Podcasts by Better ROI from Software Development

#188: Bad for ROI - More Developers from 2023-11-22T16:00

Following on from the last two episodes that look at the dysfunctional and unexpected results that can from the seemly well intentioned call for "more planning", this week's episod...

#187: Bad for ROI - More Planning - Part 2 from 2023-11-08T16:00

In this episode, the second of two, I conclude the exploration of the dysfunctions and unexpected results that can occur from the seeming well intentioned call for "more planning".

#186: Bad for ROI - More Planning - Part 1 from 2023-11-01T16:00

In this episode, the first of two, I start to explore the dysfunctions and unexpected results that can occur from the seeming well intentioned call for "more planning".

In this ...

#185: Bad for ROI - Overemphasis on Perfection from 2023-10-25T15:00

In the last episode I the dysfunctions and unexpected results of a "feature factory" within Software Development.

This week I look at what happens if the pendulum swings too far...

#184: Bad for ROI - the Feature Factory from 2023-10-18T15:00

In the fast-paced world of software development, the “feature factory” model, with its promise of rapid growth and high ROI, can easily captivate businesses.

This episode takes a dive in...

#183: Bad for ROI - Performance measurements in software development from 2023-10-04T15:00:20

In this episode I look at another practice that can be bad for ROI - a practice that may commonly be considered good or common practice, but is actually causing dysfunctional, and unexpected, re...

#182: Bad for ROI - Bonuses from 2023-09-27T15:00:13

We all know that a heft bonus improves productivity. Its a management stable - dangle the carrot and good results just roll it.

But is that really true?

In this episode, I look at ...

#181: Bad for ROI - RAG reporting from 2023-09-13T15:00:07

Occasionally I record an episode exploring something that may commonly be considered good, or common practice, but is actually causing dysfunctional, and unexpected, results in modern software d...

#180: Bad for ROI - the HiPPO from 2023-09-06T15:00:35

Occasionally I record an episode exploring something that may commonly be considered good, or common practice, but is actually causing dysfunctional, and unexpected, results in modern software d...

#179: Does the manager still have a role to play in the modern software development team? from 2023-08-30T15:00:08

In this episode I wanted to explore what it means to be a manager for a development team - and more importantly in the world of diverse, cross-functional, self-managing, value stream teams, does...

#178: Transaction-based costing - a wrap-up from 2023-08-23T15:00:58

In this episode I wrap up this series of episodes on transaction-based costing by looking at the common themes and revisiting some of my initial reasons for starting the series.

For me t...

#177: Transaction-based costing and Small Batch Sizes from 2023-08-16T14:32:47

In this episode I continue the discussion on transaction-based costing by looking at the relationship with Small Batch Sizes.

I began by defining small batch sizes - the breaking of work...

#176: Transaction-based costing and Value Stream Teams from 2023-08-09T14:58:39

In this episode I continue the discussion on transaction-based costing by looking at the relationship with Value Stream Teams.

I start by defining value stream teams - cross-functional g...

#175: Transaction-based costing and its relationship with serverless and cloud from 2023-08-02T16:47:19

In episode, I discuss the relationship between transaction-based costing models, serverless computing, and cloud computing in a dynamic business environment.

I look at how this model off...

#174: Transaction-based costing in Software Development from 2023-07-26T15:00:23

Are you struggling to track the true return on investment in your software development projects?

Traditional CapEx and OpEx models may not be enough in dynamic environments. But don't...

#173: AI Coding Assistants - the future from 2023-07-19T15:00:42

In this episode, I discusses the potential benefits of organization-specific AI Coding Assistants.

While AI won't replace developers, it can provide more refined and less generic answ...

#172: AI Coding Assistants - the potential negatives from 2023-07-12T15:00:24

In this episode I discuss the potential negatives of using AI Coding Assistants in software development.

I cover topics such as:

• over-reliance and skill degradation,
...
Listen

#171: AI Coding Assistants - the benefits from 2023-07-05T15:00:45

In this episode, I discusses the expected benefits of using AI Coding Assistants in software development.

These benefits include:

• increased productivity,
• code opt...
  Listen

#170: AI Coding Assistants - an introduction from 2023-06-28T15:00:43

In this episode I discuss the growing use of AI Coding Assistants in software development, particularly large language models like ChatGPT.

I explain how AI Coding Assistants can greatly...

#169: ChatGPT - initial conversation thoughts from 2023-06-21T15:00:04

In this episode, I review last weeks conversation with ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI. I discuss the technology behind ChatGPT, its potential risks and be...

