Software Process and Measurement Cast

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected] 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 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: [email protected] 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.

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Yves Hanoulle, builder of community builders. We discussed collaboration, coaching retreats and the future of Agile. Yves is an Agile thought leader among thought leaders and he shared his wisdom the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners. Yves' Bio: Yves Hanoulle has taken on almost every role in the software development field, from software support, developer, trainer, scrum master to agile coach. Over the last 10 years, Yves has focused on agile coaching. Yves grows community builders. His personal goal is to make his customers independent from him as soon as possible. Yves is the inventor of the Who is Agile series of books and the co-inventor of the leadership game. Although he co-invented Pair Coaching & Coach Retreats, Yves is not interested in being a rock star coach inventing new methodologies, he rather wants to mix existing ideas like a thought disc jockey, adjusting to the needs of the audience. Connect with Yves at: Twitter: @yveshanoulleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yveshanoulle 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. If not use the link below and support the podcast at the same time! Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version @stevena510 (Steven Adams) has recommended that the next re-read be Fred Brooks masterpiece The Mythical Man-Month. I think it is a great idea. Next In the next SPaMCAST we feature our essay on Agile release planning *** MEG june 10 – 15 2013****. Unless your project consists of one or two sprints and a cloud of dust (see three yards and a cloud of dust) you will need to tackle release planning. It does not have to be as hard as many people want you to believe. We will have new entries from the Software Sensei (Kim Pries) and Jo Ann Sweeney with her Explaining Change column. 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 the builder of community builders, Yves Hanoulle. Yves and I talked Agile communities, coaching retreats, why the factory metaphor for IT is harmful and the future of Agile. A wonderful interview, full of information and ideas that can improve your development environment! 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 definitions of four critical words. What do the words effectiveness, efficiency, frameworks and methodologies really mean? These words get used ALL the time, however they really do have fairly specific meanings. Meanings that, once understood and used to guide how we work, can help everyone to deliver more value and make our customers more satisfied! The second column is from Jo Ann Sweeney with another of her stellar, Explaining Change columns. In this segment, Jo Ann talks about content and a framework to guide the development of content. Anchoring the Cast this week is Gene Hughson with another of his Forms Follows Function columns. Gene extends his mini-series on microservices with a discussion of whether granularity is irrelevant. Lots of content in this installment of the Software Process and Measurement Cast! 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

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Agile coach Mario Lucero. Mario and I discussed the nuts and bolts of coaching Agile teams, what is and isn’t Agile and the impact of coaching on success. Mario provided insights on Agile that span both Americas! Mario describes himself as an Agile evangelist (including Kanban) delivering coaching for Agile transformations and Scrum mastery. He performs as a Scrum Master for several teams while mentoring and coaching other teams, Scrum Masters and product owners. Mario is as comfortable advising senior management on the Agile transformation strategy and implementation as he is working with teams. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @metlucero Blog: http://mariolucero.cl/ LinkedIn: http://cl.linkedin.com/in/luceromet/en Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to a podcast, show them how you listen and subscribe them! Remember to send us the name of you person you subscribed (and a picture) and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. 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 Conference EMEA 2015March 26 -27 London, UKI will be presenting “Agile Risk Management.” http://cmmi.unicom.co.uk/ 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 the definitions of four critical words. What do the words effectiveness, efficiency, frameworks and methodologies really mean? These words get used ALL the time, however they really do have fairly specific meanings. Meanings that, once understood and used to guide how we work, can help everyone to deliver more value and make our customers more satisfied! 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Kim Pries, The Software Sensei, and Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change. In this installment Kim discusses the ins and outs of selling defect control. In Explaining Change, Jo Ann tackles the concept of planning for communication (protip: it is better than winging it). The SPaMCAST essay this week tackles the topic of what is and isn’t Agile. Does just saying you are Agile make you Agile? We think not! Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to a podcast, show them how you listen and subscribe them! Remember to send us the name of you person you subscribed (and a picture) and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. 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 Conference EMEA 2015March 26 -27 London, UKI will be presenting “Agile Risk Management.” http://cmmi.unicom.co.uk/ QAI Quest 2015April 20 -21 Atlanta, GA, USAScale Agile Testing Using the TMMihttp://www.qaiquest.org/2015/ DCG will also have a booth! CANCELED -International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management Washington D.C. May 31 - June 5, 2015 Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Agile coach Mario Lucero. Mario and I discussed the nuts and bolts of coaching Agile teams, what is and isn’t Agile and the impact of coaching on success. 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Shirly Ronen-Harel. We began by talking about the book she is co-authoring, The Coaching Booster, which is 80% complete on LeanPub. We branched out into other topics including coaching, lean, Agile and using lean and Agile in startups. This was an incredibly content-rich podcast. Have your notepad ready when you listen because Shirly provides ideas and advice that can change how you work! Shirly provides coaching and consulting on Agile/lean methods. She provides Agile solutions using methods like Scrum, Kanban, Agile Testing, Agile product development, DevOps , Agile project management and more. Shirly is experienced with Agile assimilation with large companies, as well as small companies and startups. She holds a BSW degree from the University of Tel-Aviv (1995) and also has experience with family and individual therapy at crisis stage. Shirly is also the author of an Agile parenting book and is currently writing a new book about personal Agile coaching. Twitter : @shirlyronenrl Linkedin : http://il.linkedin.com/pub/shirly-ronen-harel/0/653/249 Blog : http://agilopedia.blogspot.co.il/ http://agileandfamily.blogspot.co.il/ Contest The contest is over for the copy of Anthony Mersino’s new book Agile Project Management, and the winner is Paul Laberge! We will have another contest in a few weeks so keep listening. Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to a podcast, show them how you listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast and subscribe them! Remember to send us the name of you person you subscribed (and a picture) and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. 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 Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Conference EMEA 2015March 26 -27 London, UKI will be presenting “Agile Risk Management.”http://cmmi.unicom.co.uk/ International Conference on Software Quality and Test ManagementWashington D.C. May 31 - June 5, 2015Wednesday June 3, 2015http://qualitymanagementconference.com/I will be presenting a new and improved version of “The Impact of Cognitive Biases on Test and Project Teams.” Next SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement we will feature our essay on what is Agile. Agile is more than just behaviors! Agile is values and principles and . . . I would be willing to fight over that definition! We will also have new entries from Kim Pries and Jo Ann Sweeny! 