Podcast appearances and mentions of steve mcconnell

CTO Series: The Anti-Scaling Paradox: Why and When a CTO Should Refuse to Grow His Team with Markus Hjort In this BONUS episode, we dive into a fascinating conversation with Markus Hjort, Co-founder and CTO of Bitmagic. With over 20 years of software development expertise, Markus shares invaluable insights on tech leadership, team scaling, and how AI is transforming the landscape of software development. From pivotal career moments to practical advice on aligning tech strategy with business objectives, this episode offers wisdom for technology leaders and developers alike. Defining Moments in Tech Leadership "As a leader, for me, it is important that we have a positive attitude." Markus reflects on two pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy. Early in his career, he received feedback about his positive approach to challenging tasks, which reinforced his belief in maintaining an optimistic outlook when facing difficulties. This approach has allowed him to inspire team members during tough situations. The second defining moment relates to estimation skills. After participating in a rescue mission for a delayed project, Markus learned the importance of making realistic ballpark estimates rather than succumbing to unrealistic deadlines. His initial two-year estimate for a project was met with resistance from a client who wanted it done in two months, but the project ultimately took four years to complete - twice his original estimate. Leads by example with a positive attitude toward challenges Values the skill of making quick but realistic ballpark estimates Recommends "Programming Pearls" for developers to improve estimation skills Emphasizes that product developers should create different options to reach goals In this segment, Markus refers to the book Programming Pearls. Aligning Tech Strategy with Business Objectives "Nothing should come for me as a surprise." When it comes to ensuring tech strategy supports business goals, Markus emphasizes the importance of continuous communication with key stakeholders. Through regular informal discussions, he stays aware of emerging ideas and maintains strong relationships with decision-makers. This approach helps him anticipate future feature requirements and translate technical strategy into business objectives. The foundation of this alignment is built on trust and transparency. Maintains constant discussions with critical stakeholders Develops awareness of emerging ideas through informal conversations Identifies and builds relationships with decision-makers Translates technical considerations into business language Fostering Collaboration Between Tech and Business Units "In the end we create the shared understanding and the habit of working together which creates better alignment and trust." While structured meetings are important, Markus believes that true collaboration happens when people work together across departmental boundaries. In previous roles, he implemented small, cross-functional teams that included business representatives during feature development. At Bitmagic, they conduct regular gameplay test sessions that anyone in the company can join, fostering unpredictable connections and conversations. These informal interactions are especially valuable in a remote-only company. Creates small teams with business representation for feature development Implements regular demo sessions open to everyone in the company Encourages cross-departmental work to build shared understanding Emphasizes the importance of informal discussions in remote environments Scaling Engineering Teams Strategically "You have to be careful when to scale, and when not to scale." Markus advocates for a measured approach to team growth during scaling phases. He believes in small teams of talented individuals and prefers to grow at a deliberate pace rather than rushing to add new members. Sometimes, he's even paused hiring to focus on meeting milestones with existing resources. When rapid scaling is necessary, Markus recommends considering contractors to reduce risk and gain specialized expertise quickly, particularly in fields like gaming that require deep specialization. Believes in small teams of talented individuals Grows team size at a deliberate pace Sometimes pauses hiring to focus on delivery with existing team Strategically uses both employees and contractors based on circumstances Navigating Financial Challenges in Startups "From the tech view it was clear this was not a good idea, but from the business perspective, it was the right decision to make." One of the toughest challenges Markus faced involved making difficult decisions during financial constraints. In a previous startup, when resources were tight, he had to split his team between the main product and a "side project" that had been sold to generate revenue. Though technically suboptimal, this business-driven decision was necessary for survival. This experience highlights the complex balancing act CTOs often face between technical ideals and business realities. The Impact of AI on Software Development "It has changed my way of thinking of my work as a programmer." Having worked on AI-powered game development for over two years, Markus has witnessed the rapid evolution of AI technologies. This experience has influenced his approach to team expansion, as he considers how AI might augment human capabilities. Personally, he now uses code assistants regularly and wouldn't return to traditional programming methods. AI has transformed his workflow as a programmer and expanded his capabilities, particularly as a full-stack engineer. Measuring Engineering Success Beyond Metrics "In early startup stages, one of the critical metrics is 'the working software.'" Rather than relying heavily on rigid metrics, Markus focuses on practical indicators of success for engineering teams. In early-stage startups, he prioritizes the frequency of releasing working software to end users. Additionally, he monitors team energy and morale, looking for signals in commit messages and code review comments that might indicate the team's well-being. As teams grow, he sees value in using tools to help track these emotional indicators systematically. Focuses on frequency of releasing working software Monitors team energy and morale as key indicators Looks for signals in commit messages and code reviews Considers team well-being as important as technical output Recommended Reading "Press 'pause' when you feel you are in a crisis situation." Markus credits "Rapid Development" by Steve McConnell as a significant influence on his approach to software development, particularly before Agile methodologies became mainstream. One lasting lesson from the book is avoiding the anti-pattern of "abandoning all planning under pressure." Instead, Markus recommends pausing when facing a crisis to reassess and plan effectively, rather than rushing into reactive solutions. About Markus Hjort Markus Hjort is the Co-founder and CTO of Bitmagic, with over 20 years of software development expertise. Starting with Commodore 64 game programming, his career spans gaming, fintech, and more. As a programmer, consultant, agile coach, and leader, Markus has successfully guided numerous tech startups from concept to launch. You can link with Markus Hjort on LinkedIn and listen to Markus Hjort's podcast in Finnish, and follow his work with the future of AI in gaming at Bitmagic.ai.