#168: ChatGPT - my first conversation from 2023-06-14T15:00:16

In this episode, I aim to explain what ChatGPT is and its future for a non-technical managerial audience - and I do this through conversing with ChatGPT.

I share this first chat I've ...

#167: Password Hygiene from 2023-06-07T15:08:41

In this episode, I discusses the LastPass breach that occurred last year and how it has prompted me to improve my password hygiene.

I talk about why the breach has led me to move away fr...

#166: The value of certifications from 2023-05-31T15:52:50

In this episode, I discuss my personal experience with Microsoft Certifications and their value in the IT industry.

I believe that certifications provide a wider breadth of knowledge tha...

#165: Introduction to the Actor Model from 2023-05-24T15:52:17

In this episode, I introduce the Actor Model as a Design Pattern that can offer faster and more efficient processing by managing state in memory.

I discuss potential use cases for the Ac...

#164: Design Patterns from 2023-05-17T15:59:41

In this podcast episode, I introduce the concept of design patterns in software development and explain their importance in improving code quality and readability.

I give examples of des...

#163: Taking time for self care from 2023-05-10T16:21:19

This is the first episode after a prolonged break - so firstly, an apology for the gap in recordings.

In this episode I wanted to talk about why I took a break, the lessons to learn and w...

#162: Recommendations in a downturn from 2023-01-25T16:57:57

As we start the new year, its not uncommon for organisations to looks at budgets and general expenditure - and given the current financial outlook, I would have expected many organisations to be...

#161: State of DevOps 2022 from 2023-01-18T16:16:53

This episode, I wanted to take a quick look at the 2022 edition of the State of DevOps Report.

I've talked a number of times about the State of DevOps report. I originally introduced it b...

#160: Revisiting Software Development Estimation from 2023-01-11T16:17:19

I've long held the belief that Estimation is the source of much dysfunction within Software Development.

However, with a New Year, I'll like to take this as an opportunity to revisit my s...

#159: Gantt Charts revisited from 2022-12-21T16:11:18

I originally discussed Gantt charts back in episode 62, but I found more history behind them while researching Scientific Management and Taylorism for episode 156. I originally thought to includ...

#158: The Pitch - one-size does not fill all from 2022-12-14T16:43:40

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#157: The Pitch - its not like flipping hamburgers from 2022-12-07T16:46:40

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#156: The Pitch - the management practices of yesterday from 2022-11-30T16:51

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#155: The Pitch - the age and maturity of software development from 2022-11-23T16:59:16

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#154: The Pitch - doing change from 2022-11-16T16:48:42

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#153: The Pitch - the Age of Software and Digital from 2022-11-09T16:50:04

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#152: The Pitch - lets talk business from 2022-11-02T16:47:14

In episode 150, I reintroduced this series with a new pitch. It was my way of taking what I've learnt over the last three years, the last 150 episodes, and almost 33 hours of content and updatin...

#151: Mini-budget implications on contractor and permanent markets from 2022-10-12T12:22:46

On the 23rd September, the UK Chancellor announces a series of change during a "mini-budget".

The mini-budget, and its contents, have been the subject of much debate ever since.

Wh...

#150: An updated pitch for the podcast from 2022-09-21T16:07:16

Welcome to the 150th episode of the podcast.

In this episode, I take a moment of introspection to revisit the "pitch" for this series.

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Find this episodes show notes at...

#149: Legacy Data - advice for dealing with it from 2022-09-14T16:13:54

Over the last few episodes, I've focused on legacy software - what it is, how it occurs, and various strategies to deal with it.

Alongside that legacy software is the legacy data - which ...

#148: Legacy Data - why you should be thinking about it from 2022-09-07T15:56:57

Over the last few episodes, I've focused on legacy software - what it is, how it occurs, and various strategies to deal with it.

Alongside that legacy software is the legacy data - which ...

#147: Legacy Software - addressing with Outsourcing from 2022-08-31T16:01:29

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to r...

#146: Legacy Software - addressing with Revolution from 2022-08-24T16:53:36

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to r...

#145: Legacy Software - addressing with Evolution from 2022-08-17T15:50:50

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to r...

#144: Legacy Software - how to address from 2022-08-10T15:50:27

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen as a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to r...

#143: Legacy Software - a risk matrix from 2022-08-03T16:07:12

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to repl...

#142: Legacy Software - the causes from 2022-07-27T15:59:10

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to repl...

#141: Legacy Software - the impact from 2022-07-20T15:34:31

This is part of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software - the term "legacy" is often seen a positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the need to repl...

