVIEW if you liked this episode!! Let's Connect On Social Media! youtube.com/anthonyvicino twitter.com/anthonyvicino instagram.com/theanthonyvicino https://anthonyvicino.com Join an exclusive community of peak performers at Beyond the Apex University learning how to build a business, invest in real estate, and develop hyperfocus. www.beyondtheapex.com Learn More About Investing With Anthony Invictus Capital: www.invictusmultifamily.com Multifamily Investing Made Simple Podcast Passive Investing Made Simple Book: www.thepassiveinvestingbook.com

Ritu Java is the Co-founder and CEO of PPC Ninja, a software tool and service provider managing Amazon ads for six, seven, and eight-figure brands. Ritu has initiated dozens of PPC mastermind programs, workshops, and webinars due to her self-professed passion for advertising and data science. She's also trained hundreds of Amazon sellers on PPC. Ritu started her e-commerce journey over 10 years ago, sharing her knowledge on over 100 podcasts, blogs, and conferences, including Global Sources Summit, The Billion Dollar Seller Summit, and The Prosper Show. In this episode… Amazon sellers use PPC data to determine their cost of advertising. Inflated data leads to overspending and wasting away profits. So how can you avoid sabotaging your advertising campaigns? Business leader and PPC guru Ritu Java of PPC Ninja recommends these three strategies: Devise a PPC budget, caution sponsored display ads, and perform periodic audits. Regarding a PPC budget, Ritu warns against allowances based on your competitors' TACoS. Instead, she suggests using a formula to determine costs. Besides being expensive, sponsored display ads can be ineffective since it targets audiences with specific interests, and may fail to generate sales. Audits ensure your PPC data is accurate, identify potential issues, track campaign performances, and provide you peace of mind that you're in compliance with Amazon's policies.  Join Josh Hadley in today's episode of the eComm Breakthrough Podcast, where he interviews Ritu Java, Co-founder and CEO of PPC Ninja, about Amazon advertising strategies to maximize scalability. Ritu addresses PPC-to-organic sales, sponsored display ads, and the importance of routine audits.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Josh Hadley on LinkedIn eComm Breakthrough Consulting eComm Breakthrough Podcast Email Josh Hadley: Josh@eCommBreakthrough.com Hadley Designs Hadley Designs on Amazon Ritu Java on LinkedIn Email Ritu Java for a complimentary audit: Ritu@PPCNinja.com PPC Ninja PPC Ninja Mastermind Free PPC Audit Tool Special Mention(s): Kevin King Ryan Deiss on LinkedIn Michael E. Gerber on LinkedIn The E-myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber Amy Wees on LinkedIn Billion Dollar Seller Summit Amy Porterfield on LinkedIn The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt  Related Episode(s): “Kevin King's Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” “Why You Need to Experience a Mindset Shift When It Comes to Hiring Leaders With Ryan Deiss” “Unlocking Entrepreneurial Greatness | Insider Secrets With E-myth Author Michael Gerber” “Ready to Increase Your Profits? New Exclusive Interview With Amy Wees About Sourcing From Mexico”

We delve into the world of live immersive experiences and hardware manufacture with Clockwork Dog, a company known for its innovative products that enhance live shows, escape rooms and interactive art projects. Most of all they are a UK based SME manufacturing company making connected devices and control software. Join us as we uncover the insights and perspectives shared during this engaging conversation. Eyal Danon an accomplished project manager specialising in experiential events, with a background in directing for theatre. Currently a Director at Clockwork Dog. Managing both the production of an event as well as the client services side, managing expectations and developing the creative content.   Show Sponsor - for your manufacturing website needs: Holdingbay  https://holdingbay.co.uk The Cliff Notes on small parts in Live Interactive Experiences. - What is a live interactive experience? - What sort of PLC are you using?  - How many switches can you connect to each?  - How many 100 at a time are you building the enclosures?  - Do you manufacture in the UK? - How many have you in stock?  - Whats a digital master?  - How do you use black PCBs?  - Which compliance checks have you followed?  - How possible is it to make a product, with supply line issues?  - How have changes forced improvement in the products?  - What advice would you give to SME?  - Do you use the hardware too?  - Whats on the horizon?  - Chooses a book linked to his super power. We discuss the process of planning and evolving the parts and supply chain of building your own small electrical products. We reflect on the valuable insights shared by Clockwork Dog regarding the ever-evolving landscape of immersive experiences, the role of technology in enhancing live shows, and the importance of continuous innovation in business and for the entertainment industry. Show Notes:   https://cliffnotespodcast.com/podcasts/55/ Links and resources: Clockwork Dog Website: https://clockwork.dog https://cogs.show/hardware : Explore Clockwork Dog's interactive platform and products. "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" by Eliyahu M. Goldratt: A book that provides insights into the theory of constraints and process improvement.   CREDITS: Host: Tristan Bailey Music: Drinks On The Bar - Dougie Wood If you or a friend would be a good guest with a story about People, Process or Technology that moved them forward, then book a quick call on the website.  REVIEWS: Please leave a review where you listened to the show, or on the bottom of the show web page, above. FOLLOWS:  Follow the show on Twitter https://twitter.com/cliffnotespod Subscribe to the show to keep listening or via email, form on the website.

Have you ever wondered how a series of unfortunate events and failures could lead someone to their greatest success? Meet Nick Huber, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and the genius behind the impressive growth of a small moving and storage company that expanded into twelve states and handled 50,000 items per year. Currently wielding a personal brand that sees 90 million eyeballs across various platforms, Nick is an expert in building teams and capitalizing on talent. Get ready to be inspired as we explore the importance of thinking logically and evaluating ROI in business decisions. Stay tuned to discover the pivotal moment that changed everything for Nick, and how you can apply his newfound perspective to your own entrepreneurial journey.In this episode, you will be able to:Journey along with Nick Huber, gleaning wisdom from his entrepreneurial voyage.Absorb the significance of logical cognition and ROI analysis in the realm of business decisions, revolutionizing your venture strategies.Realize the surprising benefits of embracing stress and adversity, facilitating avenues for your personal evolution.Get a glimpse of the rich potential in the service-related business arena, directing you towards less traveled but profitable paths.If you're looking for advice or mentorship, reach out to Nick and see if he offers any coaching or consulting servicesCheck out Nick's website for resources, blog posts, and additional information: sweatystartup.com“Just because you see them winning doesn't mean its stress-free, doesn't mean it's easy, and doesn't mean they're not having a ton of uncomfortable conversations and doing hard things all the time. You get better at business, the stakes go up.”Books and ResourcesEntreleadership - 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom From the TrenchesThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - 30th Anniversary Edition Connect with Nick Huber:BOOKLIST: https://sweatystartup.ck.page/b3c17cfb83NEWSLETTER: https://sweatystartup.com/BUSINESS BROKERAGE: https://nickhuber.com/SELF-STORAGE: https://boltstorage.com/BOLD SEO: https://boldseo.com/INSURANCE: https://titanrisk.com/RECRUITING: https://recruitjet.com/LANDING PAGE / WEB DEVELOPMENT: https://webrun.com/OVERSEAS STAFFING: https://supportshepherd.com/DEBT AND EQUITY: https://bluekeycapital.com/TAX CREDIT: https://taxcredithunter.com/COST SEGREGATION: https://recostseg.com/PERFORMANCE MARKETING: https://adrhino.com/PEST CONTROL: https://spidexx.com/TWITTER: https://twitter.com/sweatystartupFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sweatystartupLINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweatystartup/ Connect with usWEBSITE: https://www.adversity2abundance.comLeave us a rating or review: https://www.adversity2abundance.com/reviews/new/ or hereGot comments, feedback or suggestions? We'd love to hear it! https://www.adversity2abundance.com/contact/ Follow Labrador LendingWEBSITE: https://labradorlending.com/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChYrpCUlqFYLy4HngRrmU9Q Connect with JamieLINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-bateman-5359a811/TWITTER: https://twitter.com/batemanjames

What does it take to transition from a solo practitioner to the CEO of a multi-million dollar organization? Join us as we welcome Valerie Peterson, the new CEO at Atticus. She shares her incredible journey from caring for her great aunt with dementia to becoming a leading elder law expert. Get ready to learn from Valerie's experiences and discover how to build a successful practice and an even better life. In our conversation, we uncover the importance of creating an efficient team for your practice to maximize growth and minimize stress. We discuss why lawyers often become the bottlenecks for growth, the value of hiring high-performing team members, and the necessity of empowering your team to complete tasks. Listen in as we delve into onboarding, training, and building trust within your team – and why allowing your team to make mistakes can lead to growth and success. Valerie also shares her insights on the significance of transparency and accountability in virtual law practices. We explore the need to create an online office environment where everyone can see their colleagues' work and set clear expectations and responsibilities for each team member. Don't miss our discussion on the power of daily huddles, promoting a culture of accountability, and coaching each other toward the core objectives of your practice. In this episode, you will hear: Lessons From a CEO for Lawyers 10 Valuable Lessons for Lawyers Team Growth in Law Practice Accountability in Law Firms Comfortable in Misery Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Valerie Peterson: Chief Executive Officer of Atticus: atticusadvantage.com/our-team/valerie-peterson-ceo The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt & Jeff Cox: a.co/d/bABddxq Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller a.co/d/3Vq5G2u Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.  

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Doron Myersdorf, CEO and Founder of StoreDot, a battery developer that's raised over $200 Million in funding, about how battery technology holds the key to a more sustainable future for us all. By rapidly advancing the technology that quite literally drives electric vehicle adoption around the world, StoreDot is positioning itself as a key component in the green energy revolution that is already well underway. We also speak about Doron's background in the Israeli tech sector, his role in developing the storage technology that all of us rely on, 'charging anxiety' as a barrier to electric vehicle adoption, how StoreDot overcomes the trust barrier with a simple proposition that 'the proof is in the pudding,' and how the electric vehicle market is set to mature differently across various regions of the world today. Topics Discussed: Doron's engineering background and what led him to the battery technology space The critical anxieties holding back widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and his StoreDot plans to overcome them How StoreDot overcomes the trust barrier with customers simply by demonstrating that 'the proof is in the pudding' Why StoreDot have their eyes set on a target of '100 in 2,' and what achieving it would mean for the electric vehicle economy Why various markets across the world will experience different maturation rates of the inevitable electric vehicle transition The technological factors still to be addressed in future generations of electric vehicle technology, from cold weather to carrying capacity   Favorite book:  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

Learn all about how an Analytics Engineer uses data to solve the world's problems, one messy analytic at a time. It was really fun getting to chat with Conner as he shared how growing up outside of the U.S. influenced his abilities as a data professional. As an avid reader, he also gave us some fun book recommendations. Where to find Conner: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connerferguson/ Resources The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (https://amzn.to/3nOFNSZ) The Name of the Wind Novel by Patrick Rothfuss (https://amzn.to/41tv7qp) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (https://amzn.to/3MnvIWw) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nerdnourishment/support

Join us as we dive into the incredible real estate investing journey of J Scott, a best-selling author who has bought, built, rehabbed, sold, syndicated, and held over $70M in properties, and learn the strategies and insights that propelled him to success.   Key Points from This Episode: ✅ How J got into real estate. ✅ Why J left high level position in Microsoft ✅ Every hour I put into my business is an hour I'm taking away from my family ✅ What were some of the things you had to get rid of as you continue to grow? ✅ Working smarter is not always about direct correlation to your effort. ✅ Diversifying into other things without focusing on real estate. ✅ The most valuable things we have is our time and attention.   Links from this Episode www.jscott.com Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - 30th Anniversary Edition Invest with CF Capital About J Scott J Scott (he goes by "J") is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor and the co-host of The BiggerPockets Business Podcast. He has bought, built, rehabbed, sold, syndicated and held over $70M in residential property and currently owns several hundred units. J is the author of four best-selling books on real estate investing, with sales of over 300,000 copies.    

Brought to you by Amplitude—Build better products | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | Ahrefs—Improve your website's SEO for free—Casey Winters is a longtime and legendary advisor and operator. He's worked with companies like Airbnb, Faire, Canva, Whatnot, Thumbtack, Tinder, and Reddit and until recently was the Chief Product Officer at Eventbrite, where he managed the PM, design, research, and growth marketing teams. Before Eventbrite, he led growth and product teams at Pinterest and Grubhub. In today's episode, we discuss what Casey calls the “zero interest rate phenomenon” product manager and how to avoid becoming one. He provides valuable insights on thinking outside popular frameworks, shipping products efficiently, and avoiding overreliance on user research. We explore the three types of network effects, how to leverage them, and how to break someone else's network effect. Finally, Casey shares his contrarian approach to interviewing product managers and his thoughts on the future of PM roles with AI.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/thinking-beyond-frameworks-casey-winters-pinterest-eventbrite-airbnb-tinder-canva-reddit-grubhub/—Where to find Casey Winters:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/onecaseman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/• Blog: https://caseyaccidental.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Casey's background(03:36) What Casey is up to(05:24) Why the CPO position is frequently short-lived(07:26) What Casey learned in his role as CPO of Eventbrite(10:15) The “zero interest rate phenomenon” product manager(12:17) Advice for thinking outside common frameworks(18:35) When to bring in research(21:16) What Whatnot does(21:59) Casey's approach to interviewing PMs (23:29) Red flags in interview responses(24:27) The future of product management with AI(27:47) Founder intuition vs. team expertise(33:33) How to influence founders(37:17) Adding the delivery driver app at Grubhub(40:00) Network effects(43:10) Why Zillow is a sticky product(44:05) How Grubhub's network effect got taken over by DoorDash and Uber Eats(51:47) Don't underestimate the competition(54:43) SaaS adding marketplace and vice versa(01:02:30) Defining marketplaces(1:03:34) What Substack is nailing(1:05:43) Tips for B2C subscription startups(1:13:15) Lightning round—Referenced:• Casey Winters on Lenny's Podcast previously: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-sell-your-ideas-and-rise-within-your-company-casey-winters-eventbrite/• Whatnot: https://www.whatnot.com/• The 700-calorie breakfast you should eat if you want to live forever, according to futurist Ray Kurzweil: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-ray-kurzweil-eats-to-live-forever-2016-4• The Way of the Gun on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-way-of-the-gun-0fc9590c-3f85-48ab-96e9-1da1b9695065• Notion AI: https://www.notion.so/product/ai• Zapier: https://zapier.com/• Founder intuition vs. team expertise vs. customer expertise: https://caseyaccidental.com/founder-intuition-team-expertise/• Erika Warren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-warren/• Alyssa Ravasio (Hipcamp) on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/• Marketplace supply strategy: comprehensive, exclusive, or curated: https://a16z.com/2021/03/31/marketplace-supply-strategy/• Nassim Taleb on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nntaleb• The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244• OpenTable: https://www.opentable.com/• Booking.com: https://www.booking.com/• Faire: https://www.faire.com/• How to increase your retention: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951• Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555/r• Profit from the Core: A Return to Growth in Turbulent Times: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-Core-Return-Growth-Turbulent/dp/1422131114/• Party Down on Starz: https://www.starz.com/us/en/series/party-down/2011• The Last of Us on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us• Station Eleven on HBO Max: https://www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYZWoOQ6F9cLDCAEAAABP• Kicking and Screaming on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70052286• Raven by Kelela on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/06uhdSmIYrWRkdnAPjcRcT• Optical Delusion by Orbital on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2jQbFspnSh7erex6RDKQGJ• Stakes Is High by De La Soul on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3jlC2uhYNrhikZXLviEnpu—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Marketing entrepreneur Ryan Deiss is the Founder and CEO of The Scalable Company, a community of “accidental” entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs who take what they've learned and apply it to other ventures. Ryan is also the Founder and CEO of Digital Marketer, a cohesive program combining all of your digital marketing methods into one. In addition to founding multiple companies that collectively hire hundreds of employees globally, Ryan is an expert speaker on business operating systems and a best-selling author. In this episode… Are you someone who is just starting a new company but drowning in day-to-day tasks? Maybe you're a business owner who's hired a virtual assistant to help with minor duties so you can focus on larger tasks but still have to train the assistant. So, as a new entrepreneur, how can you alleviate stressors and accomplish your daily goals? Business leader Ryan Deiss suggests hiring a field expert to handle the tasks you do not like and are not well-versed in. Why? Because it gives you the freedom to flourish in what you are most talented in. As a result, you become more productive, and your company becomes more productive, which could lead to more growth and better profits. Want to learn more from Ryan? Join host Josh Hadley in this episode of the eComm Breakthrough Podcast where he sits down with the Founder and CEO of The Scalable Company, Ryan Deiss, to discuss business operating systems. Resources mentioned in this episode: Josh Hadley on LinkedIn eComm Breakthrough Consulting eComm Breakthrough Podcast Email Josh: Josh@eCommBreakthrough.com Hadley Designs Hadley Designs on Amazon Ryan Deiss on LinkedIn The Scalable Company Digital Marketer Founders Board Special Mention(s): Kevin King Roland Frasier on LinkedIn Steven Pope on LinkedIn War Room Mastermind Traffic and Conversion Summit The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt John Peterman on LinkedIn The J. Peterman Company Related Episode(s): “Kevin King's Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” “Seven Acquisition Strategies to Scale to Eight Figures and Beyond” “Four Critical Pillars for Amazon Listing Optimization”

Elisabeth Embry opens up the show with the importance of goal setting. It's crucial that you know what you want to achieve, and have metrics that show whether or not you're on the right path. She also looks at what types of goals you should set, and which types of goals you should avoid. Later she talks with Nancy Doyle, author of Manage Your Financial Life: A Thoughtful, Organized Approach for Women and Founder of The Doyle Group. Nancy had three decades of experience in investing, corporate finance, and consulting. The two discuss how to start planning your financial future, financial spring cleaning, emergency funds, and more. Key Takeaways: [1:33] Most people are setting goals with no way to achieve them [4:18] The book that changed Elisabeth's life [10:00] The target audience for Nancy's book [12:16] Nancy's 4 steps to achieve your financial goals [15:27] Nancy's thoughts on real estate, and the impact supply and demand has on the market [18:47] Financial spring cleaning and important recommendations on keeping documentation [22:19] How to create a Current Year File Folder [24:31] How much should we be keeping in an emergency fund? [28:32] Managing your financial life starts with getting organized Websites: www.ManageYourFinancialLife.com Manage Your Financial Life: A Thoughtful, Organized Approach for Women www.twitter.com/NancyFinance The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement www.Mint.com   Follow Jason on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM & LINKEDIN Twitter.com/JasonHartmanROI Instagram.com/jasonhartman1/ Linkedin.com/in/jasonhartmaninvestor/ Call our Investment Counselors at: 1-800-HARTMAN (US) or visit: https://www.jasonhartman.com/ Free Class:  Easily get up to $250,000 in funding for real estate, business or anything else: http://JasonHartman.com/Fund CYA Protect Your Assets, Save Taxes & Estate Planning: http://JasonHartman.com/Protect Get wholesale real estate deals for investment or build a great business – Free Course: https://www.jasonhartman.com/deals Special Offer from Ron LeGrand: https://JasonHartman.com/Ron Free Mini-Book on Pandemic Investing: https://www.PandemicInvesting.com