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I wanted to look at the impact that dependencies have on software estimation. This episode was inspired by a blog post on scrum.org entitled "Eliminate Dependencies, Don't Manage Them", which I read while preparing this series. In brief, the article talks about how you're better off eliminating dependencies rather than trying to manage them through normal traditional management processes. In his book, Software Estimation, Demystifying the Black Art, Steve McConnell says that size of the software is the single most significant contributor to project effort and schedule. Personally, I'd like to suggest that dependencies, if not of similar importance, are a close second. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/197 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

Steve McConnell has a background in biology and is a practicing lipidimiologist. His research and advice are sought out by physicians in many areas including cardiology, kidney disease and, most recently, various neurodiverse conditions. He joins us today to discuss managing challenges often presented for those navigating the autism spectrum and more.

Steve McConnell has a background in biology and is a practicing lipidimiologist. His research and advice are sought out by physicians in many areas including cardiology, kidney disease and, most recently, various neurodiverse conditions. He joins us to discuss managing challenges often presented for those navigating the autism spectrum and more.

Why can't I know—with high precision—the final cost, scope, and time frame of my work effort? One of the biggest reasons you can't know all three at once is illustrated by Steve McConnell's Cone of Uncertainty. In this episode of Inspect & Adapt, Construx's Mark Griffin, Steve Tockey, and Earl Beede talk about what the Cone is, how it impacts your ability to estimate, and how you can use it to increase your estimate predictability. 

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

What is a software *engineer*? Software drives so much of our everyday lives, yet software development as a field has not adopted the kind of licensure other engineering disciplines have long been subject to. Hannele and Mandi discuss this classic set of essays by Steve McConnell, covering many of the same questions we still have today.

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Longer Time = Lower Precision - Mike Cohn How much confidence should leadership have in an agile plan? It depends. Plans vary greatly in their precision depending on the time horizon.Teams typically create different plans for different time horizons. They might, for example, make a three-month plan, a one-year plan, and a three-year plan. You can depend on those plans, as long as they reflect the appropriate level of precision for the time horizon.If I'm looking at what I'm going to do three days from now, I can give you a fairly precise rundown of what I will accomplish. I know what I'm going to get done. I will write 1-3 YouTube scripts and approve a small set of website changes. I might also have time to review an AI tool we're developing.So for a plan where the deadline is 3 days from now, I can give you a pretty detailed accounting of what I'll get done. But notice I've left the plan just imprecise enough to account for uncertainty. I've built in a bit of wiggle room with my range of scripts and language such as “might.”On the other hand, if you're asking me for a plan as to what I'll finish three months from now, I need even more wiggle room. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do. I'll give you guidance on what I'm going to do. I'll give you expectations. And they'll be reasonable, but they'll include broad-range estimates and broad-stroke descriptions.If I'm going out three years from now? I can give you some sort of idea of what we might do in three years if I talk about it in really vague terms: We're going to build a new product in 2-3 years.As the time horizon grows, the precision needs to decrease to account for the increased variability. Or to put it another way, as the time horizon shrinks and more is known about the project, more precision can be added to the plan.Barry Boehm described this phenomenon in a 1984 paper “Software Engineering Economics.” Later in his book The Software Project Survival Guide, Steve McConnell coined the term cone of uncertainty in referencing Boehm's work. McConnell explains, “The Cone narrows only as you make decisions that eliminate variability.”The further away something is, the bigger the estimate range needs to be to account for variability and uncertainty. Today, for something that I haven't started yet, I might say it's going to take three to six months. Later, I can say we'll finish in another one or two months. Later still, I can be even more precise: It'll take one or two more weeks.Precision improves as we get closer to the deadline.Understanding the variability in each plan's precision can help you succeed with agile, How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