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Gene Hughson – Form Follows Function, completing a three-column arc on microservices. In Jo Ann Sweeney’s new Explaining Change column, Jo Ann tackles the concept of communication channels. The SPaMCAST essay this week is on Agile Coaching. Coaches help teams and projects deliver the most value, however many times organizations eschew coaches or conflate management and coaching. This week we will have an external coach versus management death match! Contest We are having a contest! Anthony has offered a copy of his great new book to a randomly selected SPaMCAST listener, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Enter between February 22th and March 7th. The winner will be announced on March 8th. If you want a copy of Agile Project Management you have two options: send your name and email address to [email protected] (I will act as the broker and notify the winner at which point we can deal with other types of addresses), OR you can buy a copy. Remember buying a copy through the Software Process and Measurement Cast helps support the podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? This week Julie Davis introduced two of her co-workers to the podcast and then emailed us at [email protected]. Welcome and Joe and Cindy! Pictures of you and your friends listening to the podcast would be great. If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to podcast, show them how you listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast and subscribe them! Remember to send us the name of you person you subscribed (and a picture) and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. 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 Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Conference EMEA 2015March 26 -27 London, UKI will be presenting “Agile Risk Management.”http://cmmi.unicom.co.uk/ International Conference on Software Quality and Test ManagementWashington D.C. May 31 - June 5, 2015Wednesday June 3, 2015http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be presenting a new and improved version of “The Impact of Cognitive Biases on Test and Project Teams.” Next SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our interview with Shirly Ronen-Harel. We began by talking about the book she co-authored (or is co-authoring) The Coaching Booster, which is 80% complete on LeanPub. We branched out into other topics including coaching, lean, Agile and using lean and Agile in startups. This was an incredibly content-rich podcast. Have your notepad ready when you listen because Shirly provides ideas and advice that can change how you work! 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview Anthony Mersino, author of Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers and the newly published Agile Project Management. Anthony and I talked about Agile, coaching and organizational change. It is a wide ranging interview that will help any leader raise the bar! We also talked about his new venture: Vitality Chicago. We are having a contest! Anthony has offered a copy of his great new book to a randomly selected SPaMCAST listener, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Enter between February 22th and March 7th. The winner will be announced on March 8th. If you want a copy of Agile Project Management you have two options: send your name and email address to [email protected] (I will act as the broker and notify the winner at which point we can deal with other types of addresses), OR you can buy a copy. Remember buying a copy through the Software Process and Measurement Cast helps support the podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Anthony’s bio: Anthony C. Mersino, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSP is an Agile Transformation Coach and IT Program Manager with more than 28 years of experience. He has delivered large-scale business solutions to clients that include Abbot Labs, IBM, Unisys, NORC, and Wolters Kluwer, and provided Agile Coaching for The Carlyle Group, Northern Trust, Bank of America, and Highland Solutions. Anthony is the author of Agile Project Management, and Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers. He is also the founder of Vitality Chicago, an Agile transformation consulting firm focused on helping teams THRIVE and organizations TRANSFORM. Contact information: Email: [email protected] [email protected] Websites: http://projectadvisorsgroup.com/about.html http://www.vitalitychicago.com/ Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? Even better, show them how you listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast and subscribe them! Send me the name of you person you subscribed and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. 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 Upcoming Events CMMI Institute Conference EMEA 2016 March 26 -27 London, UK I will be presenting “Agile Risk Management.” http://cmmi.unicom.co.uk/ Next SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature another magazine feature. The features in next week’s podcast include columns from Gene Hughson, discussing micro-services. Jo Ann Sweeney Explaining Change and our essay on Agile Coaching. Coaches help teams and projects deliver the most value, however many times organizations eschew coaches or conflate management and coaching. Both actions rob teams and organizations of energy and value. We discuss why 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is our magazine with three features. We begin with Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change column. In this column Jo Ann tackles the concepts of messages and themes. I consider this the core of communication. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her column. The middle segment is our essay on commitment. The making and keeping of commitments are core components of both professional behavior and Agile. The simple definition of a commitment is a promise to perform. Whether Agile or Waterfall, commitments are used to manage software projects. Commitments drive the behavior of individuals, teams and organizations. Commitments are powerful! We wrap this week’s podcast up with a new column from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment Kim discusses software HALT testing. HALT stands for highly accelerated life test. The goal is to find defects, faults and things that go bump in the night in hours or days rather than waiting for weeks, months or years. Whether you are testing software, hardware or some combination this is a concept you need to have in your portfolio. Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? Even better, show them how you listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast and subscribe them! Send me the name of you person you subscribed and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. Re-Read Saturday News The next book in our Re-Read Saturday feature will be Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. Originally published in 1984, it 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. On February 21st we will begin re-read on the Software Process and Measurement Blog 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 SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our interview Anthony Mersino, author of Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers and the newly published Agile Project Management. Anthony and I talked about Agile, coaching and organizational change. A wide ranging interview that will help any leader raise the bar! 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

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Alex Papadimoulis. Alex is returning to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss Release. Release is card game about making software inspired by development strategies like Lean, Agile, and DevOps, and classic trick -taking card games. We also circled back to talk about continuous delivery and DevOps; a bit of lagniappe to add to a great interview. Alex’s Bio: Alex is a speaker and writer who is passionate about looking beyond the code to build great software. In addition to founding Inedo - the makers of BuildMaster, the popular continuous delivery platform - Alex also started The Daily WTF, a fun site dedicated to building software the wrong way. Contact Information:Email: [email protected]: @apapadimoulisWeb: http://inedo.com/Other Web: http://thedailywtf.com/ Call to action! We are just completed a re-read John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) and are in process of choosing the next book for Re-read Saturday. Please go to the poll and cast your vote by February 15? Vote now at Software Process and Measurement Blog! Next SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our essay on commitment. What is the power of making a commitment? The making and keeping of commitments are core components of professional behavior. The simple definition of a commitment is a promise to perform. Whether Agile or Waterfall, commitments are used to manage software projects. Commitments drive the behavior of individuals, teams and organizations. Commitments are powerful! 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.