Brought to you by Pando—Always on employee progression (https://www.pando.com/lenny), Notion—One workspace. Every team (https://www.notion.com/lennyspod), and Lemon.io—A marketplace of vetted software developers (https://lemon.io/lenny).Vijay Iyengar is Head of Product at Mixpanel, and similar to myself, came from an engineering background before transitioning to product. In today's episode, he explains how Mixpanel has evolved its growth strategy from a fast-paced, feature-focused approach to a more deliberate approach that prioritizes design and user experience. He also shares how Mixpanel irons out customer problems, including implementing internal tools that allow engineering and product teams to respond to customer feedback directly. Additionally, Vijay shares his top SaaS products, books, frameworks, and more. Tune in to gain valuable insights from a seasoned product leader.Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/. Today's transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.Where to find Vijay Iyengar:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vijayiyengar• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay4/Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/Referenced:• Mixpanel: https://mixpanel.com/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Notion: https://www.notion.so/• “Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work That Matters”: https://basecamp.com/shapeup• The RICE prioritization framework: https://www.productplan.com/glossary/rice-scoring-model/• BigQuery: https://cloud.google.com/bigquery• Census: https://www.getcensus.com/• Zoom: https://zoom.us/• FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/• A Data Stack for PLG teams: https://mixpanel.com/blog/data-analytics-product-led-growth/• Product analytics in the modern data stack: https://mixpanel.com/blog/mixpanel-partners-with-census-to-bring-product-analytics-to-the-modern-data-stack/• Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com/en/• Amazon Redshift: https://www.amazonaws.cn/en/redshift/• Event-Based Analytics: https://developer.mixpanel.com/docs/under-the-hood• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951• Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Gray-City-Love-Francisco/dp/1608199606• The West Wing Weekly podcast: http://thewestwingweekly.com/• WeCrashed on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/wecrashed/• Severance on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/• Gibson Biddle on Lenny's Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/gibson-biddle-on-his-dhm-product-strategy-framework-gem-roadmap-prioritization-framework-5-netflix-strategy-mini-case-studies-building-a-personal-board-of-directors-and-much-more/• Shishir Mehrotra on Lenny's Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir-mehrotra-coda-youtube-microsoft/In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Vijay's background(04:07) How Vijay learned to be more open-minded to new ideas (06:26) Mixpanel's journey(12:40) When to optimize for speed(13:49) The feature phase vs. the design phase(17:02) The importance of not losing focus on your core product(19:52) How Mixpanel organizes teams around buckets of problems(20:43) Mixpanel's most recent six-month time horizon planning cycle(25:08) The RICE framework for prioritization (and when to ignore the C and E)(26:31) The problem with estimations, and why Basecamp suggests using a six-week time box(30:04) How Mixpanel keeps product teams and engineers connected to customers via Slack (33:21) SaaS tools Mixpanel's teams use(34:54) The biggest product analytics mistakes(37:34) The present and future of analytics (41:05) How adopting a product mindset has helped Vijay grow his career(41:47) Lightning roundProduction and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Ever heard the saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?" Today's guest, real estate investor, and mortgage lender Aaron Chapman, learned the meaning of this saying after having his life turned upside down in a motorcycle accident that put him in a severe medical condition. He shares his incredible story of losing his memory, struggling financially, and going through years of rehabilitation, eventually regaining his ability to walk. Aaron Chapman is now an expert in residential real estate investing, with vast experience working as a real estate investor and a mortgage lender, and is ranked in the top 1% in an industry of over 300,000 licensed loan originators after closing more than 100 transactions per month. Aaron discusses the mindset he had to get back up and push forward to success, and the role perseverance, planning, and persistence had in finding that success. His incredible story shows how circumstances in life are what you make of them, not what they make of you, and you don't want to miss it! HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE 00:00 - Coming up 00:10 - Intro 00:54 - Welcome Aaron to the show 01:18 - Aaron talks about his background 3:00 - What success means to him, and has the definition changed over time? 5:30 - He shares his favorite success story 10:18 - What he has learned over the years 13:40 - The most challenging time in his life 18:30 - What mindset it takes to pull yourself out of that situation 23:28 - What advice would he give to his younger self 26:15 - How he changes the mindset of people from glass half empty to glass half full 29:30 - Book recommendations 30:19 - Tech or app recommendations 32:00 - Final thoughts CONNECT WITH THE GUEST Website- https://www.aaronbchapman.com/ Recommended app: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/qjo-investment-tool/id1533823468 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sgoc.njoinvestmenttool&hl=en_US&gl=US LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: Books: - The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement https://amzn.to/3AZcvUW - Outwitting the Devil https://amzn.to/3iuGg9S - Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself https://amzn.to/3VBMhj8 - The Master Key System https://amzn.to/3ikYU3L Our favorite deal analyzer - DealCheck (PROMO CODE: UNDOOR): https://dealcheck.io/?fp_ref=n8m28 CONNECT WITH THE HOST Nathan Murith - Husband, father, technologist, out-of-state real estate investor, founder of Undoor Properties, coach, and podcast host. https://undoor.com/links --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow us on social media @the.gentle.art.of.crushing.it Listen, like, subscribe, and comment: http://thegentleartofcrushingit.com/

Pete Kazanjy is the author of Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook and the founder of Modern Sales Pros, an invite-only peer learning community focused on sales operations and sales leadership. He's also the co-founder of Atrium, a B2B SaaS company that provides data-driven sales solutions. Pete got his start in product at VMware and then dove deep into the art and science of sales. In today's episode, we talk about the importance of founder-led sales and how to methodically scale a sales department. He explains the difference between old-school sales and modern sales, which focuses on human connection and solving problems for customers. He also shares actionable tips to improve your sales technique and explains how to use data to monitor your success at different milestones in the sales process.—Find the full transcript here: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/founder-led-sales-pete-kazanjy-founding-sales-atrium/#transcript—Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny• Flatfile—A CSV importer that says yes instead of error: mismatch: https://www.flatfile.com/lenny• Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app: http://merge.dev/lenny—Where to find Pete:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kazanjy• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/• Website: https://kazanjy.svbtle.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—Referenced:• Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Sales-Go-Market-Handbook-ebook/dp/B08PMK17Z1• Brianne Kimmel's SaaS school: http://briannekimmel.com/saas-school/• Modern Sales Pros: https://modernsaleshq.com/• The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898• The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products That Win: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Steps-Epiphany-Successful-Strategies/dp/1119690358/• Pete's presentation on founder-led sales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXIVAZJyPA• Pete's guest post on Lenny's newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up• The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup: https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-cadence-how-to-operate-a-saas-startup-436aa8099e8• Maker vs. Manager Schedule: http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html• Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/• Atrium: https://www.atriumhq.com/• Greenhouse: https://www.greenhouse.io/• Pete's ICP Template: https://www.foundingsales.com/2-product-marketing#building-narrative• Marissa Fuhrer Bell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissafuhrer/• Data-driven sales master class: https://salesnerds.atriumhq.com/msp-nailing-science-of-sales-figma-webinar-video• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951• The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Score-Takes-Care-Itself-Philosophy/dp/1591843472• All-In podcast: https://www.allinpodcast.co/• Encanto on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/encanto/33q7DY1rtHQH—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) How Pete met Lenny (05:05) Pete's background(07:20) Modern sales vs. old-school sales(09:17) What is founder-led sales, and why is it so important?(14:58) When to hire your first salesperson (18:20) Why you should keep your in-person events to around 10 people(19:34) What a sales motion is and why it needs to be updated regularly (20:55) What are the leading indicators of success?(23:54) Why founders don't need to be rock stars at sales(28:28) Sales mindset changes—the number-one tip to improve your sales(33:30) How modern sales should focus on helping customers solve problems(36:00) A few tips to help you get better at sales(36:40) ICP and personas(39:14) Why you should hire junior sales staff in the early stages(45:40) Signs your new hires aren't a good fit(47:38) The importance of using metrics for success(49:33) Month-by-month expectations for sales hires(51:19) Why work from home is bad for junior salespeople(54:19) Why you shouldn't be afraid of sales(55:19) Lightning round—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Scott Sedam is the Owner and President of True North Development. True North is a training and consulting firm for homebuilders, trade contractors, and suppliers, specializing in applying Lean Methods to the homebuilding industry. Scott likes to say that True North focuses on delighting the customer and removing "waste" . It's about the value proposition and discovering the benefits that the customer and builder will receive through LEAN analysis of the home construction process. In short, the Lean methodology is a way of focusing and optimizing building plans and specification, the builder's staff and trade partner experience, and the organizational structure toward creating a streamlined cost-effective building process. It's based on two guiding tenets, continuous improvement, and respect for people. In this buildCAST, Scott speaks to how he became the first quality assurance person at Pulte Homes, and then to spreading the LEAN gospely to the construction industry. True North website Scott Sedam on LinkedIn Scott regular column in Pro-Builder magazine The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement – 30th Anniversary edition by Eliyahu Goldratt

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Salvatore was working in a startup with a team that, on paper, was a star team. However, when he started to observe how they worked, he noticed that the team was rarely sticking to what they had planned for the Sprint, and even the PO was at a loss on how to help the team stay on track and focus on what they had planned. In this segment, we refer to Cost of Delay, one of the topics discussed in The Principles of Product Development Flow, and share some tips on how to help a team that is stuck in this situation. Featured Book of the Week: The Goal by Elyahu Goldratt In The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt, Salvatore found the principles behind lean thinking as well as a model that helped him in his work as a Scrum Master. The Goal is a book where Theory Of Constraints is introduced to a business focused audience concerned with improving the performance of their businesses. In this segment, we also refer to The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development by Don Reinertsen, which helped Salvatore understand how the flow of work can be investigated and improved in organizations. How can Angela (the Agile Coach) quickly build healthy relationships with the teams she's supposed to help? What were the steps she followed to help the Breeze App team fight off the competition? Find out how Angela helped Naomi and the team go from “behind” to being ahead of Intuition Bank, by focusing on the people! Download the first 4 chapters of the BOOK for FREE while it is in Beta! About Salvatore Rinaldo Salvatore is an Agile Coach and Scrum Master based in London. His background is in telecommunications and software engineering. For the past 7 years, Salvatore has been helping organizations leverage Lean, agile, Flow principles and system thinking to achieve better business agility. You can link with Salvatore Rinaldo on LinkedIn. 

In this episode, Mary Conquest talks with Chris Smith. Chris discusses the role of safety in an organization, elements of safety culture, leadership, trust, and effective communication in safety, amongst other topics.Chris Smith is the author of ‘Intrinsic Stability: How Organic Leadership Breeds Excellence' and an experienced EHS Manager and Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with a pure passion for creating excellence. Throughout his career, he has successfully developed and led continuous improvement initiatives to achieve Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) success and OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status.Chris Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-smith-aaa5a714/"Intrinsic Stability: How Organic Leadership Breeds Excellence" by Chris Smith –  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZJQJW3L/In the interview, Chris mentioned resources that help improve management skills and relations in the work space, including “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LHRM2O/Safety Labs is created by Slice, the only safety knife on the market with a finger-friendly® blade. Find us at www.sliceproducts.com

Daniel Pearson LinkedInBamboo – growwithbamboo.comThe Snowball a book by Alice SchroederThe Almanack of Naval Ravikant a book by Eric JorgensonThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement a book by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

In part one of this two-part episode on The DevOpsHandbook, Second Edition, Gene Kim speaks with coauthors Patrick Debois and John Willis about the past, present, and future of DevOps. By sharing their personal stories and experiences, Kim, Debois, and Willis discuss the scenius that inspired the book, and why and how the DevOps movement took hold around the world.   They also examine the updated content in the book, including new case studies, updated metrics, and practices. Finally, they each share the new lessons they have learned since writing the handbook and the future challenges they think DevOps professionals need to solve for the future. Kim will conclude the series in Part 2, where he interviews the remaining two coauthors, Jez Humble and Dr. Nicole Forsgren.    ABOUT THE GUEST(S) Patrick Debois is considered to be the godfather of the DevOps movement after he coined the term DevOps accidentally in 2008. Through his work, he creates synergies projects and operations by using Agile techniques in development, project management, and system administration. He has worked in several companies such as Atlassian, Zender, and VRT Media Lab. Currently, he is a Labs Researcher at Synk and an independent IT consultant.   John Willis an author and Senior Director of the Global Transformation Office at Red Hat.. He has been an active force in the IT management industry for over 35 years. Willis' experience includes being the Director of Ecosystem Development at Docker, the VP of Solutions for Socketplane, the VP of Training and Services at Opscode. He also founded Gulf Breeze Software, an award-winning IBM business partner, which specializes in deploying Tivoli technology for the enterprise.    Patrick DeBois and John Willis are two of five coauthors of The DevOps Handbook along with Gene Kim, Jez Humble, and Nicole Forsgren, PhD.   YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT The DevOps origin story from coining the term, why it took off, to launching the DevOps Days conference as an offshoot of the velocity conference.  How people thought of DevOps when it was first presented (their reactions, their mentalities, and their willingness to adopt it).   What has changed in the DevOps world since the first edition of The DevOps Handbook was published. How the rise of SaaS companies is altering the DevOps world and participating in its evolution, and how building solid relationships with SaaS vendors and communicating comprehensive feedback to them is integral to DevOps.  The significance of speed in changing team dynamics. Why resilient companies like Google and Amazon engineer chaos, and why companies like Toyota are happy when production stoppages happen.   Why you can't afford to provide a high variety of products if you also offer high product variation.   RESOURCES Get The DevOps Handbook (Second Edition) Nudge vs Shove: A Conversation With Richard Thaler Solaris Zones wiki Agile Conference in Toronto 2008 Sys Advent article: In Defense of the Modern Day JVM (Java Virtual Machine) by Gene Kim Mob programming Breaking Traditional IT Paradigms to... (San Francisco 2015) Crowdsourcing Technology Governance (Las Vegas 2018) Laying Down the Tracks for Technical Change at Comcast (Las Vegas 2020) 10+ Deploys Per Day by John Allspaw and Paul Hammond 10+ Deploys Per Day  How chaos engineering works at Vanguard Patrick DeBois tweet mapping out all the failure modes of an online conference.  Jesse Robins LinkedIn  Jesse Robbins on Twitter How A Hotel Company Ran $30B of Revenue In Containers (Las Vegas 2020) by Dwayne Holmes Google Cloud Certified Fellow Program  Operations is a competitive advantage… (Secret Sauce for Startups!) Love Letter To Conferences (And What Makes Some Truly Amazing) by Gene Kim Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results by Mike Rother Profound podcast by John Willis Ben Rockwood on Twitter Luke Kanies on LinkedIn DevOps 2020 - The Next Decade (London 2020) Beyond the Phoenix Project: The Origins and Evolution of DevOps by Gene Kim and John Willis The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox The Convergence Of DevOps Operations as a Strategic Weapon by John Willis Iterative Enterprise SRE Transformation (US 2021)   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro  [01:18] What's new and improved in the second edition of the DevOps handbook  [03:56] Meet Patrick DeBois [10:35] How faster technology made ideas like DevOps possible [18:11] The myths and inefficiencies of team autonomy [20:04] What the first DevOps days were like [27:59] Different opinions between the dev community and ops community [30:49] Mob programming and the future of collaboration [39:31] Two surprising things Patrick learned about DevOps [47:20] Patrick DeBois' favorite DevOps patterns  [51:28] How fear of not delivering on time can mask technical errors [59:45] What Patrick DeBois is working on these days [1:04:38] What was expanded in the second edition of the DevOps handbook [1:06:30] How Gene Kim entered the DevOps world.  [1:07:38] Meet John Willis [1:10:42] Why the DevOps movement took off [1:16:00] Mastering production disasters [1:23:32] The birth of the DevOps Days conference [1:37:37] Feelings of belonging and connection in a conference [1:41:29] A few clarifications [1:49:32] Two of the greatest DevOps open spaces [1:52:40] The difference between variety and variation (the cost of knowledge work).  [2:07:12] Why you should want more stoppages in your production line [2:10:16] John Willis' two favorite DevOps case studies [2:18:55] Outro

TODAY'S GUEST Prof. Eddie Obeng is a British organizational theorist, educator, and author, who serves as a professor at Henley Business School and Hult International Business School's Ashridge Executive Education. He is the founder of Pentacle, The Virtual Business School, and serves as its executive director. Professor Obeng has been described as "a leading revolutionary" and "an agent provocateur" by the Financial Times.   EPISODE SUMMARY In this conversation we talk about: How studying material science and observing the changes in modern business led him to the crucial insight that the world is now changing faster than we can catch up with our projections How his insight unravels common wisdom in industry after industry leading him to explore new ways of doing things Why traditional hierarchies no longer make sense in a volatile, complex, and ambiguous world How his insights inspired later development in design thinking, and how his thinking led him to create QUBE, an interactive, virtual, super-real world, which allows organizations to shed their old world culture and thinking and experiment with collaborative, creative problem solving We also discuss: Why has thought leadership stalled? How do we enact change to happen in a more human way to allow people to lead balanced lives? How do we become effective leaders? What can individuals do differently to change their lives for the better?   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS [2:58] Life in the UK during Covid                            [8:32] Early childhood driving forces                      [11:05] The World After Midnight and the Rapidly Accelerating Pace of Change [20:13] The New World Management concept        [34:55] Leadership in the New World and the death of the hierarchy [43:59] The difference between leadership and management [55:45] A super reality [1:00:15] A sermon on enriching and controlling your life in the New World   EPISODE LINKS Eddie's Links

Mike Zani shares data-driven approaches to improving your team's performance. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) What businesses can learn about teams from baseball 2) The top two predictors of team performance 3) Top three do's and don'ts of effective teaming Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep692 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT MIKE — Mike Zani is the CEO of The Predictive Index, a talent optimization platform that uses over 60 years of proven science and software to help businesses design high-performing teams and cultures, make objective hiring decisions, and inspire greatness in people. Its 8,000+ clients include Bain Capital, Blue Cross Blue Shield, DoorDash, LVMH, Nissan, Omni Hotels, and VMware. Zani is also the co-founder and partner at Phoenix Strategy Investments, a private investment fund. An avid sailor, he was coach of the 1996 US Olympic Team. He holds a BS from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. • Mike's book: The Science of Dream Teams: How Talent Optimization Can Drive Engagement, Productivity, and Happiness • Book website: DreamTeams.io • Mike's company: The Predictive Index — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth • Book: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt — THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Setapp. Try out up to 200 of the best software tools in one streamlined place at setapp.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join UCD alumni Daniel Davey, Senior Performance Nutritionist at Leinster Rugby in conversation exploring the topic of how elite athletes stay focused on their goals and motivated for ongoing improvement. Daniel has worked as a performance nutritionist with a host of elite athletes in a range of sports such as golf, athletics, rugby and GAA. In conjunction with his role with Leinster Rugby, Daniel also works as a performance nutritionist with the Dublin senior footballers.

