Software Process and Measurement Cast

Interviews, essays, facts, and tips about agile and lean agile development, process improvement, and measurement in delivery of value!

Spring 2025 Rewind 2 - It's All About the People, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley 05/04/2025

Spring 2025 Rewind 2 - It's All About the People, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley 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, we recorded and aired . Paul Laberge, Susan Parente, Jo Ann Sweeney, John Voris, and I talked about how we could create or preserve interactions leading to serendipity. Remote working was new for many people. This week we discuss what went well and what have we learned from nearly a year of working remotely. As the editor of the SPaMCAST it is my great pleasure to reconvene a group of people that have such great insight into people. The discussion is full of great ideas to improve remote and hybrid working environments, but most of all it is full of ideas to help respect people in tough times or not. Panelist Bios Jo Ann Sweeney FCIM FIIC MCIPR is an engagement and communication consultant. Typically, she acts as change management lead on complex programmes, facilitating development of effective engagement, training, and communication strategies and then assisting as the strategies are implemented. Clients value her deep understanding of audiences. Jo Ann is known for clarifying the complex and for persuading key stakeholders to get involved and actively support change. You are welcome to download a complimentary copy of Jo Ann’s guide How to Explain Change in 8 Easy Steps at Contact Jo Ann at [email protected] John Voris is the current leader of AgilePhilly, the local user group in the Philadelphia area for Scrum, Kanban, and Lean Software. () His day job is working on financial applications for Crown Cork & Seal, an essential company with over 100 years of manufacturing food and beverage cans. Prior to Crown, John was an independent software consultant for 30+ years helping both small companies and Fortune 100 large companies with both applications and operating systems. Reach out on LinkedIn: With more than 30 years in the information technology industry, Paul Laberge – CGI Director Consulting-Expert, has a wide range of experience providing IT project management. He enjoys coaching leaders in deploying business technology solutions. His experience in organizational change management spans many different lifecycles including transitions to Agile frameworks (RUP, XP, Scrum, SAFe, Nexxus, LeSS) and incorporating Lean (Kanban) methodologies. Reach out on LinkedIn: Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and a University Professor at multiple Universities. Mrs. Parente is an author, mentor and professor focused on risk management, traditional and Agile project 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 23+ 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 Susan at [email protected] /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/36082160

Spring 2025 Rewind 1 - Intentional Serendipity, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley 04/20/2025

Spring 2025 Rewind 1 - Intentional Serendipity, A Panel Discussion with Laberge, Parente, Voris, Sweeney, and Cagley 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 reaction to being remote has worn off. One of the important points we discussed was the need to make space for intentional serendipity. The panel is composed of Paul Laberge, Susan Parente, John Voris, Jo Ann Sweeney, and your host. Panelist Bios Jo Ann Sweeney FCIM FIIC MCIPR is an engagement and communication consultant. Typically, she acts as change management lead on complex programmes, facilitating development of effective engagement, training, and communication strategies and then assisting as the strategies are implemented. Clients value her deep understanding of audiences. Jo Ann is known for clarifying the complex and for persuading key stakeholders to get involved and actively support change. You are welcome to download a complimentary copy of Jo Ann’s guide How to Explain Change in 8 Easy Steps at Contact Jo Ann at [email protected] John Voris is the current leader of AgilePhilly, the local user group in the Philadelphia area for Scrum, Kanban, and Lean Software. () His day job is working on financial applications for Crown Cork & Seal, an essential company with over 100 years of manufacturing food and beverage cans. Prior to Crown, John was an independent software consultant for 30+ years helping both small companies and Fortune 100 large companies with both applications and operating systems. Reach out on LinkedIn: With more than 30 years in the information technology industry, Paul Laberge – CGI Director Consulting-Expert, has a wide range of experience providing IT project management. He enjoys coaching leaders in deploying business technology solutions. His experience in organizational change management spans many different lifecycles including transitions to Agile frameworks (RUP, XP, Scrum, SAFe, Nexxus, LeSS) and incorporating Lean (Kanban) methodologies. Reach out on LinkedIn: Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and a University Professor at multiple Universities. Mrs. Parente is an author, mentor and professor focused on risk management, traditional and Agile project 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 23+ 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 Susan at [email protected] /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/36082100

