It’s good to be pro-Agile but it’s also important to be anti-Cumbersome You know them when you see them; unwieldy and inefficient projects that take ages to deliver and no-one really knows how to start untangling and fixing them. Many projects have to be large and complex simply because of their scope – but they can still be …
Putting a group of software developers together to build prototypes requires planning; here’s how In many ways a codefest is like a conference – like minded people getting together for a couple of days with a schedule of various activities. All the logistics of running such an event need to be covered and it’s preferable to get a professional …
This powerful concept arose in a recent leadership meeting, but what does it mean? We are often told there are 2 kinds of people in this world; those that make things happen and those that watch things happen. I’ve always tried to be in the former category but my leadership journey is teaching me it’s …
…begins with one step,” and you must lead teams so they are willing to take it. This famous Chinese proverb (Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu) is a powerful antidote to the analysis paralysis mindset that strangles many large projects. Actually doing something rather than meeting and talking about it often seems like a novel idea …
Regularly demonstrate working software to customers; it builds engagement and increases trust. Nothing beats a good test drive before buying a new car; it’s difficult to get excited about the leather seats or the smooth gear change by reading the manual. Likewise software needs a tactile experience by the customer who is paying for it; …
You can apply most Agile principles selectively on projects. Forest Gump made the line famous and it is a useful way of referring to the toolbox approach that many people take with Agile. If you would like to improve daily collaboration then hold stand-ups and scrums, if you want better quality code try pair programming; …
Find a way to anchor user requirements to practical building blocks. It is important to understand what a user wants and why, through the gathering of user stories. However, requirements can quickly become unrealistic wishlists unless they are kept in check by architects who understand how the building blocks fit together. If you are leading …
Agile is about forward thinking not last minute risk management. “We’ll have to push this release out because the monthly changes on the mainframe only go live the following week.” This is common where systems integrate to back-end transactional platforms that follow a stricter timetable for implementing changes. The temptation is to delay but either …
A sprint is a perfect name – it is simple, self-evident and the route is clear. Well written software is intuitive and doesn’t require manuals and long training courses – no one has been trained to use Facebook or a Playstation. Likewise, good software engineering methodologies are easily explained, quickly understood and avoid jargon and …
“Working software over comprehensive documentation… …That is, while there is value in the item on the right, we value the item on the left more.” (Agile Manifesto) These are not the words that an IT project auditor wants to hear; surely we need big documents describing every last detail of the software we are building? …