If you want to get better, you need to surround yourself with people who don’t shy away at telling what you NEED to hear, not what you WANT to hear. My guest today is such a person. And between you and me, having him on the show is a bit selfish, because I want to hear how he maximizes every day to ensure his personal objectives are accomplished.  Today’s guest is Daniel “Danny” Bauer. Danny and I met through our Mastermind several years ago and over the years I’ve been in awe of his productivity. When he sets out a goal for himself he always reaches the finish line.  Danny Bauer is the Chief Ruckus Maker at Better Leaders Better Schools (BLBS). He launched the BLBS Podcast in September 2015. With over one million downloads, the BLBS show is the most influential podcast available for educational leaders.   He is the author of The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap, which was released as an Amazon #1 New Release, and he is working on a new book tentatively titled: The Mastermind: Unlocking the Potential Within Every School Leader.   He is a catalyst for change and he uses his passion for productivity to teach coaches, businesses, teams, and professionals the skills they need to ensure their objectives become reality.    Bottom line: If you want to improve your productivity, Danny has the tools you need to make it happen.  In the words of today’s guest, keep making a ruckus,    -Trace     Danny Bauer will walk us through this Focus Funnel Can I eliminate a task?/Do I have to do it?   Can a robot do this better?/Can it be automated?  Can another human do this better than me?/Can I delegate this?  What if I procrastinate on purpose?   If you cannot procrastinate, you have to concentrate.    Timestamps:   James’ Challenge: “Convert 300 mg/L Nitrite (as NO2) to Nitrite (NaNO2).” [3:50]  Introducing my friend and the Chief Ruckus Maker, Danny Bauer [6:26]  The value of being in a Mastermind group together [14:15]  Better Leader Better Schools [18:52]  Core Values, Sticky Values, your Own Personal Philosophy, and investing in yourself [19:38]  Productivity tools, Focus Funnel, and always getting better [25:35]  Objectives, Key Results, and Time Blocking [33:23]  The one thing you want Scaling Up Nation to know [40:33]  Lightning Round Questions [42:48]     Quotes:  “When you force yourself to learn something new, you force yourself to grow.” - Trace Blackmore  “I realized that I was my own bottleneck and I created my own ceilings.” -Daniel Bauer  “Authenticity, belonging, and a challenging environment, that leads to life in leadership transformation.” -Daniel Bauer  “If you are considering joining a Mastermind group. If you have been testing the waters, dive in, what’s the worst thing that could happen?” -Daniel Bauer  “Leadership is easy when things are going well, but that’s not most days. You need to find a north star to pull you through those hard times.” -Daniel Bauer  “Integrity, authenticity, honesty... we all expect that from a business, and it’s not remarkable.” -Daniel Bauer  “Be an intentional catalyst.” -Daniel Bauer  “Each day I try to end it knowing it was better than the last.” -Trace Blackmore  “Get clarity on what matters and what doesn’t.” -Daniel Bauer  “I ask myself: Is this related to one of my objectives or not? If it isn’t one of my big objectives, it drops way down the list... if it even makes the list.” -Daniel Bauer  “I score myself each day only on the tasks related to my biggest objectives, and if I completed them or not.” -Daniel Bauer  “I focus on the big picture, even if I measure in the micro.” -Daniel Bauer  “Time blocking. Gift yourself that deep work time throughout the week. You will get so much more done.” -Daniel Bauer  “You are not going to save the world. You’re not going to run the best business if you’re always in your inbox responding to whatever activity is in there.” -Daniel Bauer  “My challenge to you after listening to this podcast: If you have your notifications on, turn off notifications now. Put the phone on silent. Turn off notifications on your computer. All these things are designed to take your focus away from whatever important stuff you are doing.” -Daniel Bauer  “Scrolling through email inbox and social media is just a distraction from the harder and emotional labor that is going to provide greater value for your business and clients later.” -Daniel Bauer  “Examine the issue. Don’t just look at the surface.” -Daniel Bauer  “The next time you are trying to solve an issue, spend time trying to get at what that issue is and what that is behind that issue?” -Daniel Bauer  “When you can talk with other people about issues you are having in business and personal. You can get to the next level faster, that’s what a Mastermind is.” -Trace Blackmore    Links Mentioned:  5 Easy Questions That Will Help You Be More Productive   Roomba  Stanford study about multitasking   Anagrammer.com  Calendly Scheduling Tool  Convert Kit  The Rising Tide Mastermind  Submit a Show Idea    Ways to connect with Daniel “Danny” Bauer:  Daniel’s website, Better Leaders Better Schools   daniel@betterleadersbetterschools.com       Events:  Scaling Up Business Webinar Series - Adam Lean May 28th   Water Environment Federation - Check out all of their upcoming events    Books Mentioned:  The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap, by Daniel Bauer  Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time -by Rory Vaden  Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable - by Seth Godin  This Is Marketing - by Seth Godin  Man’s Search for Meaning - by Viktor E. Frankl   The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement - by Eliyahu M. Goldratt  Measure What Matters - by John Doerr   The Art of Possibility - by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander  The Dream Manager - by Matthew Kelly  The 12 Week Year  Atomic Habits         

There’s a lot of stories around how the pandemic has changed and shifted business, our guest today Shaunak Amin is one of the biggest success stories. His startup Stadium was able to quickly pivot and grow a new business SnackMagic entirely during the lockdown and now is at $20M ARR.Shaunak’s Background: Shaunak Amin is co-founder and CEO of STADIUM and SnackMagic. He is an experienced entrepreneur and operator, and has helped launch and scale businesses in different industries.In addition to the entrepreneurial ventures, his career spans financial technology and investment management with senior roles at Novus - a fintech firm based in NYC, SAIL Advisors- a multi-billion dollar family office based out of Hong Kong, ING Investment Management and SEI InvestmentsShaunak also holds a BS from University of Pennsylvania. He started his first business, Tikka Foods, during his Sophomore year at PENN that initially started as a food truck and ultimately evolved into a wholesale delivery service of ready-to-eat, contemporary Indian food.For more on this story, check out this playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnuoDHNwT1mVI7wPP-kunbjLKgnSY5ZJPIn this episode we discuss:01:31 Shaunak’s early entrepreneurial experiences02:37 Lessons from those days that he’s applied to Stadium and SnackMagic03:27 The business model of Stadium05:23 How Covid pushed Stadium to pivot07:32 Mindset of the company in the early days of the pandemic10:04 The effect on the team size11:05 The decision to fully launch SnackMagic14:08 Research process to validate SnackMagic15:41 Timeline of idea to first order17:50 Why they didn;t choose to be subscription first20:00 How SnackMagic manages SKUs and helps consumers discover new snacks22:31 Getting access to brands24:10 The data around the purchase decisions25:00 How consumers use the platform to try and then buy in bulk26:06 The best sales channel for SnackMagic26:45 The biggest headache for scaling27:26 Network effect of treating it forward28:34 Customer experience tracking29:20 How they weed out weak snacks29:57 The hidden gem of data around what people want to eat31:03 Why Shaunak decided to take a large Series A32:17 The future of SnackMagic33:30 Moving beyond snacksBooks Shaunak recommends:The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. GoldrattInfluence: The Psychology of Persuation by Robert B Cialdini PhDThe Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. ChristensenBlue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan KimFollow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.Agency This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Why Your Firm Needs SOPs for Rapid Scale with Owen McGabResource Links:See what process can do for your firm with 28 FREE days of SweetProcessCheck out the CaseFuel websiteGet your copy of The Legal Marketing FastlaneI want to 5x my clientele in the next year… I want to hit 7-figures in revenue before 2023….If your goal is to scale your firm quickly, any new employees (permanent or outsourced) must be able to hit the ground running.If you don’t see the results you want, you may think the issue lies within individuals.In reality, the problem probably lies elsewhere...Think back to the last time you hired someone new:How fast were they able to tackle the duties of the job? Was there a straightforward process for onboarding a new client? Or did they hit roadblocks along the way? If so, your firm is likely experiencing growing pains - pains that will only amplify with rapid scaling...But to avoid the most common problems that stunt growth and affect your bottom line, there is a solution you can put in place now. Today, Owen McGab joins us to talk SOPs. He shares how his personal experience in the business world inspired him to create SweetProcess - and why firms need processes to scale. While listening, you'll learn:How to determine which SOPs your firm needsWho should be responsible for creating themHow to perfect those processes so your business can scale with easeAbout Owen McGab:Owen McGab is the CEO and Co-Founder of SweetProcess, an intuitive business process management software. SweetProcess empowers executives and employees to collaborate on processes and policies. Resources Mentioned: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul GawandeThe E-Myth by Michael E. GerberBuilt to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John WarrillowThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. GoldrattWork the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less by Sam Carptenter If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As an entrepreneur, knowing your niche early on is essential to have a clear focus on the road where you're headed. Along the way, you have to identify the most relevant problem, which you must prioritize. Remember, you have to fill a specific gap in the market to draw customers to you naturally. Like any other field, there are processes you must follow and marketing strategies you can use to formulate the most effective solutions for your business problems. In today's episode, we're joined by the master marketing mechanic Chris Goegan. He's here to discuss how startups and multimillion-dollar companies can break through what's holding them back and figure out the gaps in their marketing. He also talks about his experiences as an engineer-turned-salesperson and the business lessons he learned from being a long-distance endurance athlete. If you want to improve your business problem-solving skills, make sure you tune in to the episode! About Chris Chris Goegan is a business growth consultant who helps clients grow and scale their businesses using his proprietary methodology called Engineered Marketing. Engineered Marketing is a time-tested and proven way of building the ultimate integrated internet selling machine. Chris has a background as a high-volume manufacturing engineer, sales professional, marketer, and endurance athlete. How to Identify and Solve Marketing Problems Effectively How Chris Got Bitten by the Marketing Bug Chris started as a mechanical engineer. He worked at manufacturing plants and Ford Motor Company. They sent him to the worst areas of the plant to make it better, and they will fire him if he doesn't. His experience as an engineer taught him to find and prioritize the problem in an area that will give the biggest returns when you fix it. Chris would put short-term fixes to test and long-term fixes in place to monitor and analyze things. His experience honed his strategy and problem-solving skills. Identifying the Problem In his experience as an engineer, they have some data that offers a general overview of the problem. Then he would start peeling the layers back. Through this, he can see where they're getting the worst efficiencies and understand how each part is made. If you keep things upstream, it's going to help you think about downstream. Prioritize the biggest one among multiple problems and work on those first. Then keep going down the list and solve the rest. The Marketing Process As both an engineer and a marketer, Chris learned that the principles are the same, although the steps are different. It doesn't matter which marketing strategy you have; the principles remain the same for all of them. Fixing the Problem Usually, the problems aren't at the place where you're looking—it's often somewhere else. On fixing the problem and reporting: put a temporary fix first and then collect data, which you can use to create a permanent solution. Make sure it gives you the return you wanted before investing money in new equipment and systems. The numbers always say something. You can find solutions by watching the data and seeing trends and patterns develop. The problem is most business owners are so busy trying to be successful that they don't have time for due diligence and monitoring. Tracking and Measuring The key element: dashboard monitoring. If there's no dashboard, look at site analytics. Look at how many people are opting in. Focus on one or two new products instead of trying to do everything at once. Habit stacking: If you can't measure all things at once, develop a baseline to gain momentum and get moving. Overcoming Career Challenges The biggest challenge Chris had was coming to terms with the false belief of the self-made man. In engineering, you have data and numbers, and you focus on understanding how things work. In sales, you master the understanding of why people buy. If you combine these experiences, Chris says it can give you a false sense of self—and building ego. With this false sense of self, he realized he was trying to be someone he wasn't meant to be. He has come to terms that it's not about personal greatness; it's about helping and serving other people. Advice for People Who Are Starting Out Get help. Don't do it on your own. Be wise and take calculated risks. Wisdom is the most valuable thing. The two types of wisdom: the wisdom you get from trying and failing on your own and wisdom from other people who have the experience. No two situations are identical. Chris encourages struggling entrepreneurs to gain perspective. The biggest advice Chris has is to listen to his wife. He's able to take himself out of the picture and be much wiser about things. Habits for Success Be disciplined. Do something on a regular basis, whether you feel like it or not. The key things: studying, learning, discipline, working on your priorities, and analyzing your results. When you work on the boring stuff, fast forward a year or two from now, and you'll realize that you have outpaced the people who are always about shiny objects. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all you do, and he will direct your path. Acknowledging Your Skills Just because someone's good at what they're doing, it doesn't make them better. They're only more skilled in that area. Skills are fostered and grown. Everybody has a different set of skills and niche. Resources The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Why People Buy: Achieving the Selling by Guy Baker The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood Sell Little Red Hen! Sell! By Jeffrey Hansler Og Mandino's Books You can reach Chris through his website, or you can email him at chris@chrisgoegan.com. Is your marketing not working as it should be? Get a free consultation from Chris here! P.S. Do you already have a successful business, meaning you're up, running, and paying your bills with some profit left over? Are you interested in growing your business, automating/streamlining things, and staying one step ahead of your competition? Do you want to achieve your goals, get more things done in less time, and double your sales?

Philippe Guenet: Understanding Successful Digital Change Journeys - getting on the right Coach.Companies are facing the imperative to change and adapt. Leadership is lonely and leaders need to consider their change partners very carefully before embarking on their digital and organisational transformations.Philippe Guenet is an Executive Coach and Leadership development expert who focuses on the work system organisation, practices, people & leadership development associated with Digital and Agile transformation. His work in many substantial companies gives him a deep well of direct experience to draw from when advising his clients, coupled with his formal coaching training.Philippe explains the differences between coaches and consultants and gives a wonderful and detailed tour of the role of the coach in organisations - from helping teams at the coal face and especially at the exec level.His insight into authentic coaching, agility, and organisational change is thoughtful, well considered and compellingFor Execs thinking about transformation in their organisation, Philippe provides a primer for the key areas, cadence and importantly, the people to consider in the journey to come. A change that starts with you being involved. In the journey into change and uncertainty, Philippe is challenging but ultimately, reassuring too. He is the trustworthy voice by your side, assisting the journey of change through coaching.Contact Philippe:www.henko.co.ukwww.linkedin.com/in/philippeguenet/www.meetup.com/DigitalLeadership/References:Simon Wardley - “recovering consultant” blog.gardeviance.orgThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eli Goldrattagilitybynature.com/contact-us/#agility #agile #wardley Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do existing organizations with resources find themselves irrelevant (or no longer in existence), whether through new technology, changes in demographics, competition? Chances are they did not plan for the disruption, which can come from any direction or place, especially where we least expect it. Sameer Hasija is co-author of The Phoenix Encounter Method: Lead Like Your Business Is On Fire. Just like the mythical phoenix that is born again from the ashes, this method requires you to think of your business truly being disrupted (burning to the ground) so you can build it again. Shifting your mindset to create a burning platform, allows you to build a playbook to defend against the attacks (in whatever form they take). This is an on-going process and can take your organization to the next level. This episode is brought to you by… From Manager to Remarkable Leader, Kevin's Flagship workshop based on his proven leadership model. Additional Leadership Resources Book Recommendations: The Phoenix Encounter Method: Lead Like Your Business Is on Fire! by Ian Woodward, V. “Paddy” Padmanabhan, Sameer Hasija, and Ram Charan The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West by David Kilcullen Connect with Sameer Hasija: Book Website | Author's Website Related Podcast Episodes: Leadership Productivity Principles with Maura Thomas. The Innovation Stack with Jim McKelvey. Lead with Speed with Alan Willett. The Innovation Delusion with Lee Vinsel and Andy Russell. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher TuneIn Soundcloud RSS Or your favorite podcast app. Join Our Facebook Group Join our Facebook community to network with like-minded leaders, ask us questions, suggest guests and more. We welcome your wealth of experience and hope you will join us in sharing it with others on their leadership journey. You can join the group here: facebook.com/groups/RemarkableLeadershipPodcast/

Putting Supply Chains on Autopilot with Ali Raza Ali Raza and Joe Lynch discuss putting supply chains on autopilot. Ali is a theory of constraints (TOC) practitioner who founded a company to help supply chains to improve throughput. About Ali Raza Ali Raza is the Founder and CEO of Throughput, Inc., an AI-Powered software to help companies run leaner, faster, smoother, and safer operations out of the box. Ali comes from a deep academic and real-world industrial operations in process simulations and operations management. He has managed onshore/offshore/war zone logistics as well as batch, continuous, and discrete manufacturing setups. At Schlumberger, he became one of the youngest Geomarket Production Services, pioneering 3 projects and serving 50+ industrial clients. His production teams were responsible for billions of dollars of hydrocarbon output to the global economy. Ali joined his first tech startup while still an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, he has been eliminating one global bottleneck after another, with his current focus on optimizing supply chains that extend to Mars. About ThroughPut, Inc. ThroughPut Inc. is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Supply Chain pioneer that enables companies to optimize their Operations by leveraging their existing Data Systems to increase Output, Quality and Profitability across their entire enterprise. ThroughPut's AI software, ELI, includes the only Bottleneck Management System (BMS) that utilizes existing enterprise data systems, such as ERP, MES, IMS, TMS, WMS, PLC, EAM, POS, CRM, SCADA, Historian, and other data systems, to solve for the $25 Trillion of annual Waste across global supply chains already today. Such constraints to the $90 Trillion global Economy could otherwise be dedicated to more productive, useful and sustainable purposes for the benefit of all stakeholders and communities. ThroughPut's AI software is designed by Fortune 500 Supply Chain & Logistics leaders, Silicon Valley AI and Analytics pioneers, and top global Operations Experts in the areas of the Theory of Constraints, Lean Manufacturing, Supply Chain Automation, Total Quality Management, and over four-dozen other leading best practices now digitized as part of the ELI software, with hundreds of years of hands-on experience in the space. Key Takeaways: Putting Supply Chains on Autopilot In the podcast, Ali provides an overview of throughput, theory of constraints, and Eliyahu  Goldratt. Throughput is the amount of material or items passing through a system or process. Throughput can be calculated as Inventory = Rate multiplied by Time, where “rate” is the throughput. Ali and other followers of the theory of constraints believe that throughput is more like a way of life as opposed to a simple metric. The theory of constraints (TOC) is a management philosophy that views any manageable system as being limited in achieving more of its goals by a very small number of constraints. There is always at least one constraint, and TOC uses a process to identify the constraint and restructure the rest of the organization around it. Eliyahu Goldratt was an Israeli physicist turned management guru. Dr. Goldratt is best known as the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), a process of ongoing improvement that continuously identifies and leverages a system’s constraints to achieve its goals. He introduced TOC’s underlying concepts in his business novel, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, which has been recognized as one of the best-selling business books of all time. At ThroughPut.ai they have a world class team of industrial experts from the fields of operational excellence, artificial intelligence, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, industrial automation, and finance with the goal of making and moving thing more efficiently. Their approach reduces the time from order to cash and produces in increased free-cash-flow. ai uses AI to help decision-makers identify and eliminate process, and supply chain bottlenecks. This AI driven approach enables companies to put their supply chains on auto-pilot – an optimized system that yield high throughput and cash-flow. Learn More About Putting Supply Chains on Autopilot Ali Raza ThroughPut Inc  Throughput Economics: Making Good Management Decisions Overcoming Supply Chain Disruptions with Shanna Greathouse and Tony Nichols The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn

As the VP of Corporate Strategy at Tacony, Nick Hinman's focus is on maximizing the customer experience while ensuring the business continually improves. Over the years, he has become an expert in all things lean, culture, and value. In this episode of Zen and the Art of Manufacturing, Bryan Sapot and Nick sit down to talk about building the house. What does that mean exactly? Well, to build an exemplary company, you need to start by creating a road map and then begin laying the foundation. Using data to improve, a great culture, transparency, are all things to be established for the company upfront. Listen in as Nick share's his experience with firefighting and how manufacturers can transition from constant firefighting to something more sustainable. And, finally, Bryan and Nick discuss focusing on the small wins, building trust throughout the organization, and daily morning meetings, all contributing to the success of your improvement efforts. Nick mentioned a few books at the end of his episode that have laid a foundation for his expertise in lean and one that he was currently learning to get insight into effective leadership, all of which can be found below: Book: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio Book: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Book: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win If you would like to talk to Nick about any of the topics discussed in today's episode, you can reach out to him via LinkedIn. For more information regarding the improvements Tacony has made in their plants, read how Tacony increased efficiency from production to the supply chain, increasing lead time by 150%. Enjoy this podcast? Hit the share button, subscribe for free if you're not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us create calm and improve flow in manufacturing! For a full description of this episode of Zen and the Art of Manufacturing featuring Nick Hinman, read "The Foundations of Lean with Nick Hinman".