Adopting AI, Ethics, Pragmatism, and Optimism, A Discussion with Paul Gibbons, SPaMCAST 860 04/20/2025

Empathy Is Not A Dirty Word In Leadership, A Panel Discussion, SPaMCAST 859 04/13/2025

A Tale Of Work Intake Woe, Safety, Essays and Conversations With Jeremy Bearriult, SPaMCAST 858 04/06/2025

The Future Of Software Development, A Conversation with Andy Hillard, SPaMCAST 857 03/30/2025

The Future Of Software Development, A Conversation with Andy Hillard, SPaMCAST 857 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 software development and committed to making your global relationship an enviable success. Accelerance helps companies create and execute better software engineering strategies using global software outsourcing partnerships by providing professional guidance for planning, sourcing, and managing global teams… to achieve valuable benefits without risks and challenges. Accelerance has certified software engineering partners in more than 35 countries that are "large enough to scale but small enough to care". Website: Linkedin: YouTube: Synergea: 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. Real results, real change. Discover the system that simplifies complex projects. Order your copy today! Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of we reach Chapter 9: Population, Food, and Freedom. Sen begins with the sentence: “The contemporary age is not short of terrible and nasty happenings, but the persistence of extensive hunger in a world of unprecedented prosperity is surely one of the worst.” Previous installments of : All previous installments can be found at and Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 858 will revisit the topic of work intake. Over the past year, and I have been discussing the topic of work intake in support of our book, Mastering Work Intake, Almost unanimously everyone we have talked to agrees that it is the root cause of a wide range of problems. Impacts (but are not limited to) include quality issues, reduced value, job insecurity, and failures of trust. The tragedy is not that the problem is not recognized but that many people believe they lack agency even though there are ways to take control of work intake. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Bearriult, The Evolutionary Agilist, who will bring his humor and wisdom to the podcast. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35824435

Playing Billiards On A Boat, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 856 03/23/2025

Playing Billiards On A Boat, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 856 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 unpredictable. We also have a visit from ! Mr Quigley brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the cast. In this installment, we talk about configuration management. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! From ad-hoc to optimized! Dive deep into work intake with this insightful book. Learn the "Gold Standard" and practical deviations, plus how to use flow metrics effectively. Understand the human element and align with Agile principles for better delivery. Perfect for executives, managers, and coaches. Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of , we tackled Chapter 8, Women’s Agency and Social Change. Paraphrasing Wikipedia (to make it a bit less technical), the definition of agency is a person's ability to initiate and control their actions and the feeling they have of being in charge of their own actions. The concept of agency is important in all human endeavors, not just economic and social development. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 857 will feature our interview with Andy Hilliard, CEO of Accelerance and author of the book Synergea. 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! /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35820610

Squeezing Testing Has Predictable Results, A Conversation with Khurram Mir, SPaMCAST 855 03/16/2025

Squeezing Testing Has Predictable Results, A Conversation with Khurram Mir, SPaMCAST 855 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 unwavering for over 15 years. With a distinct proficiency in new business development and software applications, they have successfully positioned Kualitatem as a leader in quality assurance. Founding Kualitee highlighted Khurram's journey in product management, channeling his competencies into creating a tool that simplifies and enhances the testing process for teams. The platform reflects their mission to make quality management both efficient and enjoyable. Contact Data: LinkedIN: Web: (Company) Web: (Personal) Email: [email protected] Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Keyan Reid bought a copy and wrote a review titled “” Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of , we tackle Chapter 7, Famines and Other Crises. This chapter examines the impact of freedoms and leadership through the lens of famines and other crises. This chapter also builds upon Chapter 6’s discussion of democracy. Human agency can cause and sustain famines and other crises at all levels of society. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Social Choice and Individual Behavior Week 9: Famines and Other Crises Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 856 will feature an essay on delivery in an unstable environment and why it is like playing billiards on a boat. The outcome is unpredictable. We will also have a visit from ! Mr Quigley will bring his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35706395