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on the ubiquitous stand-up meeting. The stand-up meeting has become a feature of Agile and non-Agile project alike. The technique can be a powerful force to improve team effectiveness and cohesion, or it a can really make a mess out of things! We explore how to get more of the former and less of the later We also have a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. This column is the second of a three column arc on micro-services and architecture. This installment is titled “Who Needs Architects? – Navigating the Fractals.” Check out Gene’s blog at Form Follows Function. We also continue with Jo Ann Sweeney’s column Explaining Communication. In this installment Jo Ann addresses communication objectives and why setting and understanding those objectives BEFORE you start the communication process is a big deal if you are interested in being effective! Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her new column. NextIn the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our interview with Alex Papadimoulis. Alex is returning to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss Release. Release is card game about making software inspired by development strategies like Lean, Agile, and DevOps, and classic trick -taking card games. We also circled back to talk about continuous delivery and DevOps; a bit of lagniappe to add to a great interview. Call to action! We are just completed a re-read John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) and are in process of choosing the next book for Re-read Saturday. Please go to the poll and cast your vote by February 15! Vote now at Software Process and Measurement Blog! Shameless Ad for my book!Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques as 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 features our Interview with Steve Tendon. We discussed his new book Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross. Steve discussed how to lead knowledge workers and build a hyper-performing knowledge work organization. We talked about the four flows, psychology, information, work and finance that affect performance. Steve’s ideas can be used to help teams can raise their game to deliver results that not only raise the bar but jump over it. Steve has a great offer for SPaMCAST listeners. Check out https://tameflow.com/spamcast for a way to get Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban at 40% off the list price. Steve’s Bio Steve Tendon, creator of the TameFlow management approach, is a senior, multilingual, executive management consultant, experienced at leading and directing multi­national and distributed knowledge-­work organizations. He is an expert in organizational performance transformation programs. Mr. Tendon is a sought-after adviser, coach, mentor and consultant, as well as author and speaker, specializing in organizational productivity, organizational design, process excellence and process innovation. Steve helps businesses create high-performance organizations and teams and holds a MSc. in Software Project Management from the University of Aberdeen. Mr. Tendon has published numerous articles and is a contributing author to Agility Across Time and Space: Implementing Agile Methods in Global Software Projects. Steve is currently a Director at TameFlow Consulting Ltd, where he helps clients achieve outstanding organizational performance by applying the theories and practices described in this book. Mr. Tendon has held senior Software Engineering Management roles at various firms over the course of his career, including the role of Technical Director for the Italian branch of Borland International, the birthplace of hyper-productivity in software development. Borland's development of Quattro Pro for Windows remains the most productive software project ever documented. This case was Mr. Tendon’s source of inspiration that lead to his development of the TameFlow perspective and management approach. Contact Information: Web: https://tameflow.com/Web: http://tendon.net/Twitter: @tendon Next In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on the ubiquitous stand-up meeting. The stand-up meeting has become a feature of agile and non-agile project alike. The technique can be a powerful force to improve team effectiveness and cohesion or it a can really make a mess out of things! We explore how to get more of the former and less of the later! Call to action! We are just completed a re-read John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com). Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! Next week we will start the process to choose the next book based on the list you have suggested. You can still influence the possible choices for the next re-read by answering the following question: What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected].. We will publish the list next week on the blog and ask you to vote on the next book for “Re-read” Saturday. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! 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.

Subscribe to the Software Process and Measurement Cast on ITunes The Software Process and Measurement Cast our essay on product owners. The role of the product owner is one of the hardest to implement when embracing Agile. However how the role of the product owner is implemented is often a clear determinant of success with Agile. The ideas in our essay can help you get it right. We will also have a new column from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment Kim discusses the fact that are numerous ways go get something done when writing code. Some are the right way and some are wrong way. For example, are you willing to sacrifice clarity for cool or fast? We also continue with Jo Ann Sweeney’s column Explaining Communication. In this installment Jo Ann addresses why knowing who your audiences and stakeholders are will help make your communication more efficient and effective! Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her new column. Next In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our Interview with Steve Tendon. Steve has been a regular on the podcast in the past but took a break to hone his ideas on hyper-productive knowledge work. We discussed his new book Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Management published J Ross and how teams can raise their game to deliver results that not only raise the bar but jump over it Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! 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 Charley Tichenor and Talmon Ben-Cnaan on the Software Non-Functional Assessment Process (SNAP). SNAP is a standard process for measuring non-functional size. Both Talmon and Charley are playing an instrumental role in developing and evolving the SNAP process and metric. SNAP helps developers and leaders to shine a light on non-functional work required for software development and is useful for analyzing, planning and estimating work. Talmon’s Bio: Talmon Ben-Cnaan is the chairperson of the International Function Point User Group (IFPUG) committee for Non-Functional Software Sizing (NFSSC) and a Quality Manager at Amdocs. He led the Quality Measurements in his company, was responsible for collecting and analyzing measurements of software development projects and provided reports to senior management, based on those measurements. Talmon was also responsible for implementing Function Points in his organization. Currently he manages quality operations and test methodology in Amdocs Testing division. The Amdocs Testing division includes more than 2,200 experts, located at more than 30 sites worldwide, and specializing in testing for the Telecommunication Service Providers. Amdocs is the market leader in the Telecommunications market, with over 22,000 employees, delivering the most advanced business support systems (BSS), operational support systems (OSS), and service delivery to Communications Service Providers in more than 50 countries around the world. Charley’s Bio: Charley Tichenor has been a member of the International Function Point Users Group since 1991, and twice certified as a Certified Function Point Specialist. He is currently a member of the IFPUG Non-functional Sizing Standards Committee, providing data collection and analysis support. He recently retired from the US government with 32 years’ experience as an Operations Research Analyst, and is currently an Adjunct Professor with Marymount University in Washington, DC, teaching business analytics courses. He has a BSBA degree from The Ohio State University, an MBA from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Business from Berne University. Note: Charley begins the interview with a work required disclaimer but then we SNAP to it … so to speak. Next In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our essay on product owners. The role of the product owner is one of the hardest to implement when embracing Agile. However how the role of the product owner is implemented is often a clear determinant of success with Agile. The ideas in our essay can help you get it right. We will also have new columns from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries and Jo Ann Sweeney with her Explaining Communication series. Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! 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.