This episode of The Idealcast features the second part of Gene Kim’s interview with Team of Teams coauthor and CrossLead CEO David Silverman and CrossLead Head of R&D Jessica Reif.  In this episode, they take up the topic of how internal marketplaces are structures that can connect mid-level leaders to each other, helping allocate scarce resources to where they're needed most, which enables the further unlocking of capacities. They discuss challenges around the cost of change and the new skills that mid-level leaders need in order to survive and thrive in an era where being functionally excellent in one’s own silo is not enough. They further talk about the similarities between special operations and agile, especially comparing and contrasting terms that further concretize concepts the agile and DevOps community have held for years but struggled to name. And finally, they discuss where we go from here. BIO: David Silverman Entrepreneur, bestselling author, and former Navy SEAL, David Silverman is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CrossLead, Inc. Founded in 2016, CrossLead is a technology company whose leadership and management framework is used by leaders and companies around the globe.   In 2015, David co-authored the New York Times bestselling leadership and management book Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. As a thought leader on culture change, high-performing teams, and leadership, he is a frequent guest speaker for business leaders and conferences around the globe. After his 13-year career as a Navy SEAL, David and a group of like-minded friends sought to reinvent the way the world does business in today’s dynamic environment. Based on their collective service in the world’s premier Special Operations Units, they devised a holistic leadership and management framework called CrossLead. Today, CrossLead is a leading framework for scaling agile practices across the enterprise. Implemented in some of the world’s most successful organizations, CrossLead drives faster time-to-market, dramatic increases in productivity, improvement in employee engagement, and more predictable business results.  Prior to CrossLead, David co-founded the McChrystal Group where he served as CEO for five years. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, David served as a Navy SEAL from 1998-2011. He graduated Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUD/S) Class 221 in 1999 as the Honor Man. David deployed six times around the world, including combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia where he received three Bronze Stars and numerous other commendations.  David serves on the advisory board of the Headstrong Project and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. David lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Hollis, and their two children. He maintains an active lifestyle as a waterman and runner.   Twitter: @dksilverman Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-silverman-648035a/ Website: https://www.crosslead.com/ Jess Reif                                                                                        Jessica Reif is the Director of Research & development for CrossLead Inc, where she leverages the latest management research to develop new approaches to increasing business agility for CrossLead’s clients. She leads CrossLead’s education efforts and has developed training programs that have been delivered to over 20,000 leaders. Previously, Jessica served as a Product Delivery Manager for applied machine learning and engineering teams at Oracle Data Cloud, where her role was to facilitate agile development among a team-of-teams. Jessica holds a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, baking, and hiking.  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jess_Reif Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-reif/ Website: https://www.crosslead.com/ YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT How internal marketplaces are structures that can connect mid-level leaders to each other and allocate scarce resources to where they are needed most Concept and terms found within the agile and special operations communities What happens when the cost of change is intolerably high New skills that midlevel need to survive and thrive to help organizations win   RESOURCES Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman and Chris Fussell The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Beyond the Goal: Eliyahu Goldratt Speaks on the Theory of Constraints (Your Coach In A Box) by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt Beyond The Phoenix Project: The Origins and Evolution Of DevOps by Gene Kim and John Willis Peter Skillman’s Ted Talk: Marshmallow Design Challenge Tom Wujec’s Ted Talk: Build a Tower, Build a Team The (Delicate) Art of Bureaucracy by Mark Schwartz Sooner Safer Happier by Jonathan Smart IT Revolution’s virtual library The Great Man Theory Transformational Leadership and DevOps - Dr. Steve Mayner Learning to be a Transformational Leader - Dr. Steve Mayner The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn Paradigm shift Isaac Newton by James Gleick   TIMESTAMPS   [00:08] Intro [01:55] What parallels Jessica Rief sees in the technology domain [08:56] What Steve Spear’s story means to David Silverman [14:47] Empowerment is not inherently a good thing [20:35] The Core, Chronic Conflict and the Marshmallow Challenge [28:28] Leaders, get comfortable with the unknown and trust somebody [37:39] Micromanagement in the technology space [41:11] IT Revolution’s new books and virtual library [42:39] Advice to micromanagers [46:34] Auditing your time appropriate to your level of leadership [48:28] Solving problems closer to the edge [53:20] The role of mid-level management [58:47] What skillsets are important to winning [1:07:22] Leadership theories [1:08:47] How Team of Teams has affected daily work [1:18:32] How to contact Jessica and David [1:19:40] Thomas Kuhn’s Paradigm shift [1:23:22] Newton’s three laws of motions [1:25:35] Outro

Joining Dan today is his colleague and collaborator, Sam Falco, to discuss whether or not Scrum Masters are expendable. Is it possible for things to be running so smoothly that you’re working yourself out of a job as a Scrum Master? Is there anything left for a Scrum Master to do once best practices become team culture, the team is self-sufficient, and the organization reaches a high level of performance? Why or why not should an organization keep a Scrum Master around? How does the role evolve over time? Tune in as Sam and Dan answer all of these questions and more on this week’s episode!   Key Takeaways Can or should a Scrum Master be trying to “work themselves out of a job”? The idea that they can work themselves out of a job is an inherently flawed concept as it arises from the common misconception that they’re only a team coach A Scrum Master can always serve an organization (as there is no such thing as 100% perfection; the goal post is constantly moving/evolving) Sports analogy: If a team is doing really well, you don’t fire the coach! The same goes for Scrum (you still need the Scrum Master to keep the team and organization at a high-level and help finetune their performance) Why is a Scrum Master necessary? To help the team and organization continually improve (there is no ultimate level of performance) What is perfect now, may change — there is no pinnacle; there is always room for improvement If you reach a plateau, more experiments need to be conducted and other areas need to be examined Even if everything seems perfect, it is important to stay on top of things and continue retrospectives, etc. Qualities of a high-performing Scrum Master that delivers continuous improvement and value to the team and organization: Help the entire organization embrace empiricism in what it’s doing; not just team development Make decisions based on sound data (through transparency, inspection, and adaptation) Teach about empiricism with the Product Owner, finding better ways to refine the product backlog, experiments to run, etc. Help the whole organization improve; not just the team Value outcomes rather than output Make sure that the whole organization is living the Agile values and Scrum principles Help the team and organization resolve problems themselves and remove impediments Don’t trade efficiencies for throughput (a bit of slack in efficiency is actually beneficial for higher throughput) Know that in any complex endeavor, there are many variables and you will never get everything correct; situations always change, so be sure to not be overly optimized and be willing to adjust and adapt How does a Scrum Master’s role evolve over time? Through innovation, experimentation, and creating new best practices Always have something to do, reevaluate, and ask yourself, “How can I be of service? How can I help? What can I do that’s useful?” Look at the overall system and figure out hidden/less obvious impediments Always find opportunities to further optimize within an organization Always find new ways to deliver value   Mentioned in this Episode: Live AgileThought Community Event: “Agile Heard Around the World” with Special Guests — Oct. 29th Peerfit Cynefin Framework The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies Are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done, by Stephen Denning The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt  and Jeff Cox Clean Language: Revealing Metaphors and Opening Minds, by Wendy Sullivan and Judy Rees  Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling, by Edgar Schein   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

In Episode 05 of Soul Inspiring Business, host Kara Chaffin Donofrio invites guest Josh Long, owner of Bottleneck Breakthrough Group, to discuss “Staying on Track in Business When You Feel Knocked Down.” As a high level business consultant to multi-million dollar B2B companies, Josh is a sage strategist and trusted advisor. He shares practical advice to help you more clearly see the best path forward, and delivers it with such clarity and wisdom! Episode Highlights: Josh tells us about his journey to his current role as a sought-after business consultant for CEO’s and leaders. Josh experienced a major setback in 2008 when his mortgage brokerage business went bankrupt, and his daughter was just 1 week old. Josh worked alongside high level entrepreneurs, and began discovering patterns in businesses; this is where he developed the framework for the bottleneck theory. After his mortgage business failed, he taught classes at Fresno State (where he received his MBA), and received a book that changed how he looked at business entitled, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. We continue to experience ripple effects in the economy due to COVID19, and smaller mom & pop businesses are more greatly affected. Josh shares with us how he is advising his current clients, and the series of questions he asks in order to determine the best strategy moving forward. Josh cautions businesses that are thriving as a result of COVID19 to move forward cautiously...and not take on too much unnecessary risk as a result of the quick expansion. Due to levels of uncertainty, it’s important for business owners to monitor their business’ more closely, so they can better see how things are changing (either growing or shrinking) on a weekly basis. Often, we get comfortable in our businesses; the uncertainty surrounding COVID19 will help some business owners reevaluate their true needs and “get lean.” Josh shares some of his favorite thought leaders and inspirational figures that have assisted his own personal growth in life and business. Josh provides examples of using meditation to reset, and how he’s come to realize that we all have energetic set points….many of which relate to how much money we believe we are capable of earning. One of the most important things you can do in your business is get centered and remove mental blocks and emotional trauma from your past. This deeper work allows you to reach higher levels of potential in your business. Muscling through never ends up working out long term but surrendering and staying in flow always works out. Resources mentioned: Connecting with Josh Long: Website LinkedIn Bottleneck Breakthrough: How To Find & Fix Your #1 Business Challenge To Unlock Sustainable Growth, Fast (book available for purchase) The Bottleneck Breakthrough Podcast Connecting with Kara: Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Other resources mentioned: Broken Open (Book) – by Elizabeth Lesser Justin Faerman (Website) The Surrender Experiment (Book) – Amazon The Untethered Soul (Book) - Amazon Michael Singer (Author) -Website Naval Ravikant (Podcast, LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube) Eliyahu Goldratt (The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement book)  

John and Rob talk about 9/11 and how is transition went down. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement https://www.amazon.com/dp/0884271951/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Ik6wFb3502HG8Mission Transition: Navigating the Opportunities and Obstacles to Your Post-Military Career - by Matthew J Louis - (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlouis/)https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400214750/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_yo6wFbKDK3R2JWe talked Patriot's Path and Noel McCall (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelmccall/) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/patriots-path-inc-/ and https://birkman.com/the-birkman-method/

Stephen Shapiro offers expert advice for shifting your thinking to uncover innovative solutions. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The biggest red flag in problem-solving2) How to work with—not around—constraints3) How an emphasis on solutions hinders usSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep589 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT STEPHEN — For over 20 years, Stephen Shapiro has presented his provocative strategies on innovation to audiences in 50 countries. During his 15-year tenure with the consulting firm Accenture, he led a 20,000-person innovation practice. He is the author of six books, including his latest: Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems. His Personality Poker® system has been used around the world to create high-performing innovation teams. In 2015 he was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. • Stephen's book: Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems • Stephen's website: InvisibleSolutionsBook.com — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: SaneBox • Book: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt • Book: Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard Feynman • Past episode: 410: The Scientific Way to Find, Filter, and Fast-Track Meaningfully Unique Ideas with Doug Hall — THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Rise. Build your team's learning library–the fast and fun way–with Rise.com/awesome. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Mandrell and Anne Ng met while working for Thomas Keller at Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley, California. They have been baking together ever since. They honed their skills in different kitchens around the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to San Antonio in the summer of 2010. In 2011 they met entrepreneur Charlie Biedenharn who joined them in forming Bakery Lorraine. Today, they've scaled Lorraine to 5 locations and they've also opened a Donut shop, Maybelle's Donuts. Check out The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller as mentioned in today's episode. Check out Square POS as mentioned in today's episode. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite success quote or mantra: "Mistakes stop here." If there's any question, there's no question." In today's episode with Jeremy Mandrell and Anne Ng we will discuss: Lessons Jeremy took from culinary school Commitment to excellence From food science to food prep and cooking Applying science to food Maintaining a level of ridiculously high standards How to attract great people to your organization Defeating your own laziness Getting your foot in the bakery door via farmer's markets Proof of concept How to develop regulars Quality of quantity Food trucks 3-way partnerships are best Pop-ups Converting a condemned house into a bakery Start where you can The decision to close a shop NOT because it was losing money Sexism in the industry How have restaurants changed? The future of the industry Today's sponsor: QuickBooks for Restaurants a Bookkeeping and Accounting Guide. The back-office restaurant accounting guide you’ve been searching for! Zac covers the accounting fundamentals, including sales tracking, purchasing, bill paying, invoicing, managing day-to-day liabilities, gift certificate tracking, cash management, detailed reporting, and more. Ultimately, Zac show owners and operators how to create the accurate financials and reporting that will enable them to make better informed, data-driven decisions. Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in. Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Anne: approachability Jeremy: hard work What is your biggest weakness? Anne: stubborn Jeremy: cookies What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? A team player, driven What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Keeping up with standards from staff and food Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Integrity, standing up for what you believe in, doing the right thing even when nobody is watching What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Discipline What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Elijayu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Say thank you to your team Name one service you've hired. Graphic Design: Jamie Stolarski - San Antonio, TX What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Slack - Where work happens If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Always strive to be better Never settle for anything less than the expectation Don't lose yourself in your work Contact info: www.bakerylorraine.com Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Jeremy Mandrell and Anne Ng for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time! Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

Joe: But let’s kick off today with a little bit about you and your entrepreneurial background over the years launching several startups and now leading a team of data scientists and machine learning engineers at Honeywell SPS. Let’s start there.  I do want to chat about Honeywell CEO - Darius Adamczyk - who believes the cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence will transform Honeywell from an industrial conglomerate to more of a software company. Where do you see your team playing a role in Honeywell’s digital transformation journey? There’s a lot of shiny objects in the AI and ML space that can distract leadership teams and engineers from actually solving business problems. When we look at the intersection of Honeywell SPS and artificial intelligence - how do you decide which problems to solve and what work matters most? Walk the audience through your process. There’s a great book out there that most business / MBA students / Amazon's Jeff Bezos requires his senior managers to read called The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement that’s been out for 35+ years - which influence industry leaders to move towards continuous improvement. -There’s a concept called business process management (BPM) which aims at cost reduction and efficiency improvements. AI is now taking its place in both the operational and strategic BPM. When it comes to the next generation of warehouse robotics at Honeywell talk about how HON is transforming the way work is done with robotics and IIOT in warehouses today.   What makes AI and robotics so fascinating to you vs. some of the other technologies out today? What’s your vision of the connected worker and industry 4.0 with AI and robotics as we move forward in 2020 and beyond? Lastly, before we hit the 60 Second “TechTables” segment - what’s the number one problem you are seeking to solve as the Global AI Leader at Honeywell  AI & Robotics Lab? 60 Second “TechTables” What do you know now that you wish you had known at the beginning (either personal, business, or blend)? What’s your favorite Netflix show? What’s your top 3 personal development books you’d recommend right now?