Accountability, Responsibility, Performance, and Freedom, Essays and Conversations with Susan Parente, SPaMCAST 854 03/08/2025

Accountability, Responsibility, Performance, and Freedom, Essays and Conversations with Susan Parente, SPaMCAST 854 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 Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Keyan Reid bought a copy and wrote a review titled “” Links to buy a copy… Amazon (US) — JRoss — Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn Re-read Saturday News The fun part of reading and then rereading a book is knowing what is to come in . I am jumping to Chapter 11 for a reason that will be readily apparent. We will slide back into the order of the book next week unless real life suggests we change the order again. Sen opens this chapter by stating, “Aristotle agreed with Agathon that even God could not change the past.” We go deep after that! Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 855 will feature my conversation with Khurram Mir. We talked about testing, quality assurance, control, and frameworks. Effective testing is essential for the effective delivery of value. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35575080

Real-time Collaboration Is Key to Success, A Conversation WIth John Conafay, SPaMCAST 853 03/02/2025

Real-time Collaboration Is Key to Success, A Conversation WIth John Conafay, SPaMCAST 853 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, was one of the first ten employees at Astranis, and Interned at Spire Global early on. He also worked at the Office of the CFO NASA Headquarters while at BryceTech and was a Director of Business Development at Spaceflight LinkedIn: Integrate: Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Interested in continuing the conversation with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn Re-read Saturday News Chapter Five of begins with a phenomenal quote by Huxley from Science and Culture “It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.” Several years ago (2008, ) I wrote an essay suggesting that radical ideas, like agile, begin at the fringes and then assimilate into the center. I wish I had run across this quote that highlights the life cycle of ideas. Speaking of heresies and superstitions, Sen reviews the impact of capitalist markets on freedom and development in Chapter 5 of , Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 854 will feature our essay on the need for personal accountability and performance. What are you accountable for? We will also have a visit from who will bring her Not A Scumdamentalist column to the podcast. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35416075

Scaling Or Allocating - Only One Is Real, Are You A Resource, Essays and Conversation With Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 852 02/23/2025

Scaling Or Allocating - Only One Is Real, Are You A Resource, Essays and Conversation With Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 852 SPaMCAST 852 features our essay on scaling attention. Seth Godin's observation that attention doesn't scale highlights a crucial point: attention, like time, is a finite resource. We often conflate scaling and allocation, but they are distinct concepts. A human's capacity for focused attention is limited, regardless of how much time we spend awake. This fixed amount of attention, our "attentional budget," can be allocated to various tasks and activities. Allocation involves choosing where to direct our focus, like deciding to read a book instead of browsing the internet. Scaling, on the other hand, refers to the intensity and scope of that focus. While reading, you narrow your focus to absorb information more deeply, increasing the intensity of your attention on the chosen subject. We will also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist, . Mr. Berriault and I discuss the pervasive use of the term resources that allow organizations to distance themselves from people. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News This chapter begins with a phenomenal quote from Huxley from Science and Culture “It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.” Several years ago (2008, ) I wrote an essay suggesting that radical ideas, like agile, begin at the fringes and then assimilate to the center. I wish I had run across this quote that highlights the life cycle of ideas. In Chapter Five, Sen reviews the impact of capitalist markets on freedom and development in Chapter 5 of , Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Markets, State, and Social Opportunity Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 853 will feature our interview with John Conafay, the CEO and Co-Founder of Integrate. John and I talked about program management in complex environments and the impact of introducing real-time collaboration. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35307290

Accessibility Is An Ethical Issue, A Conversation With Mike Paciello, SPaMCAST 851 02/16/2025