SPaMCAST 323 features our essay, “Five Factors Leading to Failing With Agile.” Not all Agile implementations succeed. There are five categories of behaviors that lead Agile implementations toward failure. Failure due to these behaviors is avoidable if an organization recognizes them before the damage is done AND has the will to solve them. Forewarned is forearmed! We also have a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. This column begins a three column arc on micro-services and architecture. We begin with a “Microservice Principles and Enterprise IT Architecture.” Check out Gene’s blog at Form Follows Function. We also have a new Explaining Communication column from Jo Ann Sweeney. In this installment of Jo Ann’s column she discusses determining relevant and helpful objectives for communication activities as a precursor to getting value from project communication. Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Charley Tichenor and Talmon Ben-Cnaan on the Software Non-functional Assessment Process (SNAP). SNAP is a standard process for measuring non-functional size. As any developer knows, non-functional size can eclipse the functional requirements and therefore a tool that shines a light on that part of software development is useful for analyzing, planning and estimating work. 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

SPaMCAST 322 features our interview with Clareice and Clyneice Chaney. Clareice and Clyneice provide insights and practical advice into how Agile and contracting work together. The focus of the interview is on contracting and acquisition of Agile testing, however the concepts we discussed can be applied to contracting for any type of service using Agile techniques. Clyneice Chaney brings over 30 years of testing, quality assurance, and process improvement experience. Clyneice holds certifications from the American Society for Quality as a Certified Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence and Project Management Institute's Professional Project Manager. She has participated as an examiner for Baldrige state quality awards for Georgia and Virginia. She is currently an instructor for an International Testing Certification organization and has presented technical papers at the Software Engineering Institute: SEPG Conference, American Society for Quality: Quality Manager's conference, Quality Assurance Institute International Testing Conference, International Conference on Software Process Improvement and Software Test and Performance Testing Conferences. Clareice Chaney has over 30 years’ experience in Commercial and Government Contracting with an emphasis in contracting within the information technology arena. She holds a PMP certification with the Project Management Institute and is a certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) through the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). She has presented at the National Contract Management Association World Congress and provided recent collaborations on agile testing and contracting at the Quality Assurance Institute International Conferences. Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on the Attributes Leading to Faiure with Agile. Agile projects don’t work when there isn’t open and honest communication within a team. Problems also can occur when all team members are not involved, or if the organization has not bought into the principles of Agile. Knowing what can go wrong with Agile implementations and projects is a step to making sure they do not happen! We will also have the next Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson and Explaining Change with Jo Ann Sweeney. 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.

SPaMCAST 321 features our essay on the reasons for success with Agile. I asked friends and colleagues what they think are the top reasons an organization succeeds with Agile. The answers were not always what I expected. We review the top 11 factors leading to success with Agile. Listen and share your feedback. This episode also includes the next installment of Jo Ann Sweeney’s new column Explaining Change. Jo Ann discusses whether communication always adds value to a project. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com/ and let her know what you think of her new column. The third segment of this podcast is a new installment of the Software Sensei, where Kim Pries shines light on the area of cloud development. Development for cloud computing is red hot. Understand the nuances that developing for the cloud to enhance your effectiveness! Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Clareice and Clyneice Chaney. Clareice and Clyneice provide insights and practical advice into how Agile and contracting can work together. 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.

SPaMCAST 320 features our interview with Alfonso Bucero. We discussed his book, Today Is A Good Day. Attitude is an important tool for a project manager, team member or executive. In his book Alfonso provides a plan for honing your attitude. Alfonso Bucero, MSc, PMP, PMI-RMP, PMI Fellow, is the founder and Managing Partner of BUCERO PM Consulting. He managed IIL Spain for almost two years, and he was a Senior Project Manager at Hewlett-Packard Spain (Madrid Office) for thirteen years. Since 1994, he has been a frequent speaker at International Project Management (PM) Congresses and Symposiums. Alfonso has delivered PM training and consulting services in Spain, Mexico, UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Costa Rica, Brazil, USA, and Singapore. As believer in Project Management, he teaches that Passion, Persistence and Patience as keys for project success. Alfonso co-authored the book Project Sponsorship with Randall L. Englund published by Josse-Bass in 2006. He has authored the book Today is a Good Day – Attitudes for achieving project success, published by Multimedia Publishing in Canada in 2010. He has also contributed to professional magazines in Russia (SOVNET), India (ICFAI), Argentina and Spain. Alfonso co-authored The Complete Project Manager and The Complete Project Manager Toolkit published with Randall L. Englund published by Management Concepts in March 2012. Alfonso published The Influential Project Manager in 2014 with CRC Press in the US. Alfonso has also published several articles in national and international Project Management magazines. He is a Contributing editor of PM Network (Crossing Borders), published by the “Project Management Institute”. Contact Alfonso: [email protected]: @abuceroWebsite: http://www.abucero.com/ Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our essay on the requirements for success with Agile. Senior management, engagement, culture and coaches are components but not the whole story Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 319 includes three segments! The first segment is our essay, Why Are Requirements So Hard To Get Right? Much of the problems with requirements boil down to people, and while people are not the only factor driving the quality of requirements, they are a critical factor. Pay attention to how people are being deployed, provide support and instruction and make darn sure the right people are in the right place at the right time. The second segment marks the debut of Jo Ann Sweeny’s new column Explaining Change. Jo Ann’s first installment tackles the need for defining the impact you expect communication activities to make – knowledge, attitudes, action. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com/ and let her know what you think of her new column. The third segment features a new entry of Gene Hughson’s column: Form Follows Function. In this installment, Gene talks about his blog entry, Fixing IT – Credible or Cassandra? Gene points out that credibility is a precious commodity that, if squandered, is difficult to recover even when you are correct! Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change of on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our interview with Alfonso Bucero. We discussed his book, Today Is A Good Day. Attitude is an important tool for a project manager, team member or executive. In his book Alfonso provides a plan for honing your attitude. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 318 features our interview with Rob Cross. Rob and I discussed his InfoQ article “How to Incorporate Data Analytics into Your Software Process.” Rob provides ideas on how the theory of big data can be incorporated in to big action that provides “ah-ha” moments for executives and developers alike. Rob Cross has been in the software development industry for over 15 years in various capacities. He has worked for several start-up businesses including his current company, PSC. These companies have been focused on providing software quality, security and performance data to organizations leveraging state of the art technologies. Rob's current company has analyzed over 8 billion lines of code as an independent software assessment company on products ranging from military systems, medical devices, satellite systems, video games to Wall Street exchanges. Rob's email: [email protected] Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change of on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next Why Are Requirements So Hard To Get Right? IT projects have been around in one form or another since the 1940’s. Looking back in the literature describing the history of IT, the topic of requirements in general and identification of requirements specifically have been top of mind since day one. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 317 tackles a wide range of frequently asked questions, ranging from the possibility of an acceleration trap, the relevance of function points, whether teams have a peak loads and safe to fail experiments. Questions, answers and controversy! We will also have the next installment of Kim Pries’s column, The Software Sensei! This week Kim discusses robust software. The essay starts with “Agile Can Contribute to an Acceleration Trap” I am often asked whether Agile techniques contribute to an acceleration trap in IT. In an article in The Harvard Business Review, Bruch and Menges (April 2010) define an acceleration trap as the malaise that sets in as an organization fails prey to chronic overloading. It can be interpreted as laziness or recalcitrance, which then elicits even more pressure to perform, generating an even deeper malaise. The results of the pressure/malaise cycle are generally a poor working atmosphere and employee loss. Agile can contribute to an acceleration trap but only as a reflection of poor practices. Agile is often perceived to induce an acceleration trap in two manners: organizational change and delivery cadence. Listen to the rest now Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change of on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 318 features our interview with Rob Cross. Rob and I discussed his INFOQ article “How to Incorporate Data Analytics into Your Software Process.” Rob provides ideas on how the theory of big data can be incorporated in to big action. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am EST Register Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 316 features a return visit from Dr. David Rico. We talked about the cost of quality and Agile. Does Agile impact the cost of quality? The cost of quality is a measure of the time and cost that is required to ensure that what is delivered meets quality standards. Dr. Rico walks us through the evidence that not only does Agile improve customer satisfaction, but it also improves the cost of quality. Dr. Rico has been a technical leader in support of NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army for over 30 years. He has led numerous projects based on Cloud Computing, Lean Thinking, Agile Methods, SOA, Web Services, Six Sigma, FOSS, ISO 9001, CMMI, Baldrige, TQM, Enterprise Architecture, DoDAF, and DoD 5000. He specializes in IT investment analysis, IT portfolio valuation, and IT enabled change. He has been an international keynote speaker, presented at leading industry conferences, written seven textbooks, published numerous articles, and is a reviewer for multiple systems engineering journals. He is a Certified PMP, CSEP, ACP, CSM, and SAFe Agilist, and teaches at four Washington, DC-area universities. He has been in the field of information systems since 1983. Contact Dr RicoBlog: davidfrico.comEmail: [email protected]: @dr_david_f_rico Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change of on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Are you participating in the re-read? Please feel free to jump in and add your thoughts and comments! After we finish the current re-read will need to decide which book will be next. We are building a list of the books that have had the most influence on readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast. Can you answer the question? What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive future “Re-read” Saturdays. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that began on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th. Feel free to choose you platform; send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 317 will tackle a wide range of frequently asked questions, ranging from the possibility of an acceleration trap, the relevance of function points, whether teams have a peak loads and safe to fail experiments. We will also have the next instalment of Kim Pries’s column, The Software Sensei! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: How to Split User StoriesDate: November 20th, 2014Time: 12:30pm ESTRegister Now Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 315 features our essay on Scrum Masters. Scrum Masters are the voice of the process at the team level. Scrum Masters are a critical member of every Agile team. The team’s need for a Scrum Master is not transitory because they evolve together as a team. In this edition of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we debut a new column. Gene Hughson brings the wisdom from his Form Follows Function blog to the SPaMCAST. Gene appeared on SPaMCAST 268 to talk architecture, people and process. We are glad to have him back on a regular basis. This first column discusses the idea that quick fixes might not always be the right answer! The essay on Scrum Masters begins: The difference between facilitating and enabling is at the core of the Agile concept of self-organizing and self-managing teams. An effective scrum master should be a facilitator in a well functioning Agile team. However, when there is a breakdown in a self-organizing and self-managing team, sometimes scrum masters become enablers. This makes scrum masters more like project managers. A facilitator helps to unstick something that has stopped or creates an environment where progress can be made by the team. An enabler provides the team with permission for making a decision. For example, I recently watched as a team asked their scrum master if they were allowed to hold an interim show and tell/demonstration to prompt the product owner for feedback. The team saw the scrum master as an enabler rather than a facilitator. Listen to the rest on the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Call to action! What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. What will we do with this list? We have two ideas. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive “Re-read” Saturday. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature that bagan on the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th with a re-read of Leading Change. So feel free to choose you platform and send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 316 features a return visit from Dr. David Rico. We talked about the cost of quality and Agile. Does Agile impact the cost of quality? Dr. Rico walks us through the evidence that not only does Agile improve customer satisfaction but it also improve the cost of quality. If you are interested in effectiveness, efficiency and quality then this interview for you! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: How to Split User StoriesDate: November 20th, 2014Time: 12:30pm ESTRegister Now Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 edition of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we debut a new column. Gene Hughson brings the wisdom from his Form Follows Function blog to the SPaMCAST. Gene appeared on SPaMCAST 268 to talk architecture, people and process. We are glad to have him back on a regular basis. This first column discusses the idea that quick fixes might not always be the right answer! The essay on Scrum Masters begins: The difference between facilitating and enabling is at the core of the Agile concept of self-organizing and self-managing teams. An effective scrum master should be a facilitator in a well functioning Agile team. However, when there is a breakdown in a self-organizing and self-managing team, sometimes scrum masters become enablers. This makes scrum masters more like project managers. A facilitator helps to unstick something that has stopped or

SPaMCAST 314 features our interview with Janet Gregory and Lisa Crispin. We discussed their new book More Agile Testing. Testing is core to success in all forms of development. Agile development and testing are no different. More Agile Testing builds on Gregory and Crispin’s first collaborative effort, the extremely successful Agile Testing to ensure everyone that uses an Agile frameworks delivers the most value possible. The Bios! Janet Gregory is an agile testing coach and process consultant with DragonFire Inc. Janet is the is the co-author with Lisa Crispin of Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams (Addison-Wesley, 2009), and More Agile Testing: Learning Journeys for the Whole Team (Addison-Wesley 2014). She is also a contributor to 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know. Janet specializes in showing Agile teams how testers can add value in areas beyond critiquing the product; for example, guiding development with business-facing tests. Janet works with teams to transition to Agile development, and teaches Agile testing courses and tutorials worldwide. She contributes articles to publications such as Better Software, Software Test & Performance Magazine and Agile Journal, and enjoys sharing her experiences at conferences and user group meetings around the world. For more about Janet’s work and her blog, visit www.janetgregory.ca. You can also follow her on twitter @janetgregoryca. Lisa Crispin is the co-author, with Janet Gregory, of More Agile Testing: Learning Journeys for the Whole Team (Addison-Wesley 2014), Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams (Addison-Wesley, 2009), co-author with Tip House of Extreme Testing (Addison-Wesley, 2002), and a contributor to Experiences of Test Automation by Dorothy Graham and Mark Fewster (Addison-Wesley, 2011) and Beautiful Testing (O’Reilly, 2009). Lisa was honored by her peers by being voted the Most Influential Agile Testing Professional Person at Agile Testing Days 2012. Lisa enjoys working as a tester with an awesome Agile team. She shares her experiences via writing, presenting, teaching and participating in agile testing communities around the world. For more about Lisa’s work, visit www.lisacrispin.com, and follow @lisacrispin on Twitter. Call to action! What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. What will we do with this list? We have two ideas. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive “Re-read” Saturday. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature we will begin on the the Software Process and Measurement blog on November 8th with a re-read of Leading Change. So feel free to choose you platform and send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 315 features our essay on Scrum Masters. Scrum Masters are the voice of the process at the team level. Scrum Masters are a critical member of every Agile team. The team’s need for a Scrum Master is not transitory because they evolve together as a team. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: How to Split User StoriesDate: November 20th, 2014Time: 12:30pm ESTRegister Now Agile Risk Management - It Is Still ImportantDate: December 18th, 2014Time: 11:30am ESTRegister Now The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 313 features our essay on developing an initial backlog. Developing an initial backlog is an important step to get projects going and moving in the right direction. If a project does not start well, it is hard for it to end well. We will provide techniques to help you begin well! The essay begins: Many discussions of Agile techniques begin with the assumption that a backlog has magically appeared on the team’s door step. Anyone that has participated in any form of project, whether related to information technology, operations or physical engineering, knows that requirements don’t grow on trees. They need to be developed before a team can start to satisfy those requirements. There are three primary ways to gather requirements based on how information is elicited. Listen to the rest on the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Call to action! What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. What will we do with this list? We have two ideas. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive “Re-read” Saturday. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature we will begin in November with a re-read of Leading Change. More on this new feature next week. So feel free to choose you platform and send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 314 features our interview with Janet Gregory and Lisa Crispin. We discussed their new book More Agile Testing. Agile testing is evolving at the same rate as Agile or maybe faster! Testing is still critical for delivering business value. Buy and read the book this week before listening to the interview! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 312 features our interview with Alex Neginsky. Alex is a real leader and practitioner in a real company that has really applied Agile. Alex shares pragmatic advice about to how practice Agile in the real world! Alex’s bio: Alex Neginsky began his career in the software industry at the age of 16 as a Software Engineer for Ultimate Software. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University in 2006. By age 27, Alex obtained his first software patent. Alex has been at MTech, a division of Newmarket International, since 2011. As the Director of Development he brings 15 years of experience, technical skills, and management capabilities. Alex manages highly skilled software professionals across several teams stationed all over Eastern Europe and the United States. He serves as the liaison between MTech Development and the industry. During his tenure with the MTech division of Newmarket, Alex has been pivotal in the adoption of the complete software development lifecycle and has spearheaded the adoption of leading Agile Development Methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. This has yielded higher velocity and better efficiencies throughout the organization. Contact Alex at [email protected] LinkedIn If you have the right stuff and are interested in a joining Newmarket then check out: http://www.newmarketinc.com/careers/join-newmarket Call to action! What are the two books that have most influenced you career (business, technical or philosophical)? Send the titles to [email protected]. What will we do with this list? We have two ideas. First, we will compile a list and publish it on the blog. Second, we will use the list to drive “Re-read” Saturday. Re-read Saturday is an exciting new feature we will begin in November. More on this new feature next week. So feel free to choose you platform and send an email, leave a message on the blog, Facebook or just tweet the list (use hashtag #SPaMCAST)! Next SPaMCAST 313 features our essay on developing an initial backlog. Developing an initial backlog is an important step to get projects going and moving in the right direction. If a project does not start well, it is hard for it to end well. We will provide techniques to help you begin well! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:30 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.

SPaMCAST 311 features our essay on backlog grooming. Backlog grooming is an important technique that can be used in any Agile or Lean methodology. At one point the need for backlog grooming was debated, however most practitioners now find the practice useful. The simplest definition of backlog grooming is the preparation of the user stories or requirements to ensure they are ready to be worked on. The act of grooming and preparation can cover a wide range of specific activities and can be performed at any time. We also have a new installment of Kim Pries’s Software Sensei column. What is the relationship between the containment of diseases and bad software? Kim makes the case that the process for dealing both are related. The Essay begins Backlog grooming is an important technique that can be used in any Agile or Lean methodology. At one point the need for backlog grooming was debated, however most practitioners now find the practice useful. The simplest definition of backlog grooming is the preparation of the user stories or requirements to ensure they are ready to be worked on. The act of grooming and preparation can cover a wide range of specific activities and can be performed at any time (although some times are better than others). Listen to the rest now! Next SPaMCAST 312 features our interview with Alex Neginsky. Alex is a real practitioner in a real company that has really applied Agile. Almost everyone finds their own path with Agile. Alex has not only found his path but has gotten it right and is willing to share! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 310 features our interview with Mike Burrows. This is Mike’s second visit to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. In this visit we discussed his new book, Kanban from the Inside (Kindle). The book lays out why Kanban is a management method built on a set of values rather than just a set of techniques. Mike explains why Kanban leads to better outcomes for projects, managers, organizations and customers! Mike is the UK Director and Principal Consultant at David J Anderson and Associates. In a career spanning the aerospace, banking, energy and government sectors, Mike has been a global development manager, IT director and software developer. He speaks regularly at Lean/Kanban-related events in several countries and his book Kanban from the Inside (Kindle)was published in September. Mike’s email is [email protected]: https://twitter.com/asplake and @KanbanInsideBlog is http://positiveincline.com/index.php/about/UK Kanban conference: http://lkuk.leankanban.com/Kanban conference series: http://conf.leankanban.com/ Next SPaMCAST 311 features our essay on backlog grooming. Backlog grooming is an important technique that can be used in any Agile or Lean methodology. At one point the need for backlog grooming was debated, however most practitioners now find the practice useful. The simplest definition of backlog grooming is the preparation of the user stories or requirements to ensure they are ready to be worked on. The act of grooming and preparation can cover a wide range of specific activities and can be performed at any time). In the next podcast we get into the nuts and bolts of making your backlog better! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 309 features our essay on Agile user acceptance testing. Agile user acceptance testing (AUAT) confirms that the output of a project meets the business’ needs and requirements. The concept of acceptance testing early and often is almost inarguable, whether you are using Agile or any other method. AUAT generates early customer feedback, which increases customer satisfaction and reduces the potential for delivering defects. While implementing an effective and efficient AUAT isn’t always easy it most certainly is possible! The essay begins: The classic definition of a user acceptance test (UAT) is a process that confirms that the output of a project meets the business needs and requirements. UAT in an Agile project generally is more rigorous and timely than the classic end of project UAT found in waterfall projects. In waterfall projects, the UAT is usually the last step in the development process. The problem with that classic scenario is that significant defects are found late in the process, or worse, the business discovers that what is being delivered isn’t exactly what they wanted. Agile projects provide a number of opportunities to interject UAT activities throughout the process, starting with the development of user stories, to the sprint reviews and demos, and finally the UAT sprints at the end of a release. Each level provides a platform for active learning and feedback from the business. Listen to the rest of the essay! Next SPaMCAST 310 features our interview with Michael Burrows. This is Michael’s second visit to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. In this visit we discussed his new book, Kanban from the Inside. The book lays out why Kanban is a management method built on a set of values rather than just a set of techniques. The argument is made that Kanban leads to better outcomes for projects, managers, organizations and customers! Buy and read the book before the interview! Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 308 features our interview with Michael West discussing his book Return on Process. Process improvement can have a dramatic impact to an organization's bottom line BUT ONLY with careful thought and planning. Michael West explains that process improvements with real impact are rarely an accident. Michael’s bio . . . Michael West is a life-long practitioner and student of process improvement. He is the co-founder of Natural Systems Process Improvement (Natural SPI), a consultancy specializing in designing, developing, and deploying process systems that enable measurable business performance improvement gains. Mr. West’s process insights and innovations have helped many organizations in various sectors of the economy achieve real process and performance improvement. His process consulting clients include ATK, Autodesk, AVL, BAE, BB&T, Crane Aerospace, DCS, Deloitte, Sandia National Labs, Reliability First, and the US Navy. Mr. West frequently presents and speaks at industry conferences, and is the author of Real Process Improvement Using the CMMI (CRC Press, 2004) and Return On Process (ROP): Getting Real Performance Results from Process Improvement (CRC Press, 2013). Contact Michael at:Web: http://www.naturalspi.com/Email: [email protected]: @ItsTheProcess Did you like the interview? Buy Michael's booksReturn On Process (ROP): Getting Real Performance Results from Process ImprovementReal Process Improvement Using the CMMI Next SPaMCAST 309 features our essay on Agile user acceptance testing. Agile user acceptance testing (AUAT) confirms that the output of a project meets the business’ needs and requirements. The concept of acceptance testing early and often is almost inarguable, whether you are using Agile or any other method. AUAT generates early customer feedback, which increases customer satisfaction and reduces the potential for delivering defects. The problem is that implementing an effective and efficient AUAT isn’t always easy. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 307 features our essay on integration testing and Agile. Integration testing is defined as testing in which components (software and hardware) are combined to confirm that they interact according to expectations and requirements. Good integration testing is critical to effective development whether you are using Agile techniques or not. Link and pictures noted in the essay: Beer glass logo screen Application Diagram We also have a new installment from the Software Sensei. Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, discusses layered process audits and software inspections. The techniques are a powerful approach to deliver high quality software. Next SPaMCAST 308 features our interview with Michael West author of Return On Process (ROP): Getting Real Performance Results from Process Improvement and more! We had a great discussion about why some process improvements impact the organization’s bottom line and some don’t. Impacting the bottom line is not accident. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Raise Your Game: Agile Retrospectives September 18, 2014 11:30 EDT Retrospectives are a tool that the team uses to identify what they can do better. The basic process – making people feel safe and then generating ideas and solutions so that the team can decide on what they think will make the most significant improvement – puts the team in charge of how they work. When teams are responsible for their own work, they will be more committed to delivering what they promise. Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming: ITMPI Webinar! We Are All Biased! September 16, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST Register HERE How we think and form opinions affects our work whether we are project managers, sponsors or stakeholders. In this webinar, we will examine some of the most prevalent workplace biases such as anchor bias, agreement bias and outcome bias. Strategies and tools for avoiding these pitfalls will be provided. Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 306 features our interview with Luis Gonçalves. We discussed getting rid of performance appraisals. Luis makes the case that performance appraisals hurt people and companies. Luis’s Bio . . . Luis Gonçalves is an Agile coach, author, speaker and blogger.Luis has been working in the software industry since 2003, as an Agile practitioner since 2007. He has experience in integrating sequential project phases like localization into an Agile framework and pioneering Agile adoption at different companies and in different contexts.Luis is the co-author of the book, Getting Value Out of Agile Retrospectives. He has a technical background and is Management 3.0 passionate. Mr Gonçalves likes to write and share ideas with the world and is a passionate blogger. Inspiration comes from his professional life and from the books he reads. Follow his blog at http://lmsgoncalves.com/ Luis asks for SPaMCAST listeners to provide feedback on his new book, Get Rid of Performance Appraisals. His mailing list is http://eepurl.com/QGxfX which provides the first part of his new book for free! Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 307 features our essay on Agile integration testing. Integration testing is defined as testing in which components (software and hardware) are combined to confirm that they interact according to expectations and requirements. Good integration testing is critical to effective Agile development. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Raise Your Game: Agile Retrospectives September 18, 2014 11:30 EDT Retrospectives are a tool that the team uses to identify what they can do better. The basic process – making people feel safe and then generating ideas and solutions so that the team can decide on what they think will make the most significant improvement – puts the team in charge of how they work. When teams are responsible for their own work, they will be more committed to delivering what they promise. Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming: ITMPI Webinar! We Are All Biased! September 16, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST Register HERE How we think and form opinions affects our work whether we are project managers, sponsors or stakeholders. In this webinar, we will examine some of the most prevalent workplace biases such as anchor bias, agreement bias and outcome bias. Strategies and tools for avoiding these pitfalls will be provided. Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 305 features our essay on Estimation. Estimation is a hot bed of controversy. We begin by synchronizing on what we think the word means. Then, once we have a common vocabulary we can commence with the fisticuffs. In SPaMCAST 305 we will not shy away from a hard discussion. The essay begins: Software project estimation is a conflation of three related but different concepts. The three concepts are budgeting, estimation and planning. These are typical in a normal commercial organization, however these concepts might be called different things depending your business model. For example, organizations that sell software services typically develop sales bids instead of budgets. Once the budget is developed the evolution from budget to estimate and then plan follows a unique path as the project team learns about the project. Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 306 features our interview with Luis Gonçalves. We discussed getting rid of performance appraisals. Luis makes the case that performance appraisals hurt people and companies. Upcoming Events DCG Webinars: Raise Your Game: Agile Retrospectives September 18, 2014 11:30 EDT Retrospectives are a tool that the team uses to identify what they can do better. The basic process – making people feel safe and then generating ideas and solutions so that the team can decide on what they think will make the most significant improvement – puts the team in charge of how they work. When teams are responsible for their own work, they will be more committed to delivering what they promise. Agile Risk Management – It Is Still Important! October 24, 2014 11:230 EDT Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or, have we just changed how we recognize and manage risk? Or, more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, have we tricked ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished? Upcoming: ITMPI Webinar! We Are All Biased! September 16, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST Register HERE How we think and form opinions affects our work whether we are project managers, sponsors or stakeholders. In this webinar, we will examine some of the most prevalent workplace biases such as anchor bias, agreement bias and outcome bias. Strategies and tools for avoiding these pitfalls will be provided. Upcoming Conferences: I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 304 features our interview with Jamie Lynn Cooke. Jamie Lynn Cooke is the author of The Power of the Agile Business Analyst. We discussed the definition of an Agile business analyst and what they actually do in Agile projects. Jamie provides a clear and succinct explanation of the role and huge value of Agile business analysts bring to projects! Jamie Lynn’s Bio:Jamie Lynn Cooke has 24 years of experience as a senior business analyst and solutions consultant, working with more than 130 public and private sector organizations throughout Australia, Canada, and the United States. She is the author of The Power of the Agile Business Analyst: 30 surprising ways a business analyst can add value to your Agile development team, which details how Agile business analysts can increase the relevance, quality and overall business value of Agile projects; Agile Principles Unleashed, a book written specifically to explain Agile in non-technical business terms to managers and executives outside of the IT industry; Agile: An Executive Guide: Real results from IT budgets, which gives IT executives the tools and strategies needed for bottom-line business decisions on using Agile methodologies; and Everything You Want to Know About Agile: How to get Agile results in a less-than-Agile organization, which gives readers strategies for aligning Agile work within the reporting, budgeting, staffing, and governance constraints of their organization. Also checkout, Agile Productivity Unleashed: Proven Approaches for Achieving Real Productivity Gains in Any Organization (Second Edition)! Jamie has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Psychology (Human Factors Engineering) from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts; and a Graduate Certificate in e-Business/Business Informatics from the University of Canberra in Australia. You can find her website here. Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 305 will feature our essay on estimation (here is our essay on specific topics within estimation). Estimation is a hot bed of controversy. But perhaps first we should synchronize on just what we think the word means. Once we have a common vocabulary we can commence with the fisticuffs. In SPaMCAST 305 we will not shy away from a hard discussion. Upcoming Events I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested. I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 303 features our essay titled “Topics in Estimation.” This essay is a collection of smaller essays that cover wide range of issues effecting estimation. Topics include estimation and customer satisfaction, risk and project estimates, estimation frameworks and size and estimation. Something to help and irritate everyone, we are talking about estimation – what would you expect? We also have a new installment of Kim Pries’s Software Sensei column. In this installment Kim discusses education as defect prevention. Do we really believe that education improves productivity, quality and time to market? Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 304 will feature our long awaited interview with Jamie Lynn Cooke, author The Power of the Agile Business Analyst. We discussed the definition of an Agile business analyst and what they actually do in Agile projects. Jamie provides a clear and succinct explanation of the role and value of Agile business analysts. Upcoming Events I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested! I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 302 features our interview with Larry Maccherone of Rally Software. We talked about Agile and metrics. Measuring and challenging the folklore of Agile is a powerful tool for change! Measurement and Agile in the same sentence really is not an oxymoron. Larry’s Bio: Larry is an industry recognized Agile speaker and thought leader. He is Rally Software's Director of Analytics and Research. Before coming to Rally Software, Larry worked at Carnegie Mellon with the Software Engineering Institute for seven years conducting research on software engineering metrics with a particular focus on reintroducing quantitative insight back into the agile world. He now leads a team at Rally using big data techniques to draw interesting insights and Agile performance metrics, and provide products that allow Rally customers to make better decisions. Larry is an accomplished author and speaker, presenting at major conferences for the lean and agile markets over the last several years, including the most highly rated talk at Agile 2013. He just gave two talks on the latest research at Agile 2014. Contact information: Rally Author Page Email: [email protected] Google+ Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 303 will feature our essay on estimation. Estimation is a hot bed of controversy. But perhaps first we should synchronize on just what we think the word means. Once we have a common vocabulary we can commence with the fisticuffs. In SPaMCAST 303 we will not shy away from a hard discussion. Upcoming Events I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested! I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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 number 301 features our essay on technical debt. Technical debt is the work not done or the shortcuts taken when delivering a product. We all take shortcuts, but at what cost? The essay begins: Technical debt is a term coined by Ward Cunningham to represent the work not done or the shortcuts taken when delivering a product. In almost every circumstance there are multiple paths than can be taken to deliver a functional product. For example, when documenting the code you are writing there is a difference between explaining exactly what the code does in detail and being terse and a bit oblique (I can hear the rationalization, “they can just read the code”). The code runs, but if there is ever a problem it will take longer to diagnose the problem. Whether fixing a defect or rewriting the code, if there is a delay caused by figuring out the code, that represents the 'debt' of technical debt. Technical debt is applied to software, but the phrase can be extended to any deliverable or product. The work that is not done may or may not be fixed in the future. Until the technical debt is paid back, the debt accrues interest. Whether or not that interest is important depends on your situation. Listen to the rest on the Software Process and Measurement Cast 301 Next Software Process and Measurement Cast number 302 will our interview with Larry Maccherone of Rally Software. We talked about Agile and metrics. Can you combine Agile and metrics without creating an oxymoron? Upcoming Events I will be presenting at the International Conference on Software Quality and Test Management in San Diego, CA on October 1. I have a great discount code!!!! Contact me if you are interested! I will be presenting at the North East Quality Council 60th Conference October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, MA. More on all of these great events in the near future! I look forward to seeing all SPaMCAST readers and listeners that attend these great events! The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor. As many you know I do at least one webinar for the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute (ITMPI) every year. The ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI’s mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world’s leading IT thought leaders and to create a single online destination where IT practitioners and executives can meet all of their educational and professional development needs. The ITMPI offers a premium membership that gives members unlimited free access to 400 PDU accredited webinar recordings, and waives the PDU processing fees on all live and recorded webinars. The Software Process and Measurement Cast some support if you sign up here. All the revenue our sponsorship generates goes for bandwidth, hosting and new cool equipment to create more and better content for you. Support the SPaMCAST and learn from the ITMPI. 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.