In this episode of Adventures in DevOps the pane interviews Adam Nowak. Adam is a part of the DevOps team at Netguru. He joins the panel today to share his DevOps transformation story. Adam starts by explaining the title he chose for today’s episode. He also shares his definition of DevOps. Adam explains the age-old story of a misunderstood DevOps team that was overworked and underappreciated. The organization grew but the DevOps team didn’t scale with it, leaving them with piles of tickets and everyone else wondering what was taking so long. The panel commiserates with Adam and shares some of their own similar stories.  Reaching out to others to help solve the problem, Adam found that many DevOps teams had and are experiencing the same problem. He found help from others in the DevOps space and recommended books. His team started by making their work more visible. To do this they streamlined their communication and published documentation.  Next, they made more focused goals. Instead of trying to do everything and never meeting their goals they chose a couple things to work on and focused on that. Another change they made was to diversify their meetings, projects, and initiatives; they brought in people from all the teams to collaborate, making the projects even better.  The panel discusses the importance of empathy in the workplace and in life. Most people are trying their best and probably have a reason for doing the things that they are doing. Instead of treating others as if they are incompetent, talk them and discuss the reasons behind their actions and decisions.  Panelists Nell Shamrell-Harrington Charles Max Wood Guest Adam Nowak Sponsors CacheFly Links How we killed DevOps by creating a dedicated DevOps team | Adam Nowak The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win  Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement   The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations  Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs  Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations  Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard  https://www.facebook.com/Adventures-in-DevOps-345350773046268/ Picks Charles Max Wood: Holiday Inn  White Christmas  The MaxCoders Guide To Finding Your Dream Developer Job  Nell Shamrell-Harrington: The Mandalorian Rust in Motion  Adam Nowak: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones

In this episode of Adventures in DevOps the pane interviews Adam Nowak. Adam is a part of the DevOps team at Netguru. He joins the panel today to share his DevOps transformation story. Adam starts by explaining the title he chose for today’s episode. He also shares his definition of DevOps. Adam explains the age-old story of a misunderstood DevOps team that was overworked and underappreciated. The organization grew but the DevOps team didn’t scale with it, leaving them with piles of tickets and everyone else wondering what was taking so long. The panel commiserates with Adam and shares some of their own similar stories.  Reaching out to others to help solve the problem, Adam found that many DevOps teams had and are experiencing the same problem. He found help from others in the DevOps space and recommended books. His team started by making their work more visible. To do this they streamlined their communication and published documentation.  Next, they made more focused goals. Instead of trying to do everything and never meeting their goals they chose a couple things to work on and focused on that. Another change they made was to diversify their meetings, projects, and initiatives; they brought in people from all the teams to collaborate, making the projects even better.  The panel discusses the importance of empathy in the workplace and in life. Most people are trying their best and probably have a reason for doing the things that they are doing. Instead of treating others as if they are incompetent, talk them and discuss the reasons behind their actions and decisions.  Panelists Nell Shamrell-Harrington Charles Max Wood Guest Adam Nowak Sponsors CacheFly Links How we killed DevOps by creating a dedicated DevOps team | Adam Nowak The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win  Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement   The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations  Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs  Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations  Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard  https://www.facebook.com/Adventures-in-DevOps-345350773046268/ Picks Charles Max Wood: Holiday Inn  White Christmas  The MaxCoders Guide To Finding Your Dream Developer Job  Nell Shamrell-Harrington: The Mandalorian Rust in Motion  Adam Nowak: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones

106 The One with the Agnostic Equipment Guy Episode 106: Show Notes Nation! I know your favorite thing in the water treatment industry is the equipment we use.  Well, maybe not...  But it is something that we must use to run our programs when we are not there.  Many of us are loyal to a particular brand and model of equipment.  There is nothing wrong with that as long as you know what your options are outside of your “comfort zone.”  I have found by working with other water treaters that many of us learn how one thing works, get comfortable with it and stop.  That is not ok.  We have to keep apprised of what equipment is out there to make our systems better.  Our guest today is Blaine Nagao of H2Tronics.  Blaine is a longtime friend and colleague of mine.  We met through the Association of Water Technologies.  Specifically, when he would do the equipment training portion at technical training.  I still remember things I learned from him in the class.  Blaine agreed to come on the show and talk with us about a few things we should consider when it comes to equipment.  Please get ready to enjoy my interview with Blaine Nagao.  Key Points From This Episode:  AWT Annual Convention & Expo [0:00:30]  Industrial Water Week [0:01:53]  Audible (Reading Tool) [0:03:31]  Water Treatment Equipment [0:04:38]  Equipment Baselines [0:10:02]  Additional Functions Of Controllers [0:13:05]  New Technology For Pumps [0:15:44]  3 Ways To Verify Pumps [0:18:03]  Familiarizing The Equipment [0:18:32]  Installations [0:19:41]  How To Improve Installations? [0:20:54]  Choosing A Brand You Want To Use [0:28:44]  Time Saving Tips [0:32:06]  What H2TrOnics Does? [0:44:18]  And a lot more!  Tweetables: “Do as much as you can ahead of time!” @BlaineNagao @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #CoolingTowerSystems #WaterTreatmentEquiptments #ScalingUPto100  “Treat every installation like it’s a reflection of yourself and your company.” @BlaineNagao @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #CoolingTowerSystems #WaterTreatmentEquiptments #ScalingUPto100  “Learn about the equipment that is running your programs.”  @traceblackmore   @BlaineNagao scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #CoolingTowerSystems #WaterTreatmentEquiptments #ScalingUPto100  What are 5-10 things that you need to know how to troubleshoot for your equipment? @traceblackmore @BlaineNagao  #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #CoolingTowerSystems #WaterTreatmentEquiptments #ScalingUPto100  “When you elevate your water treatment program, you are showing customers that you are staying on top of all of their water treatment needs. You’re also making ways to save them energy and water!” @traceblackmore @BlaineNagao  #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #CoolingTowerSystems #WaterTreatmentEquiptments #ScalingUPto100  Links Mentioned on this episode: Blaine Nagao on LinkedIn H2trOnics, Inc. Horse tradin' by Ben K. Green  The Terminal List by Jack Carr  The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function by Justin Roff-Marsh  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt 

What are your major concerns before flying on a trip? Would you ever give up your seat due to overbooking? How do airlines predict weather patterns and take proactive action to minimize delays? In this episode of Making Data Simple, Yianni Gamvros, Global Data Science Enablement Leader for IBM Watson and Cloud Platform, talks about how to use data science to better manage passenger flight experiences. Show Notes00.30 Connect with Al Martin on Twitter (@amartin_v) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/al-martin-ku)00.40 Connect with Yianni Gamvros on Twitter (@YGamvros), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/gamvros), or at datascience.ibm.com00.50 Copyright and all rights reserved to Yanni. Song from Yanni Concert 2006 can be found here http://bit.ly/2iSlJJG 1:00 Learn more about Yanni the composer at http://www.yanni.com/welcome08.25 Check the latest in weather and storm reports at https://weather.com/en-CA/23.50 Discover what Watson is doing in aviation at https://ibm.co/2yHDm5g or check out this video to see how data science and Watson can be used to better your flight experience: http://bit.ly/2j9kdGN28.45 Find Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond by Deepak Malhotra & Max Bazerman here: http://amzn.to/2zox6Dy29.10 Find The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M Goldratt here: http://amzn.to/2iETTkd29.40 Learn more about the IBM Watson Data Platform at https://ibm.co/2reqLmN or http://bit.ly/2iEUbYl 30.40 Copyright YanniVEVO, all rights reserved to Yanni. Song Name: The Rain Must Fall. Listen here, http://bit.ly/2iU3uDU

What are your major concerns before flying on a trip? Would you ever give up your seat due to overbooking? How do airlines predict weather patterns and take proactive action to minimize delays? In this episode of Making Data Simple, Yianni Gamvros, Global Data Science Enablement Leader for IBM Watson and Cloud Platform, talks about how to use data science to better manage passenger flight experiences. Show Notes00.30 Connect with Al Martin on Twitter (@amartin_v) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/al-martin-ku)00.40 Connect with Yianni Gamvros on Twitter (@YGamvros), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/gamvros), or at datascience.ibm.com00.50 Copyright and all rights reserved to Yanni. Song from Yanni Concert 2006 can be found here http://bit.ly/2iSlJJG 1:00 Learn more about Yanni the composer at http://www.yanni.com/welcome08.25 Check the latest in weather and storm reports at https://weather.com/en-CA/23.50 Discover what Watson is doing in aviation at https://ibm.co/2yHDm5g or check out this video to see how data science and Watson can be used to better your flight experience: http://bit.ly/2j9kdGN28.45 Find Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond by Deepak Malhotra & Max Bazerman here: http://amzn.to/2zox6Dy29.10 Find The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M Goldratt here: http://amzn.to/2iETTkd29.40 Learn more about the IBM Watson Data Platform at https://ibm.co/2reqLmN or http://bit.ly/2iEUbYl 30.40 Copyright YanniVEVO, all rights reserved to Yanni. Song Name: The Rain Must Fall. Listen here, http://bit.ly/2iU3uDU

CEOs often wonder, “What can I do to stay more connected with my team’s daily activities?” They do not want to be a micromanager, but they want to be in touch with what’s happening on a day to day basis. These are issues that come up often in my strategy sessions. I get it. You’re busy. You know your role includes leading your team, but you’re just not sure what to do. You wonder if this means having to host more meetings or if there is another way? In this episode, I’m going to crack open my tool box once again to share a simple 3-step tip that will inspire your team to want to connect with you. AND at the same time, it will increase your capability to lead them. You can use this tool when you want to host a weekly touchpoint with your team members that is not as in depth as a quarterly one-to-one meeting, but still super effective. I’ll also share with you what to do with all the “stuff” you’re going to receive by using this tool.   Here are the 3 steps for your touchpoint meeting: Share a Win Share a Challenge Ask a Question   Get our Free Hiring Resource Bundle   Books or Tools or Events Mentioned: Built to Sell The Goal, A Process of OnGoing Improvement   Stacking Your Team (SYT) Episodes Mentioned: 5 Essential Leadership Lessons from a Fortune 50 Company How to Create an Accountability Action Plan for Your Team Designing a Culture that Grows your Brand with Kara McKeage Building a Team that can grow with you with Antonia Beauvoisin-Brown Building a Large Virtual Team with Kate Ahl   Work with Shelli: One Day Mastermind GrowthChix Accelerator Program ProfitChix Mastermind Strategy Session Work With Natalie: One Day Mastermind GrowthChix Accelerator Program CEOCHIX Mastermind Strategy Session   Join the BizChix Community   This episode was first published at BizChix.com/team35. Listen to our sister podcast, BizChix, on your app or at http://bizchix.com. 

First thing's first: Grimsmo's back from BLADE SHOW, BABY! To sum up: Awesome team bonding experience. The Grimsmo crew and Brad Southard shared everything (including the booth and the AirBnB) Met SO MANY people during the event, and down in the pit!  “A great way for makers to connect with their customers.” - Grimsmo “Meeting people is what it's all about!” - Saunders The REVEAL of the SAGA! Grimsmo did it! He crunched and turned the pen project into a pen PRODUCT! And, just like Grimsmo, the pen is complicated and unique (especially the mechanism, which could stump an engineer) Keep an eye on the Grimsmo YouTube channel! There's gonna be a few videos on Blade Show coming out soon.  That's a lap! Grimsmo not only decided to get a lapping machine, it was delivered on Wednesday! But it's just a loaner...the new one is bigger, better, and coming in a couple months. The Negotiator Saunders raves about the book he's been reading lately called Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz, which is all about the art of negotiation. It's an art form, and the masters of it find win-win solutions.  Sometimes it's okay to be blown away by the traction this podcast has, and Saunders takes a quick tangent to thank all our great listeners! (like Alec Steele!)  Our only regret is that maybe we should've called it “accountabilibuddies”.  What does Kate Spade have to do with the growth of a manufacturing business? A NPR podcast episode helps Saunders reflect on staying on track to happiness in your business. “Growth can be addictive.” - Saunders “You won't realize how much energy you lost until you get it back.” - Saunders OKAY let's get down to nerding out about the new TORMACH SERIES Better spindle, better horsepower, much better enclosure, and so much more that it won't fit in this description! Thinking 5 Axis? So is Saunders; research keeps him focused. Check out the book The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt. It's an oldie but goodie. Thinking about IMTS already? So are Saunders and Grimsmo. They'll be heading to MHub in Chicago the Sunday before IMTS to do a talk at the manufacturing and entrepreneurship event.

“Time after time I’ve done an analysis of a company, and I’ve figured out a leverage point — in inventory policy, maybe, or in the relationship between salesforce and productive force, or in personnel policy. Then I’ve gone to the company and discovered that there’s already a lot of attention to that point. Everyone is trying very hard to push it in the wrong direction!” In this episode of Made You Think, Neil and I discuss Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System by Donella Meadows. In this article, Meadows goes through her twelve “leverage points” in which you can affect change in your company or any complex system, from least to most effective. “Magical leverage points are not easily accessible, even if we know where they are and which direction to push on them. There are no cheap tickets to mastery. You have to work hard at it, whether that means rigorously analyzing a system or rigorously casting off your own paradigms and throwing yourself into the humility of Not Knowing. In the end, it seems that mastery has less to do with pushing leverage points than it does with strategically, profoundly, madly letting go.” We cover a wide range of topics, including: All of Meadow’s 12 Leverage Points Positive and negative feedback loops The NRA and gun control How individuals can change the system in small and big ways Brexit and the Eurozone The paradigms that shape our thinking And much more. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out our episode on The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt for its meta-theory of business, and our episode on Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse, about how employers and employees can create, change, and play in systems. Be sure to join our mailing list to find out about what books are coming up, giveaways we're running, special events, and more. Links from the Episode Mentioned in the show: The Titanic [10:43] Paleolithic diet [12:40] Ketogenic diet [12:40] The Bike-Shed Effect [14:17] Evernote [23:20] Rule of 3 and 10 [23:19] American Eagle [25:15] Zara [25:35] Cryptocurrency [30:15] Apple Inc. [35:00] The Big Mike – Banana Species [39:00] Slippery Slope Argument [41:47] Veil of Ignorance [42:00] The Selfish Gene Hypothesis [47:25] Intuit [54:00] 9-9-9 Plan [54:20] TurboTax [55:40] QuickBooks [55:40] The Florida Shooting [01:05:15] National Rifle Association — NRA [01:05:20] Net Neutrality [01:05:30] The Riddle of the Gun by Sam Harris [01:09:15] Game Theory [01:09:55] The Daily Wire [01:14:13] The Ben Shapiro Show – Podcast [1:14:13] Justworks [01:24:00] MomTrusted.com [01:24:47] AirBnB [01:35:50] Uber [01:35:50] Scott Galloway Says Amazon, Apple, Facebook, And Google should be broken up [1:39:22] Socialists of New York [1:53:59] Flatgeologists [02:01:50] Books mentioned: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox [2:57] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) The Way of Zen by Alan Watts [3:00] (Nat’s notes) (Neil’s notes) (book episode) Finite and Infinite Games by James C. Carse [04:31] (Nat’s Notes) (book episode) Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter [07:36] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life by Eric D. Schneider and Dorion Sagan [07:23] The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Taleb [16:49] Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Taleb [16:49] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) ​ 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson [23:59] (Nat’s notes) (Neil’s notes) (book episode) Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel [39:25] Merchants of Doubt: by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway [40:29] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) Hiroshima Diary: The Journal of a Japanese Physician by Michihiko Hachiya [01:04:30] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg [01:47:50] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari [01 :49:24] (Nat’s notes) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn [02:01:07] Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett [02:02:00] (Nat’s notes) (book episode) People mentioned: Donella Meadows Elon Musk [3:10] (on this podcast) Bill Clinton [11:23] George H.W. Bush [11:23] Jordan B. Peterson [47:26] (on this podcast) Herman Cain [54:20] Emperor Hirohito [01:04:50] Ben Shapiro [01:14:04] Donald Trump [01:23:05] Adolf Hitler [01:43:23] Margaret Thatcher [01:44:40] Joe Rogan [01:48:23] Thomas Kuhn [02:00:35] Show Topics 02:01 — Meadows is a corporate consultant, who helps companies increase productivity through what she calls “leverage points”. Her focus is on companies, but it really could be applied to any system. Even the podcast itself! 3:17 — How people try to change complex systems by focusing on the wrong parts, or intervening in the right parts, but in the wrong ways. Meadows’ list of ways in which you can intervene from least to most effective. 6:53 — Each intervention point makes sense in connection to the others. Looking at them in simpler system helps understand their role in complex systems. The bathtub analogy. 10:30 — The 12th point: Constants, parameters, numbers. A person occupying a role doesn’t have as much leverage as the role itself. It’s easier to change small parameters than it is to change a broader picture. Eg.: changing the soda you drink instead of changing your whole diet. The Bike-Shed effect. 16:00 — The 11th point: The sizes of buffers and other stabilizing stocks, relative to their flows.  The check account metaphor; the amount of money that’s usually left in your account, doesn’t come in or out. That’s your buffer, and can be changed. The size of your buffer can really affect your system. It can increase your security, but also liability. Tradeoff between creativity and redundancy. 20:41 — The 10th point: The structure of material stocks and flows (such as transport networks, population age structures).  This rule is harder to immediately apply to the business case. The pipes metaphor; it’s sometimes necessary to set up a system entirely from scratch, or rebuild it, because it’s almost impossible to reach your goals with what’s already present. The rule of 3 and 10. 24:05 — The 9th point: The lengths of delays, relative to the rate of system change. The importance of consumer feedback. Systems with long loops of feedback, such as politics, have trouble self-regulating. At the same time, when there’s lots of immediate feedback, you risk overshooting. 35:08 — The 8th point: The strength of negative feedback loops (...). A negative feedback loop means a system that can turn itself off, such as a thermostat, which’ll stop working once the room reaches the desired temperature. It’s important to have a failsafe that’ll intervene on the event of a worst-case scenario, even if it’s rarely necessary. You can very easily miss the long-term effect of actions that don’t affect the short-term, such like monocultures (the or overworking yourself. 41:00 — Fake news. Ways you could keep fake news from spreading, and how that could slide into censorship. Social media and censorship. The ultimate goal of any company is always to make money. 48:21 — The 7th point: The gain around driving positive feedback loops. Positive feedback loops feed and grow on themselves (the more people have the flu, the faster it’ll spread), but a system with an unchecked positive feedback loop will destroy itself. At some point, a negative feedback loop must kick in, such as what’s happened with the birth rate in western countries. 51:07 — Poverty and wealth as functions of positive and negative feedback loops. Ways you could effectively lessen poverty. Taxing laws and lobbying. 56:00 — Tangent about payment methods. 58:00 — Adjusting positive feedback loops depends on the ultimate goal of the system. How to use commissions as incentives. 01:01:29 — The 6th point: The structure of information flows (who does and does not have access to information). Access to information, and how it affects people’s and company’s behaviors, and creates accountability. 01:05:01 — Accountability in the age of the internet. The NRA and gun control. The NRA as a symptom of America’s pro-gun mentality, not the source of the issue. 01:10:28 — Arguments for both sides of the gun control debate. Initiatives to lessen the instant fame acquired by mass shooters. Comparing different country’s policies without thought to the countries’ different situations. 01:17:12 — Misinformation on the topic of guns in the public and in media: what guns are actually available to the public, which models were used in mass shootings. 01:21:00 — Clickbait. McDonalds’ fries and baldness. 01:22:43 — The 5th point: The rules of the system. The rules of a system are more influential than the people who must play by the rules. Being both an employee and a boss. Benefits and health plans for employees, and how to attract and retain talent. 01:29:18 — The rules of a system can work as incentives and disincentives. 01:30:19 — The 4th point: The power to add, change, evolve, or self-organize system structure. The level to which people can change the system. Utilizing platforms in ways the creators had not originally intended. Unexpected behaviors from children and puppies. 01:33:33 — Religion and superstition. Bottom-up and top-down systems of power. 01:35:15 — Uber, AirBnB, free market and diversity in the market. 01:37:23 — The 3rd point: The goals of the system. The highest level related to the system itself: its ultimate goal. The goal of keeping the market competitive must trump the goal of each company to accumulate profit. Companies that have little to no competition at this point. 01:41:51 — Changing one player in the system doesn’t affect much, except when one individual player can drastically change the goals of the system. Trump, the Conservative Party and Russia. 01:44:20 — Brexit, the UK’s economy, and the Eurozone. City-states and how do you decide the borders of a country. 01:48:36 — The 2nd point: The mindset or paradigm out of which the system — its goals, structure, rules, delays, parameters — arises. The mindset from which the system’s goals come from. Shared mythology and cultural paradigms in today’s society. Digital goods vs physical goods. Shared paradigms as a basis for cooperation and shared goals. 01:58:41 — The 1st point: The power to transcend paradigms. Ever-changing paradigms; your paradigms, as well as scientific paradigms, will keep changing. Not one holds all the truth. 02:05:30 — Wrap-up and sponsor time!. Perfecto Keto is perfect if you’d like to pursue a ketogenic diet! Their matcha MCT oil powder is highly recommended. Kettle & Fire will give you 20% OFF on their delicious bone broths — beef recommended for cooking, and chicken for a good, hot wintery drink! Four Sigmatic: get your mushroom coffee or your hot chocolate, all 15% OFF through our sponsored link. And you can always support us by going through our Amazon sponsored link and checking out our Support page. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe at https://madeyouthinkpodcast.com  

Ian Miell is a software industry veteran who has written, maintained, managed and architected some of the world's busiest systems. He works in financial services now, and also speaks, writes, teaches, and consults on various subjects, the common theme being how change can be managed within complex organisations and the raw technology that can enable that.   On today' s show Ian discusses the steps he took to change a team's culture that he inherited.   Contact Information: https://zwischenzugs.com/   https://twitter.com/ianmiell   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-miell-694496/   https://ian.meirionconsulting.com/   https://leanpub.com/u/meirionconsulting   Show Notes:   Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity   The Checklist Manifesto   The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

This week on RPG Lessons Learned: Dusty, Brian, and Mike change gears and discuss The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eli Goldratt! ‘The Goal’ is a business novel about solving problems by understanding your goal, and how to mitigate the effects of constraints which get in the way. On this episode we look... The post RPG Lessons Learned 040 – Brainstorming on The Goal (Theory of Constraints) appeared first on Radio Free Cybertron.