Accessibility Is An Ethical Issue, A Conversation With Mike Paciello, SPaMCAST 851 SPaMCAST 851 will feature our interview with Mike Paciello. Accessibility which should be a basic human right has always been a struggle and now seems even farther from reality. Mike and I talk about the definition of accessibility, the issues we face, and why this is an ethical issue not just a compliance problem. Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., where he drives advancements in digital accessibility. He previously founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, delivering insights on disability and accessibility technology, and authored the pioneering book “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities.” Recognized by President Bill Clinton in 1997 for his role in the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative, Mike has advised the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. An international leader in accessibility and usability, he also founded The Paciello Group (TPG), a leading software accessibility consultancy acquired by Vispero in 2017. Contact Information: Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-paciello-1231741/ Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News In Chapter 4 of , Sen states that value is generated based on the “freedoms a person enjoys that allows them to lead the life they have reason to value.” This leads to the postulate that “poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than merely as lowness of incomes.” The idea of observing and understanding poverty as a function of capability deprecation refocuses the reader on the process rather than just the outcome. As we noted in the last chapter, the journey matters. The argument is that without capabilities (i.e. access to education, health care, and transportation) low income is the outcome. While there is covariance (low income reduces access to capabilities) the relationship is obvious. Couple that with the point that poverty is relative to context and the data gets harder to compare region to region. Finally, without understanding which capabilities are in deficit it will be difficult to make policy decisions. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 852 will feature an essay on scaling attention. Unlike many things, attention doesn’t scale no matter how hard you try. So why do people try so hard? We will also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist, . /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35226305

Change Resistance or Apathy, More on Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations With Susan Parente SPaMCAST 850 02/09/2025

Change Resistance or Apathy, More on Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations With Susan Parente SPaMCAST 850 Several weeks ago I spent too much time in the middle of the night considering a scenario of apparent change resistance. I concluded that not everything that looks like resistance is what it appears. Rather there was a bigger issue hiding in plain sight; the concept of change indifference/change apathy. As a change leader, the difference is not academic because it impacts how to address the issue. As organizations remold themselves to address the culture and pressures of the 2020s we need to find a path to empower organizations and to improve their craft while at the same time struggling with pressures to contain costs and grow. The solution cannot merely be messaging. We also have a visit from . We discuss manipulation and persuasion from the Not A Scrumdamentalist perspective. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News In Chapter 2 of , the author takes a deep dive into the goals and mechanisms of development. The chapter begins by contrasting two common opposing views of the development process. The “I win, you lose” approach - highly competitive markets where the strong win through the expenditure of blood, sweat, and tears. This contrasts with a “win-win” model where development results from mutually beneficial transactions. Adam Smith described the later form of markets (I added The Wealth of Nations to my to-read list for 2025). The latter approach is conducive to leveraging ’ supportive activities such as social safety nets, political liberties, and social development. While probably imperfect, the comparison is between a laissez-faire and a managed market approach to development. The comparison is useful because it allows us to consider the clash between highly libertarian and more collective points of view on development and behavior. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 851 will feature our interview with Mike Paciello. We discussed digital accessibility. If the web is a ubiquitous tool then everyone needs to be able to interact with as little friction as possible. Today that is a dream but it does not have to be. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35111115

Industrialization of AI, A Conversation With Barzan Mosafari, SPaMCAST 849 02/01/2025

Industrialization of AI, A Conversation With Barzan Mosafari, SPaMCAST 849 SPaMCAST 849 features our interview with . Mr Mosaari is the co-founder and CEO of . We talked about the industrialization of AI and using AI to deliver value now that it is more than chatbots. If you have looked at your bills as you develop and run AI’s in your business, you will want to spend a few minutes listening to this conversation. Barzan Mozafari is the co-founder and CEO of , Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, and a for his award-winning research at the intersection of ML and database systems across the Univ. of Michigan, MIT, and UCLA. A sought-after expert in the space who has spoken on panels like , he’s passionate about sharing his research and expertise for advancing and optimizing data teams everywhere. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News In Chapter 2 of , the author takes a deep dive into the goals and mechanisms of development. The chapter begins by contrasting two common opposing views of the development process. The “I win, you lose” approach - highly competitive markets where the strong win through the expenditure of blood, sweat, and tears. This contrasts with a “win-win” model where development results from mutually beneficial transactions. Adam Smith described the later form of markets (I added The Wealth of Nations to my to-read list for 2025). The latter approach is conducive to leveraging ’ supportive activities such as social safety nets, political liberties, and social development. While probably imperfect, the comparison is between a laissez-faire and a managed market approach to development. The comparison is useful because it allows us to consider the clash between highly libertarian and more collective points of view on development and behavior. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 850 will feature an essay on the difference between change apathy and indifference. This is not an academic discussion because it impacts how we approach change. We will also have a visit from Susan Patente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/35029045

