Libsyn Directory

SPaMCAST 764 - Successful Independent Consulting, A Conversation with Johanna Rothman

Release Date: 07/16/2023

Spring 2025 Rewind 2 - It's All About the People, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control. Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality. Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today! JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Original Show Notes: In March 2020, as our world was shrinking and words like 'lockdown' and 'zoom-bombing' were becoming a reality,...

Spring 2025 Rewind 1 - Intentional Serendipity, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control. Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality. Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today! JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Original Show Notes: SPaMCAST 597 features a special panel of leaders who discuss working from home now and after the initial...

Adopting AI, Ethics, Pragmatism, and Optimism, A Discussion with Paul Gibbons, SPaMCAST 860

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 860 features a conversation with Paul Gibbons. We discussed his new book, , which he co-authored with James Healy. This is not our first conversation with Paul, they have all been fabulous. Paul Gibbons is a keynote speaker and author of five books, including the acclaimed Adopting AI: The People-first Approach, which came out in March 2025. Before that, he was IBM's thought-leader on the future of work, and before that, a professor of business leadership at the University of Denver. In the Jurassic era, he was CEO of Europe's top leadership consulting...

Empathy Is Not A Dirty Word In Leadership, A Panel Discussion, SPaMCAST 859

Software Process and Measurement Cast

SPaMCAST 859 features a panel discussion on the role of empathy in getting work done in teams and organizations. This is not a black or white issue, the panel suggests there are nuances. The panel includes , , , and Please welcome Brad to the cast! I have wanted to get Brad on the podcast for several years. The stars finally aligned! Visit Mr Bittorf on LinkedIn Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to prioritize effectively and eliminate bottlenecks....

A Tale Of Work Intake Woe, Safety, Essays and Conversations With Jeremy Bearriult, SPaMCAST 858

Software Process and Measurement Cast

SPaMCAST 858 features a tale of work intake woe set in the Innovatech world that and I created. In this world, we use a bit of fiction to highlight real-world problems without pointing fingers or calling anyone a box of rocks. I would love your feedback about using allegory to highlight real issues. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Bearriult, The Evolutionary Agilist, who will bring his humor and wisdom to the podcast. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to...

The Future Of Software Development, A Conversation with Andy Hillard, SPaMCAST 857

Software Process and Measurement Cast

SPaMCAST 857 features our interview with Andy Hilliard, CEO of Accelerance and author of . In this episode, we talk about the future of software development and how global teams fit into the current geopolitical perspective. Nothing light and frothy in this week's discussion! Andy Hillard's Bio: As CEO of Accelerance, Andy leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams with our clients in search of talent and innovation Building a distributed extension of their engineering function and culture. At Accelerance, we’re passionate about global...

Playing Billiards On A Boat, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 856

Software Process and Measurement Cast

Consider sailing on a lake. It is a great day, there is only a slight rolling swell to contend with. Because you are so relaxed, you slip below and start a game of billiards with your mate. Its not too hard to time the rocking, but nothing is perfect. Then, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm. Who knows where the cue ball will land? How different is this example to any organizational transformation (or project or program) you have been involved in? The SPaMCAST 856 features an essay on delivery in an unstable environment and why it is like playing billiards on a boat. The outcome is...

Squeezing Testing Has Predictable Results, A Conversation with Khurram Mir, SPaMCAST 855

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 855 features my conversation with Khurram Mir. We talked about testing, quality assurance, control, and frameworks. We discussed whether we would still discuss the link between continual schedule pressure and reduced quality in 19 years. What is your opinion? Let's face it: Effective testing is essential for the effective delivery of value. Bio Steering Kualitatem as Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Khurram focuses on nurturing client relationships through transparency and a commitment to quality. The team's dedication to customer satisfaction and growth has been...

Accountability, Responsibility, Performance, and Freedom, Essays and Conversations with Susan Parente, SPaMCAST 854

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 854 features an essay on the linkage of accountability, responsibility, performance, and freedom. In our ongoing Re-read Saturday series featuring Amartya Sen's "Development As Freedom," we've found a compelling connection between Sen's insights and this week's discussion on personal accountability and performance. Specifically, Chapter 12's exploration of the interdependence between freedom and responsibility resonates deeply with the core concepts of our essay. We also have a visit from . In this installment of Not A Scumdamentalist, we discuss accountability. Mastering...

Real-time Collaboration Is Key to Success, A Conversation WIth John Conafay, SPaMCAST 853

Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 853 features our interview with John Conafay. CEO and Co-Founder of Integrate. John and I talked about program management in complex environments and real-time collaboration. In complex environments with multiple teams, real-time collaboration not only saves time but also saves money. John Conafay is a US Air Force Veteran and the CEO and Co-Founder of Integrate, building program management software with a systems engineering approach for the world’s most ambitious machines. Previously he was an early employee at three space unicorns – Head of BD at ABL Space Systems,...

More Episodes

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 764 we feature my conversation with Johanna Rothman. We discussed her new book Successful Independent Consulting. Well, we started there and then hit topics like personal value and the impact of success. This might be the eleventy-first conversation I have had with Johanna, and each time I look forward to our time together with anticipation. They are always like attending a master class.

Buy a copy of Successful Independent Consulting. Available everywhere including:

Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/independentconsulting

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rBfLDV

Johanna’s Bio:

Johanna Rothman, known as the “Pragmatic Manager,” offers frank advice for your thorny problems. She helps leaders and teams learn to see simple and reasonable options that might work. Those practical alternatives can help them be more effective with others at work. With those choices, they can choose what—and how—to adapt their product development.

With her trademark practicality and humor, Johanna is the author of 19 books, hundreds of articles, and blog posts about many aspects of product development. Her most recent books include Successful Independent Consulting, Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer, and Modern Management Made Easy series. Find her monthly newsletter and blogs at www.jrothman.com & www.createadaptablelife.com.

Editor's note: If you are not subscribed to Johanna’s newsletter…you should be.

Re-Read Saturday News

Simple is the first principle of making something sticky. It is also the title of chapter 1 of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. There are three areas in this chapter I would like to spend more time with.

The formula core + compactness = simple
Curse of knowledge
Metaphors and analogies

As you read the chapter you will see that all three are intertwined; however, each of the three is useful to consider in isolation.

Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read:

Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz

Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1

Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq

Next SPaMCAST

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 765, we will continue with our summer theme on critical thinking by exploring how experts, experience, and evidence apply to critical thinking.

We will also have a visit from the one and only Susan Parente, who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

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