In this third episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey take a look at the first of the 12 Agile Principles: "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.” As Jeffrey point out, this principle contains so much that it "could have been an agile manifesto in itself.” Squirrel and Jeffrey both tell stories about previous consulting experiences to highlight where clients have failed to fully deliver on this vital principle in the past, and how businesses can troubleshoot various common problems that arise. Show Notes: - The 12 Agile principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html - “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement”, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0566086654/ref=sr_1_1 - CITCON website: http://citconf.com/ We’d love to hear any thoughts you have about this Agile Principle, or about the podcast in general. You can email us, here: agile@troubleshootingagile.com Or send us a tweet, here: https://twitter.com/TShootingAgile Also, why not Like, Share and Subscribe. We’d really appreciate it.

In the first official episode of "Fashion Originators", I speak with Lululemon founder Chip Wilson about the fashion brand's early days, 'crazy ideas', and the non-fashion books that will change your life. Books recommended: "The Prince" by Machiavelli "Good to Great" by Jim Collins "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement" by E.M. Goldratt Thank you for listening! As this is the first episode, I would absolutely love your feedback in the comments. What did you like most about the interview? Did you disagree with any of Chip's points? Is technical luxury truly the future of fashion? To continue the discussion, be sure to follow the show on social media, and join our Facebook discussion group. As well, be sure to check out my website, where I also share the audio + more thoughts on the episode: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fashionoriginatorspodcast  Website - www.fashionoriginators.com ***Want to be on the show, or know someone who would be a great guest? Be sure to drop me an email: stephanieirwin@fashionoriginators.com*** Artwork: Alice Druitt  www.gingerpaws.com  

JT Badiani is the founder of Focused Improvement Consulting, and his business has been built on the failures that he turned into his success. He started out as a MBA/chemical engineer with years of experience in the design field and great success in operations, but decided that his talents and passions could truly be put to use when he pursued his dream of helping companies achieve success. He has been in the consulting business for over four years, and has learned a few things along the way. You won’t want to miss JT’s take on the power of failure on this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast.   The Road to Consulting JT Badiani works to help companies improve their bottom line through the execution of their strategy, and implementing strategies with the help of Six Sigma. He knows how to critically evaluate a program to make it more efficient and streamlined. Over the years, JT has found ways to bring his clients up to a 15X return on their investment in him as their consultant. But his road to consulting success was not a short one. He experienced tremendous growth in six years working with his sector knowledge in aerospace, engineering, and more, and even worked as the VP of a company in Toronto. He was seeking a senior leadership role with leadership, but things didn’t work out. He spent nearly 12 months looking for a company to buy, but nothing was the right fit. During this time, JT discovered small and medium sized companies that were in need of operational or execution support. Although he’s not a consultant by trade, consulting was starting to feel like the right fit.   The decision to transition into consulting is not always an easy one. JT quickly found out that taking the leap from working for an existing company to working for yourself can be a difficult decision to make. This can be a hard decision to make for several reasons. Many consultants come into the workplace and find that, while they’re great on the theoretical side, they lack skills for implementation. JT came into consulting with the mindset of helping companies execute their strategies better, but found that people often want to take away your great ideas and implement them themselves, which means that you never get to see the fruits of your labors.   JT decided that he wanted to have a different approach to his consulting business, and now he works to be involved as much as he can from start to finish to help his clients be successful.   Overcoming the challenges of starting up a business. Every consultant, and every entrepreneur, knows that starting up a business comes with a host of challenges. A few of these challenges can include learning all about the consulting side of sales, figuring out how to lead a service-based organization, and understanding how to sell to companies by gaining their trust quickly. In my conversation with JT, we discuss two surefire ways that you can begin to overcome the challenges that come with starting up your own consulting business.   First, get yourself known. Networking is the key to your consulting success. As JT ventured out with his business, he reached out to his core network. He shares the ways that he was able to break into the industry, including what it takes to get up in front of people, and being willing to take risks as you are establishing yourself as an expert.   Second, surround yourself with support. Family support can be a huge factor in the success of your consulting business. JT shared what works for him — family support meant talking through the challenges the business was facing, examining options, then making a decision and going with it.   In JT’s case, he and his wife found a rhythm to the regular conversations that was established in the startup phase of his consulting business. His wife came from an entrepreneurial background, he has an MBA, and they brought their skills and knowledge together to create a plan that worked. Surrounding yourself with people that will support your work efforts is an essential piece of the puzzle, and you’ll want to hear some of the tips that JT shares on the types of conversations that he and his wife have to make sure that they are on the same page with the business efforts.   Keeping your mindset strong when it gets hard. Business may be good, and you might be growing quickly, but the reality of most growing consulting businesses is that there are hard days, setbacks, and proposals that you want but don’t win. How do you keep your mindset strong so you can keep growing your business?   Recognize that it’s tough, but keep looking forward. JT shares a powerful story of four high-value proposals that he lost. Over the course of an especially difficult week, he didn’t win one proposal after another. By the time the fourth proposal came back — which he didn’t really even want — JT was feeling pretty discouraged about what he was doing, and why he was doing it. He and I had a conversation not long afterward, and he followed my advice — it is tough, you are going to have losses, but keep looking forward and reflect back on why you didn’t win your proposals.   Connect with clients for feedback. Ask why you didn’t win the proposal, listen to their advice and then apply it. Be insightful, and restructure presentations so people can gain the insights of your value. Leverage your network so that you have the right references, trust is established with potential clients, and they feel more comfortable with what you do and how you do it.   Every entrepreneur encounters this kind of failure — today may be a bad day, but there is always a better day to come. “Rather than calling it a failure, just call it a lesson.” You will become stronger as you face these failures and turn them into lessons learned. Successful people keep taking steps forward, and continue reaping rewards from that lesson learned. That is another key to your consulting success.   Set realistic goals. You can have success and you can plan to have 100%, but there will be weeks and months that you just won’t get to 100%. If you hit 80%, you’re doing great. If you hit 50%, then it’s time to find a way to get to 80%.   Always continue learning. It’s essential that you self-reflect and always look both at what you’re doing right and what you can improve on.   JT calls himself a horrible golfer. He decided that he wanted to improve, so he would play a round of golf, then go home and reflect on what went right and wrong. He read up on ways to improve his game, and his scores dropped significantly. Suddenly he was doing really well.   JT has taken that mentality into his business and career — if things are getting him down, he has found ways to ground himself. Finding a piece of literature or an online video or ebook that can help remind you of the things that are most important and how you can improve. He shares several books that are listed below, and also references some of the articles from the Consulting Success website that have helped him stay focused, including how to write a proposal, and how to talk to your clients. Success will come as you continue to sharpen the craft. Don’t stay stagnant, and don’t get complacent with your work.   Growing Your Business, Even without a Network Having a network in place brings great value to your business, but you can still make connections and land clients even without the help of a network. JT has three solid ideas to help you get started.   Understand the value that you have to offer clients. You need to know exactly what it is that you have to offer your clients, and then you have to deliver it. If you don’t deliver, you will not get more business. The client that you’re serving right now is your number one client, so your focus needs to remain on them. If you’re chasing after more business, you are not helping your client be successful. Stay dedicated to each client as you are working with them, and the value of your work, as well as your value to your client, will both increase.   Second, you have to get yourself out there. There are multiple ways that you can develop your network while your business is growing. If you are willing to attend conferences, participate in small groups, and deliver good content, you will get leads and and you will be successful.   Don’t worry about giving away your content. Many consultants have been advised to develop their content and then keep it secret until a client is paying for it. You should not worry about giving it away. Clients that want to improve their businesses themselves will figure out a way to get it done themselves, and you don’t need to spend anymore time with them. By sharing a good picture of your content, you are building trust with your clients, and this will win you projects.   It’s okay to be selective about your work. Don’t rush to accept every project that comes along. Instead, as business opportunities come, ask yourself if each client is the type of company that you want to be working with. Examine their values and see if they lineup with yours — are they trustworthy? Do they provide the opportunity for you to grow? Will they actually listen to what you have to say because they are seeking advice? Are they looking for help? And most importantly, can you deliver value?   That is the single most important question you need to ask yourself — can you deliver value to this company by taking on their project? If the answer is no, then you need to ask yourself why you are doing this.   Do a litmus test with each opportunity that comes your way — see how your values line up, and then move forward from there. After you’ve had a series of conversations and opportunities to determine if the work is a good fit, you can make your decision and move forward accordingly, and with no regrets about your decision.   JT has found that these tips are key to finding satisfaction in seeing companies be successful.  He has helped his clients realize $30 to $40 million savings through projects, coaching, and events. It’s what drives him toward success, and today he’s enjoying the benefits of finding consulting success. Be sure to listen to the many insights that JT shares on how to turn today’s failures into tomorrow’s success on this episode of Consulting Success Podcast.   Key Takeaways: [:15] Introduction [4:10] Why the decision to transition into consulting isn’t always an easy one. [5:09] Challenges will come when starting up your consulting business, but here’s why that’s okay. [8:35] How can you keep your success-oriented mindset strong when things get tough. [12:50] Two solid lessons you can learn from failure. [15:30] How you can grow your business, even without a network. [19:30] What drives JT toward success? [22:13] How you can connect with JT Badiani.   Mentioned in This Episode: Focused Improvement Consulting Success Blog The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com

JT Badiani is the founder of Focused Improvement Consulting, and his business has been built on the failures that he turned into his success. He started out as a MBA/chemical engineer with years of experience in the design field and great success in operations, but decided that his talents and passions could truly be put to use when he pursued his dream of helping companies achieve success. He has been in the consulting business for over four years, and has learned a few things along the way. You won’t want to miss JT’s take on the power of failure on this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast.   The Road to Consulting JT Badiani works to help companies improve their bottom line through the execution of their strategy, and implementing strategies with the help of Six Sigma. He knows how to critically evaluate a program to make it more efficient and streamlined. Over the years, JT has found ways to bring his clients up to a 15X return on their investment in him as their consultant. But his road to consulting success was not a short one. He experienced tremendous growth in six years working with his sector knowledge in aerospace, engineering, and more, and even worked as the VP of a company in Toronto. He was seeking a senior leadership role with leadership, but things didn’t work out. He spent nearly 12 months looking for a company to buy, but nothing was the right fit. During this time, JT discovered small and medium sized companies that were in need of operational or execution support. Although he’s not a consultant by trade, consulting was starting to feel like the right fit.   The decision to transition into consulting is not always an easy one. JT quickly found out that taking the leap from working for an existing company to working for yourself can be a difficult decision to make. This can be a hard decision to make for several reasons. Many consultants come into the workplace and find that, while they’re great on the theoretical side, they lack skills for implementation. JT came into consulting with the mindset of helping companies execute their strategies better, but found that people often want to take away your great ideas and implement them themselves, which means that you never get to see the fruits of your labors.   JT decided that he wanted to have a different approach to his consulting business, and now he works to be involved as much as he can from start to finish to help his clients be successful.   Overcoming the challenges of starting up a business. Every consultant, and every entrepreneur, knows that starting up a business comes with a host of challenges. A few of these challenges can include learning all about the consulting side of sales, figuring out how to lead a service-based organization, and understanding how to sell to companies by gaining their trust quickly. In my conversation with JT, we discuss two surefire ways that you can begin to overcome the challenges that come with starting up your own consulting business.   First, get yourself known. Networking is the key to your consulting success. As JT ventured out with his business, he reached out to his core network. He shares the ways that he was able to break into the industry, including what it takes to get up in front of people, and being willing to take risks as you are establishing yourself as an expert.   Second, surround yourself with support. Family support can be a huge factor in the success of your consulting business. JT shared what works for him — family support meant talking through the challenges the business was facing, examining options, then making a decision and going with it.   In JT’s case, he and his wife found a rhythm to the regular conversations that was established in the startup phase of his consulting business. His wife came from an entrepreneurial background, he has an MBA, and they brought their skills and knowledge together to create a plan that worked. Surrounding yourself with people that will support your work efforts is an essential piece of the puzzle, and you’ll want to hear some of the tips that JT shares on the types of conversations that he and his wife have to make sure that they are on the same page with the business efforts.   Keeping your mindset strong when it gets hard. Business may be good, and you might be growing quickly, but the reality of most growing consulting businesses is that there are hard days, setbacks, and proposals that you want but don’t win. How do you keep your mindset strong so you can keep growing your business?   Recognize that it’s tough, but keep looking forward. JT shares a powerful story of four high-value proposals that he lost. Over the course of an especially difficult week, he didn’t win one proposal after another. By the time the fourth proposal came back — which he didn’t really even want — JT was feeling pretty discouraged about what he was doing, and why he was doing it. He and I had a conversation not long afterward, and he followed my advice — it is tough, you are going to have losses, but keep looking forward and reflect back on why you didn’t win your proposals.   Connect with clients for feedback. Ask why you didn’t win the proposal, listen to their advice and then apply it. Be insightful, and restructure presentations so people can gain the insights of your value. Leverage your network so that you have the right references, trust is established with potential clients, and they feel more comfortable with what you do and how you do it.   Every entrepreneur encounters this kind of failure — today may be a bad day, but there is always a better day to come. “Rather than calling it a failure, just call it a lesson.” You will become stronger as you face these failures and turn them into lessons learned. Successful people keep taking steps forward, and continue reaping rewards from that lesson learned. That is another key to your consulting success.   Set realistic goals. You can have success and you can plan to have 100%, but there will be weeks and months that you just won’t get to 100%. If you hit 80%, you’re doing great. If you hit 50%, then it’s time to find a way to get to 80%.   Always continue learning. It’s essential that you self-reflect and always look both at what you’re doing right and what you can improve on.   JT calls himself a horrible golfer. He decided that he wanted to improve, so he would play a round of golf, then go home and reflect on what went right and wrong. He read up on ways to improve his game, and his scores dropped significantly. Suddenly he was doing really well.   JT has taken that mentality into his business and career — if things are getting him down, he has found ways to ground himself. Finding a piece of literature or an online video or ebook that can help remind you of the things that are most important and how you can improve. He shares several books that are listed below, and also references some of the articles from the Consulting Success website that have helped him stay focused, including how to write a proposal, and how to talk to your clients. Success will come as you continue to sharpen the craft. Don’t stay stagnant, and don’t get complacent with your work.   Growing Your Business, Even without a Network Having a network in place brings great value to your business, but you can still make connections and land clients even without the help of a network. JT has three solid ideas to help you get started.   Understand the value that you have to offer clients. You need to know exactly what it is that you have to offer your clients, and then you have to deliver it. If you don’t deliver, you will not get more business. The client that you’re serving right now is your number one client, so your focus needs to remain on them. If you’re chasing after more business, you are not helping your client be successful. Stay dedicated to each client as you are working with them, and the value of your work, as well as your value to your client, will both increase.   Second, you have to get yourself out there. There are multiple ways that you can develop your network while your business is growing. If you are willing to attend conferences, participate in small groups, and deliver good content, you will get leads and and you will be successful.   Don’t worry about giving away your content. Many consultants have been advised to develop their content and then keep it secret until a client is paying for it. You should not worry about giving it away. Clients that want to improve their businesses themselves will figure out a way to get it done themselves, and you don’t need to spend anymore time with them. By sharing a good picture of your content, you are building trust with your clients, and this will win you projects.   It’s okay to be selective about your work. Don’t rush to accept every project that comes along. Instead, as business opportunities come, ask yourself if each client is the type of company that you want to be working with. Examine their values and see if they lineup with yours — are they trustworthy? Do they provide the opportunity for you to grow? Will they actually listen to what you have to say because they are seeking advice? Are they looking for help? And most importantly, can you deliver value?   That is the single most important question you need to ask yourself — can you deliver value to this company by taking on their project? If the answer is no, then you need to ask yourself why you are doing this.   Do a litmus test with each opportunity that comes your way — see how your values line up, and then move forward from there. After you’ve had a series of conversations and opportunities to determine if the work is a good fit, you can make your decision and move forward accordingly, and with no regrets about your decision.   JT has found that these tips are key to finding satisfaction in seeing companies be successful.  He has helped his clients realize $30 to $40 million savings through projects, coaching, and events. It’s what drives him toward success, and today he’s enjoying the benefits of finding consulting success. Be sure to listen to the many insights that JT shares on how to turn today’s failures into tomorrow’s success on this episode of Consulting Success Podcast.   Key Takeaways: [:15] Introduction [4:10] Why the decision to transition into consulting isn’t always an easy one. [5:09] Challenges will come when starting up your consulting business, but here’s why that’s okay. [8:35] How can you keep your success-oriented mindset strong when things get tough. [12:50] Two solid lessons you can learn from failure. [15:30] How you can grow your business, even without a network. [19:30] What drives JT toward success? [22:13] How you can connect with JT Badiani.   Mentioned in This Episode: Focused Improvement Consulting Success Blog The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com