Only Outcomes Matter…Not, Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 848 01/26/2025

Only Outcomes Matter…Not, Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 848 I've often heard the argument that only outcomes matter, from bosses and colleagues to pundits, and more recently, even from coaches and change agents. This consequentialist view—that the ends justify the means ultimately harms individuals, organizations, and their stakeholders. In SPaMCAST 848 we discuss why the consequentialist argument that only the outcome matters is flawed for several reasons. We also have a visit from who brings his wonderful Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast. In this episode Jon and I discuss a topic aligned with consequentialism, the use of manipulation and persuasion. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News The first chapter of (have you bought your copy?) explores the relationship between freedom and development. In the chapter, the author highlights the dichotomy between the concentration on economic wealth and a “broader” focus on the lives we can lead as different views of development. During my university career, I studied a lot of economics. I do mean a lot. At one point I considered economics as a vocation, at the time my math was not good enough and I was not a good enough student to understand that I could have remedied that issue. The brand of economics I studied would have put me into the “wealth as development” camp. Winding the calendar forward a few days (or decades) as I read this book, specifically in light of studying Stoicism, I find myself on the other end of the spectrum. Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 849 will feature our interview with . Mr Mosaari is the co-founder and CEO of . We talked about the industrialization of AI and using AI to deliver value. This conversation concerns moving AI from parlor tricks to the backbone of cost-conscious value delivery. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34955265

Shift: From Product To People, A Conversation with Oliver-Krueger and Dougherty, SPaMCAST 847 01/19/2025

Efficiency and Productivity, Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations With Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 846 01/12/2025

Efficiency and Productivity, Manipulation and Persuasion, Essays and Conversations With Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 846 SPaMCAST 846 features a discussion based on Seth Godin’s , Seth stated. “Busy is a morally superior distraction. Busy gets us off the hook. Busy is a great place to hide.” The comment greatly impacted me because I had a conversation in which someone had equated being busy to value and productivity. Efficiency is vital. It is however only a tool for improving productivity and value – not the ultimate goal. We will also have a visit from , the Evolutionary Agilist. Mr. Berriault and I discuss the distinction between manipulation and persuasion. Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! As the new year builds up steam, have you looked at your to-do list and said, “Oh my” (or something saltier)? I know I have. This is a symptom of a work intake issue. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending your year-end bonus? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News Now for something completely different. Over the past few years, I have contemplated philosophy in the context of work and life. Our re-reading of is just the tip of the iceberg. Today we take the second exit at the roundabout and start the read/re-read of . Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 847 will feature a discussion with Pete Oliver-Krueger and Michael Dougherty. We will discuss their new book, Shift: From Product To People. Shift is a business novel of organizational change. I think you will find this an important view into change and transformation. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34819000

AI, Co-owned AI, Multi-agent Systems, A Conversation With David Minarsch SPaMCAST 845 01/05/2025