This Episode: Travis welcomes in the New Year with gun shots - Steve McConnell joins us from Hoof Doctor products - How seasonal changes affect the feet - A concern neighbor reaches via phone call - Stall bedding during wet swampy conditions - Travis admits to using a hairdryer to dry out his horses feet

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/services/workshops/ In this episode, Steve McConnell, Managing Director of NBBJ, an International Design Firm, discusses how to have difficult conversations about purpose-driven organizations. You'll learn: How values guide and orient our decisions. The value of building trust. What people forget when building trust. We discuss: A framework for getting the best out of people. Obstacles in building trust. Interpersonal development. Follow Steve McConnell on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mcconnell-faia/ NBBJ Design Company LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/nbbjdesign/ NBBJ website: https://www.nbbj.com/ Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/ The Ultimate Negotiation Guide: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/guides/ultimate-negotiation-guide/ Click here to buy your copy of How To Have Difficult Conversations About Race!: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Difficult-Conversations-About-Race/dp/1637741308/ref=pd_%5B%E2%80%A6%5Df0bc9774-7975-448b-bde1-094cab455adb&pd_rd_i=1637741308&psc=1 Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Confidence-Conflict-Negotiate-Anything/dp/0578413736/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PSW69L6ABTK&keywords=finding+confidence+in+conflict&qid=1667317257&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjQyIiwicXNhIjoiMC4xNCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMjMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=finding+confidence+in+conflic%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-1

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/services/workshops/ In this episode, Steve McConnell, Managing Director of NBBJ, an International Design Firm, discusses how to have difficult conversations about purpose-driven organizations. You'll learn: How values guide and orient our decisions. The value of building trust. What people forget when building trust. We discuss: A framework for getting the best out of people. Obstacles in building trust. Interpersonal development. Follow Steve McConnell on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mcconnell-faia/ NBBJ Design Company LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/nbbjdesign/ NBBJ website: https://www.nbbj.com/ Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/ The Ultimate Negotiation Guide: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/guides/ultimate-negotiation-guide/ Click here to buy your copy of How To Have Difficult Conversations About Race!: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Difficult-Conversations-About-Race/dp/1637741308/ref=pd_%5B%E2%80%A6%5Df0bc9774-7975-448b-bde1-094cab455adb&pd_rd_i=1637741308&psc=1 Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Confidence-Conflict-Negotiate-Anything/dp/0578413736/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PSW69L6ABTK&keywords=finding+confidence+in+conflict&qid=1667317257&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjQyIiwicXNhIjoiMC4xNCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMjMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=finding+confidence+in+conflic%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-1

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Welcome to Episode 130 of The Darlington Podcast! In this episode, third grade teacher Steve McConnell talks with fourth grade teacher Carrie Watterson, middle grades math teacher Chris Eberhart, Assistant Athletic Director Nathan West and third-graders Addi Nolin and Sawyer West about after-school clubs for students in grades 3-5 and how they contribute to the student experience at Darlington and benefit the middle grades athletic program.Click here for complete show notes >>

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

Sermons, Devotions, and more insightful conversations from Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida!

This week, Jimmy Miller joins me for a discussion that touches on layoffs, the pitfalls of vulnerability reporting, our paths to programming, YJIT and performance, why we need as many programming languages as possible, writing clever code, collective ownership of code, duplication, and the value of liberalizing your education.Jimmy Miller on TwitterJimmy Miller on TwitchFuture of CodingCode Complete by Steve McConnell

Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/services/workshops/ In this episode, Steve McConnell, Managing Director of NBBJ, an International Design Firm, discusses how to have difficult conversations about purpose driven organizations. You'll learn: How values guide and orient our decisions. The value of building trust. What people forget when building trust. We discuss: A framework for getting the best out of people. Obstacles in building trust. Interpersonal development. Follow Steve McConnell on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mcconnell-faia/ NBBJ Design Company LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/nbbjdesign/ NBBJ website: https://www.nbbj.com/ Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/ The Ultimate Negotiation Guide: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/guides/ultimate-negotiation-guide/ Click here to buy your copy of How To Have Difficult Conversations About Race!: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Difficult-Conversations-About-Race/dp/1637741308/ref=pd_%5B%E2%80%A6%5Df0bc9774-7975-448b-bde1-094cab455adb&pd_rd_i=1637741308&psc=1 Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Confidence-Conflict-Negotiate-Anything/dp/0578413736/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PSW69L6ABTK&keywords=finding+confidence+in+conflict&qid=1667317257&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjQyIiwicXNhIjoiMC4xNCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMjMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=finding+confidence+in+conflic%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-1