JT Badiani is the founder of Focused Improvement Consulting, and his business has been built on the failures that he turned into his success. He started out as a MBA/chemical engineer with years of experience in the design field and great success in operations, but decided that his talents and passions could truly be put to use when he pursued his dream of helping companies achieve success. He has been in the consulting business for over four years, and has learned a few things along the way. You won’t want to miss JT’s take on the power of failure on this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast.   The Road to Consulting JT Badiani works to help companies improve their bottom line through the execution of their strategy, and implementing strategies with the help of Six Sigma. He knows how to critically evaluate a program to make it more efficient and streamlined. Over the years, JT has found ways to bring his clients up to a 15X return on their investment in him as their consultant. But his road to consulting success was not a short one. He experienced tremendous growth in six years working with his sector knowledge in aerospace, engineering, and more, and even worked as the VP of a company in Toronto. He was seeking a senior leadership role with leadership, but things didn’t work out. He spent nearly 12 months looking for a company to buy, but nothing was the right fit. During this time, JT discovered small and medium sized companies that were in need of operational or execution support. Although he’s not a consultant by trade, consulting was starting to feel like the right fit.   The decision to transition into consulting is not always an easy one. JT quickly found out that taking the leap from working for an existing company to working for yourself can be a difficult decision to make. This can be a hard decision to make for several reasons. Many consultants come into the workplace and find that, while they’re great on the theoretical side, they lack skills for implementation. JT came into consulting with the mindset of helping companies execute their strategies better, but found that people often want to take away your great ideas and implement them themselves, which means that you never get to see the fruits of your labors.   JT decided that he wanted to have a different approach to his consulting business, and now he works to be involved as much as he can from start to finish to help his clients be successful.   Overcoming the challenges of starting up a business. Every consultant, and every entrepreneur, knows that starting up a business comes with a host of challenges. A few of these challenges can include learning all about the consulting side of sales, figuring out how to lead a service-based organization, and understanding how to sell to companies by gaining their trust quickly. In my conversation with JT, we discuss two surefire ways that you can begin to overcome the challenges that come with starting up your own consulting business.   First, get yourself known. Networking is the key to your consulting success. As JT ventured out with his business, he reached out to his core network. He shares the ways that he was able to break into the industry, including what it takes to get up in front of people, and being willing to take risks as you are establishing yourself as an expert.   Second, surround yourself with support. Family support can be a huge factor in the success of your consulting business. JT shared what works for him — family support meant talking through the challenges the business was facing, examining options, then making a decision and going with it.   In JT’s case, he and his wife found a rhythm to the regular conversations that was established in the startup phase of his consulting business. His wife came from an entrepreneurial background, he has an MBA, and they brought their skills and knowledge together to create a plan that worked. Surrounding yourself with people that will support your work efforts is an essential piece of the puzzle, and you’ll want to hear some of the tips that JT shares on the types of conversations that he and his wife have to make sure that they are on the same page with the business efforts.   Keeping your mindset strong when it gets hard. Business may be good, and you might be growing quickly, but the reality of most growing consulting businesses is that there are hard days, setbacks, and proposals that you want but don’t win. How do you keep your mindset strong so you can keep growing your business?   Recognize that it’s tough, but keep looking forward. JT shares a powerful story of four high-value proposals that he lost. Over the course of an especially difficult week, he didn’t win one proposal after another. By the time the fourth proposal came back — which he didn’t really even want — JT was feeling pretty discouraged about what he was doing, and why he was doing it. He and I had a conversation not long afterward, and he followed my advice — it is tough, you are going to have losses, but keep looking forward and reflect back on why you didn’t win your proposals.   Connect with clients for feedback. Ask why you didn’t win the proposal, listen to their advice and then apply it. Be insightful, and restructure presentations so people can gain the insights of your value. Leverage your network so that you have the right references, trust is established with potential clients, and they feel more comfortable with what you do and how you do it.   Every entrepreneur encounters this kind of failure — today may be a bad day, but there is always a better day to come. “Rather than calling it a failure, just call it a lesson.” You will become stronger as you face these failures and turn them into lessons learned. Successful people keep taking steps forward, and continue reaping rewards from that lesson learned. That is another key to your consulting success.   Set realistic goals. You can have success and you can plan to have 100%, but there will be weeks and months that you just won’t get to 100%. If you hit 80%, you’re doing great. If you hit 50%, then it’s time to find a way to get to 80%.   Always continue learning. It’s essential that you self-reflect and always look both at what you’re doing right and what you can improve on.   JT calls himself a horrible golfer. He decided that he wanted to improve, so he would play a round of golf, then go home and reflect on what went right and wrong. He read up on ways to improve his game, and his scores dropped significantly. Suddenly he was doing really well.   JT has taken that mentality into his business and career — if things are getting him down, he has found ways to ground himself. Finding a piece of literature or an online video or ebook that can help remind you of the things that are most important and how you can improve. He shares several books that are listed below, and also references some of the articles from the Consulting Success website that have helped him stay focused, including how to write a proposal, and how to talk to your clients. Success will come as you continue to sharpen the craft. Don’t stay stagnant, and don’t get complacent with your work.   Growing Your Business, Even without a Network Having a network in place brings great value to your business, but you can still make connections and land clients even without the help of a network. JT has three solid ideas to help you get started.   Understand the value that you have to offer clients. You need to know exactly what it is that you have to offer your clients, and then you have to deliver it. If you don’t deliver, you will not get more business. The client that you’re serving right now is your number one client, so your focus needs to remain on them. If you’re chasing after more business, you are not helping your client be successful. Stay dedicated to each client as you are working with them, and the value of your work, as well as your value to your client, will both increase.   Second, you have to get yourself out there. There are multiple ways that you can develop your network while your business is growing. If you are willing to attend conferences, participate in small groups, and deliver good content, you will get leads and and you will be successful.   Don’t worry about giving away your content. Many consultants have been advised to develop their content and then keep it secret until a client is paying for it. You should not worry about giving it away. Clients that want to improve their businesses themselves will figure out a way to get it done themselves, and you don’t need to spend anymore time with them. By sharing a good picture of your content, you are building trust with your clients, and this will win you projects.   It’s okay to be selective about your work. Don’t rush to accept every project that comes along. Instead, as business opportunities come, ask yourself if each client is the type of company that you want to be working with. Examine their values and see if they lineup with yours — are they trustworthy? Do they provide the opportunity for you to grow? Will they actually listen to what you have to say because they are seeking advice? Are they looking for help? And most importantly, can you deliver value?   That is the single most important question you need to ask yourself — can you deliver value to this company by taking on their project? If the answer is no, then you need to ask yourself why you are doing this.   Do a litmus test with each opportunity that comes your way — see how your values line up, and then move forward from there. After you’ve had a series of conversations and opportunities to determine if the work is a good fit, you can make your decision and move forward accordingly, and with no regrets about your decision.   JT has found that these tips are key to finding satisfaction in seeing companies be successful.  He has helped his clients realize $30 to $40 million savings through projects, coaching, and events. It’s what drives him toward success, and today he’s enjoying the benefits of finding consulting success. Be sure to listen to the many insights that JT shares on how to turn today’s failures into tomorrow’s success on this episode of Consulting Success Podcast.   Key Takeaways: [:15] Introduction [4:10] Why the decision to transition into consulting isn’t always an easy one. [5:09] Challenges will come when starting up your consulting business, but here’s why that’s okay. [8:35] How can you keep your success-oriented mindset strong when things get tough. [12:50] Two solid lessons you can learn from failure. [15:30] How you can grow your business, even without a network. [19:30] What drives JT toward success? [22:13] How you can connect with JT Badiani.   Mentioned in This Episode: Focused Improvement Consulting Success Blog The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com

Elisabeth Embry opens up the show with the importance of goal setting. It's crucial that you know what you want to achieve, and have metrics that show whether or not you're on the right path. She also looks at what types of goals you should set, and which types of goals you should avoid. Later she talks with Nancy Doyle, author of Manage Your Financial Life: A Thoughtful, Organized Approach for Women and Founder of The Doyle Group. Nancy had three decades of experience in investing, corporate finance, and consulting. The two discuss how to start planning your financial future, financial spring cleaning, emergency funds, and more. Key Takeaways: [1:33] Most people are setting goals with no way to achieve them [4:18] The book that changed Elisabeth's life [10:00] The target audience for Nancy's book [12:16] Nancy's 4 steps to achieve your financial goals [15:27] Nancy's thoughts on real estate, and the impact supply and demand has on the market [18:47] Financial spring cleaning and important recommendations on keeping documentation [22:19] How to create a Current Year File Folder [24:31] How much should we be keeping in an emergency fund? [28:32] Managing your financial life starts with getting organized Websites: www.ManageYourFinancialLife.com Manage Your Financial Life: A Thoughtful, Organized Approach for Women www.twitter.com/NancyFinance The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement www.Mint.com

Matt's annual, "What he read in the year" episode is here. This is a great place for a filtered reading list. Some familiar authors in this list and some you may not have had a chance to read. I love the One True Barbecue and how it applies to business. Have recommendations? Add them in the comments.  Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini Anything on the science of influence is absolutely fascinating to me – whether it's about influencing fans, customers or myself.  Cialdini's book Influence is a classic, and this sequel/prequel is a must-read to understand how your sales team (and marketing/content teams) can set the conditions for influence and conversion better in 2017. The Only Sales Guide You'll Ever Need by Anthony Iannarino If it weren't for all the other great sales books on the market (this year and in recent years), I'd say the title of this book is 100% the truth. Anthony is one of the very best sales bloggers and speakers working today, and this book summarizes much of his very best advice.  I highly recommend expanding your sales library, but if there is just one book on the shelf, this should probably be it. The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette A fascinating and fast read, with numerous business lessons included.  What differentiates a trend from a fad?  How can you tell you have something sustainable and repeatable?  The story of the rise and fall (both fast & dramatic) of the Beanie Baby craze is chronicled with a great combination of business advice and juicy insider stories.  A fun read with value. High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results by Mark Hunter The most important, eternal, fundamental sales skill is prospecting.  Whether you're working ice-cold leads or warm inquiries from your marketing team, you're still prospecting.  Activity and volume isn't enough.  This book features new trends and research, plus a proven framework of habits to accelerate your sales pipeline-building results in 2017. More Sales, Less Time: Surprisingly Simple Strategies for Today's Crazy-Busy Sellers by Jill Konrath Every one of Jill's books have been fanastic, but this might be her best yet.  She's previously covered how to work with crazy-busy buyers, now she addresses the problem every single sales rep I know has – how to make best use of their time to increase active selling time, external impact and results. The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog by Rein Fertel I'll give away the punchline – according to Rein, the only “true” barbecue is 1) whole hog, 2) cooked over wood in 3) a masonry pit.  A difficult combination for amateur BBQ enthusiasts to replicate, but this amazing book covers the history of whole-hog BBQ while simultaneously covering the history and anthropology of the Carolinas.  If you like BBQ or history or good story-telling, you'll like this book. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight What separates this book from so many other business autobiographies is its focus, candor and detail.  It's not an ego-driven puff piece, nor does it sugar-coat what growing a business is like.  The book starts with Phil's inspiration to start the business, and ends before the IPO.  In between, he highlights the numerous times Nike almost didn't make it, almost ran out of money, almost went out of business – yet somehow figured out (or stumbled into) how to keep moving forward. It's a story of humility and gratitude.  One of the best books I've read on the real story of entrepreneurship in a long time. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eli Goldratt This book was originally written in 1984, but I re-read it earlier this year to reinforce Eli's Theory of Constraints.  Think about your business today – what's the #1 constraint keeping you from growing, that when alleviated would help everything else work more efficiently?  This book is a great example of business fiction (if you've read Five Disfunctions of a Team, you know the format). Spinach in Your Boss's Teeth: Essential Etiquette for Professional Success by Arden Clise This book is a differentiator.  It covers what all too often is a lost art of habits, manners, mannerisms and more that get noticed, differentiate you as someone special, and can material help you win more business.  Maybe not on your “mainstream” business reading list but it should be. Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric Greitens Published as a set of letters to a struggling and fellow former SEAL, this book pulls deeply from ancient literature and lessons on what resilience means, how it applies to our lives, and how to apply it to make ourselves better – personally, professionally and in all points between.  This is the last book I read this year and might be my favorite of the bunch. REQUESTING YOUR ASSISTANCE - Trying to find who orignally said,  "The Path to Success: There is no elevator, you have to take the stairs."

The theory of constraints with Ed Hill If you pull a chain until it breaks, it only breaks in one place. That's the principle behind the theory of constraints, first introduced by Eliyahu Goldratt and made popular in his and Jeff Cox's book, The Goal. Every business has limiting factors – places where its “chain” is most likely to break. And whether you call them your weakest links, your constraining factors, or something else, Ed Hill has tips on how to strengthen them.   Ed is a systems expert who helps businesses understand and overcome the theory of constraints. One such business was my partner Bill's – the Marena Group. Here's what Bill has to say about the experience. “Ed guided us to a world-class operational system that delivered literally millions of dollars of wealth into my pocket the day I sold the Marena Group. “How? His system improved our financials, boosted employee morale, helped us measure the right things, and increased customer satisfaction. “And he saved us millions, too. Because of Ed we were able to reorganize and work in the space we had, instead of being forced to move into a bigger building.” Ed's process, which he calls “synchronous flow” strengthened Bill's “chain.” Many of Ed's clients report similar experiences after being educated on the theory of constraints and working through his system. The secret is counterintuitive: respect the weakest link. “Find out where the weakest link is and treat it with dignity,” Ed Hill via @RustyLionAcad (Tweet this!) In this episode, Ed explains more about that seemingly backwards piece of advice, and guides me through the theory of constraints. Listen and you'll hear how you can remove your constraints with “synchronous flow.” And when you realize how much your business and life could benefit, you'll be happy you heard this episode. Listen to this episode to hear me speak with Ed Hill about the theory of constraints and more: Moving material or information smoothly through a business. What working for the National Security Agency has done for Ed's career. Why you should “honor” your weakest link! The five steps to making your business “chain” stronger according to the theory of constraints. Why “finish lines” don't exist in the business world. Using the theory of constraints to build a house onto a vacant lot in three hours. Read these books to help you remove your business constraints: “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't,” by Jim Collins “Theory of Constraints,” by Eliyahu Goldratt ”The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement,” by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox How to contact Ed Hill: You can talk to Ed by calling his cell phone at 704-560-1536 or by emailing him here. Do this next: If you like learning about how to make your business stronger, our free live web training teaches a process you can use to improve both your work and your personal life. Spend 60 minutes with us and you could save yourself countless hours of frustration. Click here to register.

Yo... he visto cosas que vosotros no creeríais: ifs anidados hasta más allá de Orión. He visto clases C++ repletas de sleeps cerca de la Puerta de Tannhäuser. Todas esa deuda técnica se perderá... en el tiempo... como lágrimas en la lluvia. Es hora de refactorizar. Participantes: Sebastián Ortega, @_sortega. Álvaro Castellanos, @AlvaroCaste Óscar Pernas, Kris Kovalik, @kkvlk Enlaces: Libro: “Working effectively with legacy code”, Michael Feathers. http://www.amazon.com/Working-Effectively-Legacy-Michael-Feathers/dp/0131177052 Artículo: “Working Effectively With Legacy Code Michael Feathers Object Mentor, Inc” https://web.archive.org/web/20150213051804/http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/WorkingEffectivelyWithLegacyCode.pdf Libro: “Refactoring improving the design of existing code”, Martin Fowler. http://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Improving-Design-Existing-Code/dp/0201485672 Libro: “The Goal, Process of Ongoing Improvement”, Eliyahu M. Goldratt, http://www.amazon.es/The-Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951

Yo... he visto cosas que vosotros no creeríais: ifs anidados hasta más allá de Orión. He visto clases C++ repletas de sleeps cerca de la Puerta de Tannhäuser. Todas esa deuda técnica se perderá... en el tiempo... como lágrimas en la lluvia. Es hora de refactorizar.Participantes:Sebastián Ortega, @_sortega.Álvaro Castellanos, @AlvaroCasteÓscar Pernas, Kris Kovalik, @kkvlkEnlaces:Libro: “Working effectively with legacy code”, Michael Feathers. http://www.amazon.com/Working-Effectively-Legacy-Michael-Feathers/dp/0131177052Artículo: “Working Effectively With Legacy Code Michael Feathers Object Mentor, Inc”https://web.archive.org/web/20150213051804/http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/WorkingEffectivelyWithLegacyCode.pdfLibro: “Refactoring improving the design of existing code”, Martin Fowler.http://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Improving-Design-Existing-Code/dp/0201485672Libro: “The Goal, Process of Ongoing Improvement”, Eliyahu M. Goldratt, http://www.amazon.es/The-Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951

Software Process and Measurement Cast 352 features our interview with Gil Broza.  We discussed Gil’s new book The Agile Mind-Set. Do you know what the Agile Mind-Set is or how to get one?  Gil’s new book explains the concept of the Agile Mind-Set and how you can find it in order to deliver more value! Gil Broza helps organizations, teams and individuals implement high-performance Agile principles and practices that work for them. His coaching and training clients – over 1,300 professionals in 40 companies – have delighted their customers, shipped working software on time, increased their productivity and decimated their software defects. Beyond teaching, Gil helps people overcome limiting habits, fears of change, blind spots and outdated beliefs, and reach higher levels of performance, confidence and accomplishment. Gil is the author of The Agile Mind-Set and The Human Side of Agile: How to Help Your Team Deliver. Gil has a M.Sc. in Computational Linguistics and a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He is a certified NLP Master Practitioner and has studied organizational behavior and development extensively. He has written several practical papers for the Cutter IT Journal, other trade magazines, and for conferences, winning the Best Practical Paper award at XP/Agile Universe 2004. Gil co-produced the Agile Coaching stage for the “Agile 2010” and “Agile 2009” conferences. Gil lives in Toronto, Canada. Contact Data:http://www.3pvantage.com/index.htmhttps://leanpub.com/theagilemindsethttp://thehumansideofagile.com/https://twitter.com/gilbroza Gil was last interviewed on SPaMCAST 210.  We discussed his first book The Human Side of Agile.     Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing.  This week we tackle the essay titled “Aristocracy, Democracy and System Design”! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code!   More on other great conferences soon!   Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features three columns.  The first is our essay on leaning styles.  Learning styles are an interesting set of constructs that are useful to consider when you are trying to change the world or just and an organization.  We will also include Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. Anchoring the cast will be Gene Hughson returning with an entry from his Form Follows Function column.    Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 351 includes three columns.  The first is our essay on distributed Agile. What is distributed Agile? The phrase "distributed Agile" is often used indiscriminately; therefore definitions can cover a wide range of situations and evoke a wide range of emotions. A precise definition encompasses three concepts. The first is a team, project or program that is using Agile techniques. The second is geographic distribution describing where team members are located. The location of team members in a distributed team can range from being spread across a single building to members sprinkled across continents. Finally, the third is organizational distribution, meaning that teams can be comprised of members from different companies. No matter the definition, distributed Agile is different. The Software Sensei, Kim Pries dives into the Illusion of Control.  Kim reminds us to drop the egos before you start working and choose your weapons unemotionally! Jeremy Berriault brings a new installment of his QA Corner.  Jeremy discussed why testing is not just a random event. Testing requires planning or you will waste time, effort or your quality. Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing.  This week we tackle the essay titled “The Surgical Team”! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management ConferenceSeptember 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending! I HAVE A SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE. .  . just ask! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Gil Broza.  We discussed Gil’s new book The Agile Mindset.  Teams and organizations with an Agile mindset deliver more value; however many in the Agile community don’t know or don’t embrace an Agile Mindset.  Gil’s new book explains the concept of the Agile Mindset and how you can find it! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.  