AI, Co-owned AI, Multi-agent Systems, A Conversation With David Minarsch SPaMCAST 845 The SPaMCAST 845 features our interview with David Minarsch. We discuss AI, co-owned AI, multi-agent systems in complex environments, and governance. These are singularly the most important technical topics for the new year. If you are in the “business” you need to listen carefully to David’s perspective on agents. DAVID MINARSCH is a distinguished expert in the fields of Applied Game Theory and Multi-Agent Systems, holding a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. His groundbreaking work includes the creation of the first multi-agent system framework with native support for distributed ledger technologies. As the co-founder and CEO of Valory, David has been at the forefront of integrating AI and blockchain technology since 2021, pioneering the development of open-source and user-ownable autonomous agents. David has established himself as a visionary leader in the tech industry, most notably by his latest venture, Valory, which is a co-creator of Olas, the platform for co-owning AI, which has generated swarms of AI agents making over 900,000 transactions. David’s mission through Valory is to enable communities, organizations, and countries to co-own AI systems, beginning with decentralized autonomous agents. His innovative work continues to shape the future of AI and blockchain integration, paving the way for more democratic and accessible artificial intelligence systems. Website: LinkedIn: X: Master Work Intake! As the new year builds up steam, have you looked at your to-do list and said, “Oh my” (or something saltier)? I know I have. This is a symptom of a work intake issue. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control! Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending your year-end bonus? and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we’ll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Re-read Saturday News Today we wrap up our re-read of . There are several themes I would like to highlight. The first and perhaps the most important is the impact of an exceptional bookstore. I picked this book up at Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI. But for that small bit of serendipity, my life would have been different. Support your local bookstore and if you don’t have one, take an occasional road trip to go and touch, smell, and sample physical books. The second theme is Epicitetus’s concept of the dichotomy of control and then we proceed even deeper into Stoicism. Next week we begin the re-read of . This re-read will expand the horizons on Re-read Saturday a bit. You will find the topic interesting and useful. Buy a copy and read or re-read along with us! Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Week 15: Week 16: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 846 will discuss the importance of efficiency. It is easy to prioritize outcomes and value over output and efficiency, but that logic is problematic. We will also have a visit from , the Evolutionary Agilist. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34719455

Software Process and Measurement Cast Panel Discussion 2024, SPaMCAST 844 12/29/2024

Software Process and Measurement Cast Panel Discussion 2024, SPaMCAST 844 Another year has flown by, 2025 is near. The SPaMCAST 844 features our year-end panel discussion. This year , , , and I discuss AI, Agile, mixing methods and try to forecast what comes next. This episode is a cornucopia of opinions and frivolity. Websites: Jeremy Berriault: https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Susan Parente: http://www.s3-tec.com/ Jon M Quigley: https://valuetransform.com/ Jeremy Willets: https://www.jeremywillets.com/ Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us, we’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will approve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Re-read Saturday News “Admit not sleep into your tender eyelids till you have reckoned up each deed of the day large – how have I erred, what done or left undone? So Start, and so review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad.” - Epictetus I have read and re-read the opening quote from Epictetus several times. I interpret the quote as a call for daily retrospectives. This is a practice that I do both personally and professionally. The word “try” reflects a lack of perfection and a requirement that I continue to work on the practice. Chapter 14 of is all about continuing to learn and practice. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Week 15: Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 845 will feature our interview with David Minarsch. We will discuss AI, co-owned AI, multi-agent systems in complex environments, and governance. These are important topics to begin what portends to be a complex and dynamic year. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34624590

Mastering Work Intake Year 1, Reflections and Plans with Jeremy Willets, SPaMCAST 843 12/22/2024

Mastering Work Intake Year 1, Reflections and Plans with Jeremy Willets, SPaMCAST 843 Jeremy Willets and I have had a blast sharing the ideas in Mastering Work Intake (JRoss Publishing). This week Jeremy and I sat down to discuss the year in review and plans for 2025. One of the important things we have demonstrated is the link between the work teams and organizations put on their plate and what gets delivered. The relationship is not linear and gets ugly when you cross the tipping point. There is a path to avoid that pain! Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us, we’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will approve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Re-read Saturday News This is the second to the last chapter of . In Chapter 13, Love and Friendship, we continue to address the third Stoic discipline, Assent (how to react to situations). The central core of the chapter is to show how a Stoic should interact with the influences of love and friendship. Remember that to a Stoic, character is key and anything that negatively influences character is to be avoided. In my second reading, there are two areas that I would like to highlight from the perspective of process improvement. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 844 will feature our year-end panel of , , and . This episode will be a cornucopia of topics, opinions, and frivolity. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34550975