Software Process and Measurement Cast 350 features our interview with Arlene Minkiewicz. Arlene and I talked technical debt.  Our discussion included the definition of technical debt, a set of philosophies for technical debt and perhaps a few solutions. Regardless of philosophy or approach, a little technical debt goes a long way! Arlene F. Minkiewicz is the Chief Scientist at PRICE Systems, LLC with over 30 years of experience at PRICE building cost models.  She leads the cost research activity for TruePlanning, the suite of cost estimating products that PRICE provides.  She is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on helping make software development professionals successful.  She is widely published and speaks frequently on software related topics.  She has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MS in Computer Science from Drexel University. Email: Arlene.Minkiewicz@PRICESystems.comTwiitter: @arleneminkWebsite:  www.pricesystems.com Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News We have just begun the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month (buy it here to support the podcast). We are off to rousing start beginning with the Tar Pit. Get a copy now and start reading! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management  September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending!   More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on distributed Agile. Distributed Agile is not just Scrum and other Agile techniques over a distance.  As distribution and cultural diversity increase what worked for a co-located team will often fall short.  We will identify solutions next week! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

To paraphrase Ed Sullivan, “We have a big, big show this week,” so we will keep the up front chit chat to a minimum.  First up is our essay on Agile Testing. Even if you are not a tester, understanding how testing flows in Agile projects is important to maximize value. Second, we have a new installment from Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner.  In this installment Jeremy talks about test cases.  More is not always the right answer. Anchoring the Cast is Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News We have just begun the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month. We are off to rousing start beginning with the Tar Pit. Get a copy now and start reading! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Upcoming Events Sftware Quality and Test Management  September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Arlene Minkiewicz. Arlene and I talked technical debt. Not sure what technical debt is?  Well to some people it is a metaphor for cut corners and to others is a measure of work that will need to be done later.  In either case, a little goes a long way! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Woody Zuill.  We talked about the concept and controversy swirling around #NoEstimates. Even if the concept is a bridge too far for you, the conversation is important because we talked about why thinking and questioning is a critical survival technique. As Woody points out, it is important to peer past the “thou musts” to gain greater understanding of what you should be doing! Woody Zuill has been programming computers for 30+ years. Over the last 15+ years he has worked as an Agile Coach, Trainer, and Extreme Programmer and now works with Industrial Logic as a Trainer/Coach/Consultant for Agile and Lean software development. He believes code must be simple, clean, and maintainable to realize the Agile promise of Responding to Change.  Contact InformationMob Programming: http://mobprogramming.org/Blog: http://zuill.us/WoodyZuill/Twitter: https://twitter.com/woodyzuill Call to action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks.  I would like you find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast.  This might mean sending them the URL or teaching how to download podcasts.  If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News We have just begun the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month. We are off to a rousing start beginning with the Tar Pit.   Get a copy now and start reading! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal back up for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management  September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine installment.  We will feature our essay on Agile Testing. The flow of testing is different in an Agile project.  In many cases, organizations have either not recognized the change in flow, or have created Agile/waterfall hybrids with test groups holding onto waterfall patterns.  While some of the hybrids are driven by mandated contractual relationships, the majority are driven by lack of understanding or fear of how testing should flow in Agile projects. We will also have new installments from Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner.  Jeremy, is a leader in the world of quality assurance and testing and was originally interviewed on the Software Process and Measurement Cast 274. The third column features Steve Tendon discussing more of his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance.  Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast includes three columns.  The first is our essay on managing Agile projects and teams. I often say project management is dead. That does not mean that the pressures that drive the need to manage work have gone away. In the end the “what” of project management is important because control, discipline and coordination are needed tools to deliver value; the journey toward Agile is the reframing of the “how” of project management. This week Gene Hughson returns with an entry from his Form Follows Function column.  Gene tackles the topic of whether the application of Conway’s Law makes microservices more of an organizational approach than an architecture.   After listening, check out Gene’s Form Follows Function blog! The third column in this SPaMCAST magazine is from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries.  Kim tackles hardcore testing.  Kim discusses the implications and uses of this aggressive type of testing in hardware, software and wetware. A great line up! Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think?  Did the re-read cause you to pick  The Goal back up for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Next week we will begin re-reading The Mythical Man-Month. Get a copy now and start reading! Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management  September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending!   More on other great conferences next week.   Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Woody Zuill.  Some people might think “that there is no Woody only Zuul” (apologies to the Ghostbusters) when it comes to topics like #NoEstimates.  However as Woody points out, it is important to peer past the “thou musts” to gain greater understanding of what you should be doing! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Jon M Quigley.  We discussed configuration management and his new book Configuration Management: Theory, Practice, and Application. Jon co-authored the book with Kim Robertson. Configuration management, the management and control of project deliverable, is one of the most critical practices anyone building a product, writing a piece of code or working on a project with more than one person involved must learn or face the consequences! Jon’s Bio: Jon M. Quigley PMP CTFL is a principal and founding member of Value Transformation, a product development training and cost improvement organization established in 2009, as well as being Electrical / Electronic Process Manager at Volvo Trucks North America.  Jon has an Engineering Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and two Master Degrees from City University of Seattle.  Jon has nearly twenty five years of product development experience, ranging from embedded hardware and software through verification and project management. Jon has written or contributed to a huge number of books, presentations and articles including: “Configuration Management: Theory, Practice, and Application” ISBN 978-148222935 May 1, 2015 which was the focus of this interview. Jon is collaborating on another Project Management book (Q1 2016) through The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Contact Jon at: jon.quigley@valuetransform.com http://www.valuetransform.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/value-transformation-llc https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Next . . . The Mythical Man-Month Get a copy now and start reading! We will start in two weeks! Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management  September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams!  Let me know if you are attending! More on other great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on Managing Agile Projects and Teams (7/15 -7/20/13 and last week updates – Meg). Teams make decisions daily that affect the direction of the sprint and project. The faster these decisions are made the higher the team’s velocity or productivity, and having a solid understanding of the real goals of the project helps the team make decisions more effectively. We will also have columns from Kim Pries with his Software Sensei column and Gene Hughson with an entry from his Form Follows Function column. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 345 features our essay on Cognitive Biases and two new columns. The essay on cognitive bias provides important tools for anyone that works on a team or interfaces with other people! A sample for the podcast: “The discussion of cognitive biases is not a theoretical exercise. Even a relatively simple process such as sprint planning in Scrum is influenced by the cognitive biases of the participants. Even the planning process itself is built to use cognitive biases like the anchor bias to help the team come to consensus efficiently. How all the members of the team perceive their environment and the work they commit to delivering will influence the probability of success, therefore, cognitive biases need to be understood and managed.” The first of the new columns is Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner.  Jeremy’s first QA Corner discusses root cause analysis and some errors that people make when doing root cause analysis. Jeremy, is a leader in the world of quality assurance and testing and was originally interviewed on the Software Process and Measurement Cast 274. The second new column features Steve Tendon discussing his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance.  Our intent is to discuss the book chapter by chapter.  This is very much like the re-read we do on blog weekly but with the author.  Steve has offered the SPaMCAST listeners are great discount if you use the link shown above. As part of the chapter by chapter discussion of Steve’s book we are embedding homework questions.  The first question we pose is “Is the concept of hyper-productivity transferable from one group or company to another?” Send your comments to spamcastinfo@gmail.com. Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Next . . . The Mythical Man-Month Get a copy now and start reading! We will start in four weeks! Upcoming Events 2015 ICEAA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING WORKSHOPJune 9 – 12 San Diego, California http://www.iceaaonline.com/2519-2/I will be speaking on June 10.  My presentation is titled “Agile Estimation Using Functional Metrics.” Let me know if you are attending! Also upcoming conferences I will be involved in include and SQTM in September. More on these great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our will interview with Jon M Quigley.  We discussed configuration management and his new book Configuration Management: Theory, Practice, and Application. Jon co-authored the book with Kim Robertson. Configuration management is one of the most critical practices anyone building a product, writing a piece of code or working on a project with other must learn or face the consequences! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 344 features our conversation with Susan Parente.  We talked about Agile risk management. Risk is not always discussed in polite Agile circles however Susan suggests that if you do not have a plan to address risk you are asking for pain for yourself and everyone around you. Susan’s Bio Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and an Associate Professor at Post University. She is an author, mentor and teacher focused on project and risk management. Her experience is augmented by her Masters in Engineering Management with a focus in Marketing of Technology from George Washington University, DC, along with a number of professional certifications. Ms. Parente has 16+ years’ experience leading software and business development projects in the private and public sectors, including a decade of experience implementing IT projects for the DoD. Contact Data: Email: parente@s3-tec.com Phone: 203-307-5246 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanparente Risk Management Resources: www.techriskmanager.com Company website: www.s3-tec.com Agile Risk Management LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostRecent=&gid=4020498&trk=my_groups-tile-flipgrp Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Next . . . The Mythical Man-Month Get a copy now and start reading! We will start in four weeks! Upcoming Events 2015 ICEAA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING WORKSHOPJune 9 – 12 San Diego, Californiahttp://www.iceaaonline.com/2519-2/I will be speaking on June 10.  My presentation is titled “Agile Estimation Using Functional Metrics.” Let me know if you are attending! Also upcoming conferences I will be involved in include and SQTM in September. More on these great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our will essay on Cognitive Bias.  The core of software development, enhancements and maintenance is people. Knowledge of cognitive biases can help us understand and predict team behaviors. Will will also have the first installment Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner.  QA Corner is all about testing.   Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 343 includes two features.  The first is our essay, Commitment, Revisited: Is Commitment Anti-Agile?  We think not!  Commitment is a core behavior for delivering business value effectively. Our second feature is a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries.  Kim reflects on hiring practices for software development.  Among the nuggets from Kim is the reminder to keep in mind that the perfect employee does not exist, and you are unlikely to ever find someone who fulfills every item on your job description.  How does that simple fact impact hiring? A Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Our next re-read is The Mythical Man-Month Get a copy now and start reading!We will start in 4 weeks! Upcoming Events 2015 ICEAA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING WORKSHOPJune 9 – 12San Diego, Californiahttp://www.iceaaonline.com/2519-2/I will be speaking on June 10.  My presentation is titled “Agile Estimation Using Functional Metrics.” Let me know if you are attending! Also upcoming conferences I will be involved in include and SQTM in September. More on these great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our conversation with Susan Parente.  We talked about Agile risk management.  If you do not have a plan to address risk, you are asking for risk to transform into pain for you and everyone around you. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese._

Software Process and Measurement Cast 342 features our interview with Ellen Gottesdiener and Mary Gorman.  We discussed their great book, Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis, requirements and Agile.  Ellen and Mary provided penetrating insight into how to work with requirements in an Agile environment, from discovery to delivery and beyond. This is the second time Ellen, Mary and I talked Agile requirements.  After listening to this interview turn back the hands of time and listen to SPaMCAST 200. Ellen Gottesdiener is an internationally recognized leader in the convergence of agile + requirements + product management + project management. She is founder and principal of EBG Consulting, which helps organizations adapt how they collaborate to improve business outcomes. Ellen’s passion is helping people use modern product requirements practices to build valued products and great teams. She provides coaching, training, and facilitates discovery and planning workshops across diverse industries. Ellen is a world-renowned writer, speaker, and presenter. Her most recent book, co-authored with Mary Gorman, is Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis. Ellen is author of two other acclaimed books: Requirements by Collaboration and The Software Requirements Memory Jogger. Here’s where you digitally connect with Ellen: Blog | Twitter | Newsletter | LinkedIn Mary Gorman, a leader in business analysis and requirements, is Vice President of Quality & Delivery at EBG Consulting. Mary coaches product teams, facilitates discovery workshops, and trains stakeholders in collaborative practices essential for defining high-value products. She speaks and writes for the agile, business analysis, and project management communities. Mary is co-author with Ellen Gottesdiener of Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis.    A Certified Business Analysis Professional™, Mary helped develop the IIBA®’s A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® and certification exam. She also served on the task force that created the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline. You can reach Mary via: Twitter | LinkedIn Call to action! Reviews of the podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  Next up on Re-Read Saturday: The Mythical Man-Month Get a copy now and start reading! Upcoming Events 2015 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING WORKSHOPJune 9 – 12San Diego, Californiahttp://www.iceaaonline.com/2519-2/I will be speaking on June 10.  My presnetaiton is titled “Agile Estimation Using Functional Metrics.” Let me know if you are attending! Also upcoming conferences I will be involved in include and SQTM in September, BIFPUG in November. More on these great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on Commitment, Part 2. Is commitment anti-Agile?  We think not!  Commitment is a core behavior for effective Agile! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 341 features our essay titled Agile Team Decision Making. Team-based decision-making requires mechanisms and prerequisites for creating consensus among team members. The prerequisites are a decision to be made, trust, knowledge and the tools to make a decision. No one should assume that that team members have the required tools and techniques in their arsenal to effectively make decisions. Remember: Jo Ann Sweeney, author of the Explaining Change column, is running her annual Worth Working Summit.  Please visit http://www.worthworkingsummit.com/ Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  I am beginning to think of which book will be next. Do you have any ideas? Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Global CongressMay 12-13 Seattle, WA, USAMy topic - Agile Risk Managementhttp://cmmiconferences.com/ DCG will also have a booth! Also upcoming conferences I will be involved in include ICEAA in June and SQTM in September. More on these great conferences next week. Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Ellen Gottesdiener and Mary Gorman.  We discussed their great book, Discover to Deliver, requirements and Agile.  Ellen and Mary are provided penetrating insight into how to work with requirements in an Agile environment from discovery to delivery and beyond. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 340 features our interview with Tom Howlett.  Tom is a Scrum Master.  We talked about teams, collaboration and how to effectively be Agile in distributed teams. Tom’s bio: Tom's been building and working with teams that focus on continuous improvement for 15 years. In that time he's written about the difficulties he faced and how he overcame them in over 100 blog posts on "Diary of a Scrummaster", and a book called "A Programmer's Guide To People". He has a strong focus on breaking down the barriers that restrict collaboration (whether remote or co-located) and ensuring the people who do the work can effectively decide how it's done. He's becoming well known in the Agile community through his speaking and running his local group the "Cheltenham Geeks'. His company LeanTomato provides help forming new teams and helping existing ones meet people’s needs more effectively. Contact informationBlog: Diary of a ScrumMasterTwitter: @diaryofscrumWebsite: LeanTomato Remember: Jo Ann Sweeny (Explaining Change) is running her annual Worth Working Summit.  Please visit http://www.worthworkingsummit.com/ Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  I am beginning to think of which book will be next. Do you have any ideas? Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Global CongressMay 12-13 Seattle, WA, USAMy topic - Agile Risk Managementhttp://cmmiconferences.com/ DCG will also have a booth! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on Agile team decision making. Team based decision making requires mechanisms and prerequisites for creating consensus among team members. The prerequisites are a decision to be made, trust, knowledge and the tools to make a decisions. In many instances team members are assumed to have the required tools and techniques in their arsenal. In many instances team members are assumed by management and other team members to have the required tools and techniques in their arsenal.  Next week we will explore decision making and give you tools to make decisions. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 339 features our essay on demonstrations and a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. Demonstrations are a tool to generate conversations about what is being delivered.  Because a demonstration occurs at the end of every sprint the team will continually be demonstrating the value they are delivering, which reinforces confidence and motivation. The act of demonstrating value provides the team with a platform for collecting feedback that will help them stay on track and focused on delivering what has the most value to the business. Gene continues his theme of microservices.  This week we tackle, “Microservices, SOA, and EITA: Where To Draw the Line? Why to Draw the Line?” Gene says, “we recognize lines to prevent needless conflict and waste.” Two special notes: Jo Ann Sweeny of the Explaining Change column is running her annual Worth Working Summit.  Please visit http://www.worthworkingsummit.com/ Jeremy Berriault will be joining the SPaMCAST family.  Jeremy will be focusing on testing and the lessons testing can provide to a team and organization. Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  I am beginning to think of which book will be next. Do you have any ideas? Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Global CongressMay 12-13 Seattle, WA, USAMy topic - Agile Risk Managementhttp://cmmiconferences.com/ DCG will also have a booth! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Tom Howlett.  Tom is the author of the Diary of a Scrummaster and is a Scrum Master’s Scrum Master. Tom and I talked Agile and being Agile outside of the classic software development environments. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 338 features our new interview with Stephen Parry.  We discussed adaptable organizations. Stephen recently wrote: “Organizations which are able to embrace and implement the principles of Lean Thinking are inevitably known for three things: vision, imagination and – most importantly of all - implicit trust in their own people.” We discussed why trust, vision and imagination have to be more than just words in a vision or mission statement to get value out of lean and Agile. Need more Stephen Parry?  Check out our first interview.  We discussed adaptive thinking and command and control management! Stephen’s Bio Stephen Parry is an international leader and strategist on the design and creation of adaptive-lean enterprises. He has a world-class reputation for passionate leadership and organisational transformation by changing the way employees, managers and leaders think about their business and their customers. He is the author of Sense and Respond: The Journey to Customer Purpose (Palgrave), a highly regarded book written as a follow-up to his award-winning organisational transformations. His change work was recognised when he received Best Customer Service Strategy at the National Business Awards. The judges declared his strategy had created organisational transformations which demonstrated an entire cultural change around the needs of customers and could, as a result, demonstrate significant business growth, innovation and success. He is the founder and senior partner at Lloyd Parry a consultancy specialising in Lean organisational design and business transformation. Stephen believes that organisations must be designed around the needs of customers through the application of employee creativity, innovation and willing contribution. This was recognised when his approach received awards from the European Service Industry for the Best People Development Programme and a personal award for Innovation and Creativity. Stephen has since become a judge at the National Business Awards and the National Customer Experience Awards. He is also a Fellow at the Lean Systems Society. Website: www.lloydparry.com Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  I am beginning to think of which book will be next. Do you have any ideas? Upcoming Events QAI Quest 2015April 20 -21 Atlanta, GA, USAScale Agile Testing Using the TMMihttp://www.qaiquest.org/2015/ DCG will also have a booth! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on demonstrations!  **** Meg June 24 – 29 2013 / / /**** Demonstrations are an important tool for teams to gather feedback to shape the value they deliver.  Demonstrations provide a platform for the team to show the stories that have been completed so the stakeholders can interact with the solution. It is unfortunate that many teams mess them up.  We can help demonstrate what a good demo is all about.   Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature three columns!  The first is our essay on the Agile release plans.  Even after 12 years or more with Agile we are still asked what we will deliver, when a features will be delivered and how much the project will cost.  Agile release plans are a tool to answer those questions.  Our second column this week is from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Kim asks why is baselining so important. Kim posits that if we do not baseline, we cannot tell whether a change is negative, positive, or indifferent—we simply do NOT know. Finally Jo Ann Sweeney will complete the communication cycle in her Explaining Change column by discussing delivery with a special focus on social media. Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners.  Can you write a review of the Software Process and Measurement Cast and post it on the podcatcher of your choice?  Whether you listen on ITunes or any other podcatcher, a review will help to grow the podcast!  Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21nd. The Goal has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and catch up on the re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one.  If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version  I am beginning to think of which book will be next. Do you have any ideas? Upcoming Events QAI Quest 2015April 20 -21 Atlanta, GA, USAScale Agile Testing Using the TMMihttp://www.qaiquest.org/2015/ DCG will also have a booth! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Stephen Parry.  Stephen is a returning interviewee.  We discussed adaptable organizations. Stephen recently wrote: “Organizations which are able to embrace and implement the principles of Lean Thinking are inevitably known for three things: vision, imagination and – most importantly of all - implicit trust in their own people.” We discussed why trust, vision and imagination have to be more than just words in a vision or mission statement to get value out of lean and Agile. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.