Symptoms Are Not The Root Cause Of Pain, New Team Mates, Essays and Conversation with Susan Parente, SPaMCAST 842 12/15/2024

Symptoms Are Not The Root Cause Of Pain, New Team Mates, Essays and Conversation with Susan Parente, SPaMCAST 842 In January of 2024, JRoss Publishing brought Mastering Work Intake by and I to the world. The activities supporting the book have been a blast! One of the common problems we have observed as we have spread the message is that often those with the biggest work intake problem get mesmerized by the symptoms and fail to see the root cause of the problem. When this happens the symptom becomes the root cause causing people and organizations to spend significant amounts of time and money fixing the wrong problem. To borrow a line from Manfred Mann, they are “.” We will discuss this topic in a minute or so. We also have a visit from the inestimable Susan Parente. Susan and I discussed how to integrate a new team member into a team. It is not easy when everyone has an opinion. Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us. We’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will approve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Re-read Saturday News Chapter 12 of (buy a copy and read along) is How To Deal With Anger, Anxiety, And Loneliness. This is an interesting chapter to be re-reading in early November 2024. Anger, anxiety, and loneliness are difficult topics because they are personal. It is easy to take a myopic view and tell ourselves that these are someone else’s problems. Or worse that they need to be walled up. They aren’t and they shouldn’t be. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Next SPaMCAST Speaking of Mastering Work Intake, Mr Willets and I are doing our year-end wrap-up for SPaMCAST 843. We will discuss the joys and unjoys of being authors and book salesmen. Not to spoil the suspense it has been mostly a joy. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34427370

Open Source, Learning, Careers, and Leadership with Gorkem Ercan, SPaMCAST 841 12/08/2024

Open Source, Learning, Careers, and Leadership with Gorkem Ercan, SPaMCAST 841 We are back from our adventure and our trips down memory lane (at least for a while). Today we feature our interview with Gorkem Ercan. We discussed open source, leadership, and learning. FYI – this podcast has a ton of great advice for anyone pursuing a career in software development! Gorkem Ercan is a founding Distinguished Engineer and CTO of Jozu. Gorkem has experience working and leading teams with various technologies ranging from building IDEs, to building mobile phones, and CI/CD systems. He is an avid contributor and supporter of open source. Gorkem is the creator of the wildly popular Eclipse JDT language server and vscode-java extension, as well as the YAML Language server and vscode-yaml extension. He is a committer on various projects, including Eclipse Che, Eclipse Theia, and Apache Cordova. Gorkem is a member of the Eclipse Architecture Council and one of the longest-serving Eclipse committers. Contact Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorkemercan/ Website:https://jozu.com/ Master Work Intake! It has been nearly a year since JRoss Publishing published Mastering Work Intake. Jeremy Willets and I believe our book and workshops have helped numerous organizations, teams, and most importantly people bring order out of chaos – at least that is what they tell us. As the year winds down we are excited to offer a free 30-minute “office hours” session with us. We’ll facilitate the session to help you create a plan to tackle your work intake challenges. Book time with us here: Also, consider buying your boss a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will approve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Re-read Saturday News Chapter 11, On Death and Suicide, begins Part 3 of (buy a copy and read along). Death and suicide are not popular conversation topics at lunch even during the worst project. However, as I read this chapter for a second time I considered the topic from two directions which helped me extract ideas from the chapter that made the topic less likely to clear the room. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 842 will feature our essay on how you can recognize if you have a work intake problem. Over the past year, it has become apparent that the symptoms sometimes obscure the root cause. We will also have a visit from the one and only Susan Parente! /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/34314335

Revisiting Paul Gibbons and Impact, SPaMCAST 840 12/01/2024

Revisiting Jodie Kane and Product Owners In Retrospectives. SPaMCAST 839 11/24/2024

Revisiting Software Measurement with Mauricio Aguiar and Christine Green December 2021, SPaMCAST 838 11/17/2024

Revisiting 2019 With Al Shalloway, SPaMCAST 837 11/10/2024

Work Intake Halloween, A Second Opinion, Essays and Conversations with Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 836 11/03/2024

Work Intake Halloween, A Second Opinion, Essays and Conversations with Jeremy Berriault, SPaMCAST 836 SPaMCAST 836 celebrates Halloween. Over the years instead of just one night, people decorate their houses and celebrate for at least a month - we love a party. In celebration of what has become the seventh-largest retail holiday in the United States, let's take a spooky look at the outcome of poor work intake and celebrate that we can banish the spooks and shades of poor work intake. We also hear from in his Evolutionary Agilist column. In this episode, we discuss the impact of adding new team members to a long-lived, high-performing team when the new person wants to strike out in a new direction. Master Work Intake! Join one of two upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next two workshops are taking a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025! Seats are available on: November 9th 9 AM EST - Noon EST December 6th 9 AM EST Noon EST More information and registration at Simply put if you don’t control work intake IT CONTROLS YOU! No workshops for you? Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake and begin to take control of the flow of work for your team and organization. Order a copy of the book from JRoss Publishing - or via Amazon - Re-read Saturday News Chapter 10 of (buy a copy and read along) is titled Disability And Mental Illness. Sounds like a downer? It isn’t. The author begins this chapter by reminding us that Stoicism’s goal is to help people live the best life possible. He uses the stories of three people to illustrate how Stoicism can help people deal with difficult problems. I see this chapter as related to chapter 9’s discussion of role models. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 837 through 840 will be reruns of some of my favorite shows from the early 2000’s. I am off on a vacation. We will be back with new content with SPaMCAST 841. /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/33757447

Cake On Tuesday, A Conversation With Elizabeth Bieniek, SPaMCAST 835 10/27/2024

Cake On Tuesday, A Conversation With Elizabeth Bieniek, SPaMCAST 835 SPaMCAST 835 features our conversation with Elizabeth Bieniek. Elizabeth and I will discuss her new book, , and explore the basics of innovation and leadership. The insights into innovation and intrapreneurship will help all enterprises compete and deliver value to their stakeholders. Elizabeth Bieniek is an author, speaker, and consultant focused on “good peopling” as the secret to exceptional execution. As a founder and Fortune 100 innovation and engineering leadership veteran, her expertise lies in challenging assumptions, embracing diverse perspectives, and leading through ambiguity to build empowered, resilient teams that last. Named one of Toptal’s 10 most influential “Female Pioneers in Technology,” she has spoken on bridging the gap between human connection and innovation at EmTech NEXT, Chatham House, ITEXPO, AWE, and the Global AI Community. Her leadership and innovation philosophy have been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Inc., International Business Times, and Women in Business. Elizabeth’s Profile Website Master Work Intake! Join one of two Upcoming Mastering Work Intake Workshops to help you learn to address IT’s nastiest, dirtiest little secret…poor work intake. The next two workshops are taking a compressed approach to help kickstart 2025! Seats are available on: November 9th 9 AM EST - Noon EST December 6th 9 AM EST Noon EST More information and registration at If you don’t control work intake IT CONTROLS YOU! Buy a copy and begin to control the flow of work for your team and organization. Order a copy of the book from JRoss Publishing - or via Amazon - Re-read Saturday News Chapter 9 of (buy a copy and read along) wrestles with the source of human virtue. The author, Massimo Pigliucci, is a professor of philosophy who holds Ph. Ds in philosophy, genetics, and evolutionary biology and has published extensively on nature versus nurture. In this chapter, he uses science as a lens to explore Stoic ideas focusing on role models as an area where nurture is effective. Catch on all of the entries in the re-read of (buy a copy and read along) Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 836 considers the outcome of poor work entry using the metaphor of road kill. Hum a few stanzas of Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road (), and let's determine how not to get hit by a truck! We will also hear from who will bring his Evolutionary Agilist column to the podcast /episode/index/show/spamcast/id/33628672

Battling The Walls Of Denial, New Kids On The Block – Essays and Conversations with Jon. M Quigley, SPaMCAST 834 10/20/2024

Software Process and Measurement Cast

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