#140: Legacy Software - an introduction from 2022-07-13T15:58:38

This is the start of a new mini-series looking at Legacy software.

The term "legacy" is often seen as positive - yet within computing it is a negative term generally uses to indicate the ...

#139: Automation - the higher value work side-effect from 2022-07-06T14:45:16

I've talked many times about the productivity benefits from automation.

In this episode, I talk about the higher value benefits we get from automation - something you could describe as a ...

#138: Automation - the knowledge sharing side-effect from 2022-06-29T18:47:32

I've talked many times about the productivity benefits from automation.

In this episode, I talk about the knowledge sharing benefits we get from automation - something you could describe ...

#137: Automation - the auditability side-effect from 2022-06-22T16:00:25

I've talked many times about the productivity benefits from automation.

In this episode, I talk about the auditability benefits we get from automation - something you could describe as a ...

#136: Automation - the security side-effect from 2022-06-15T15:23:11

I've talked many times about the productivity benefits from automation.

In this episode, I talk about the security benefits we get from automation - something you could describe as a side...

#135: Infrastructure-as-Code from 2022-06-08T17:28:46

In this episode I introduce Infrastructure-as-Code - a way of defining your Operation's infrastructure as code - an example of DevOps in practice with our Ops teams learning from our Dev teams.<...

#134: DevOps Topologies - Working types from 2022-05-31T15:56:53

In this episode I want to continue the talk about the team structures discussed on https://web.devopstopologies.com/ - with a focus this week on the topologies are shown to work.

The devo...

#133: DevOps Topologies - Anti-Types from 2022-05-25T15:59:22

In this episode I want to talk about the team structures discussed on https://web.devopstopologies.com/ - with a focus this week on the anti-types.

The devopstopologies.com website is bas...

#132: Inverse Conway Maneuver from 2022-05-11T16:06:42

In the last episode, I introduced "Conway's Law" - an observation of how our organisational structures influence our software structures.

In this episode, I want to talk about how we can ...

#131: Conway's Law from 2022-05-04T15:57:46

In this episode, I introduce Conway's Law, which talks about how our software structures will reflect the structures of the organisations that create them.

Why you might be Interested in ...

#130: To Checklist or not to Checklist from 2022-04-27T16:10:57

This episode, I want to take a look at Checklists - when to use and when not to.

Much of this episode is inspired by the Sight Reliability Engineering practices that come out of Google. Listen

#129: Handling Failure from 2022-04-13T16:11:29

Failure in our software systems is inevitable - be it a failing hard drive, broken network cable, power outage, virus, or simply a bug in the code.

"Hope is not a strategy" - thus we need...

#128: Error Budgets from 2022-04-06T16:09:32

In this episode, I take a look at "Error Budgets"

Much of this episode is inspired by the Sight Reliability Engineering practices that come out of Google

Why you might be intereste...

#127: System Availability - Service Level Indicators, Objectives and Agreements from 2022-03-30T15:47:27

In this episode, I take a look at how to measure the availability of our systems.

Much of this episode is inspired by the Sight Reliability Engineering practices that come out of Google Listen

#126: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about Site Reliability Engineering from 2022-03-23T17:04

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#125: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about Culture from 2022-03-16T17:26:52

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#124: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about Security from 2022-03-09T16:59:34

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#124: State of DevOps 2021 - What is says about Security from 2022-03-09T16:59:34

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#123: State of DevOps 2021 - What is says about DevOps Technical Practices from 2022-03-02T20:08:53

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#123: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about DevOps Technical Practices from 2022-03-02T20:08:53

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#122: State of DevOps 2021 - What is says about Documentation from 2022-02-23T16:45:58

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#122: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about Documentation from 2022-02-23T16:45:58

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#121: State of DevOps 2021 - What is says about Cloud from 2022-02-16T16:34:25

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#121: State of DevOps 2021 - What it says about Cloud from 2022-02-16T16:34:25

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

The research provides evidence-based guidance to help focus on the capabilitie...

#120: State of DevOps 2021 - A summary from 2022-02-09T17:09:04

The State of DevOps report provides excellent insight through rigorous analysis of its wide reaching survey.

I introduced the State of DevOps report back in episode 13 and in this episode...

#119: Shifting Left from 2022-02-02T17:17:11

Long term listeners will have heard me use the term "Shift Left" - but what does that mean?

In this episode, I take a deeper dive into the "Shift Left" principal, why modern software deve...

#118: Running a bath - a deeper dive into feedback from 2022-01-26T17:21:45

Many of my episode talk about an experimental mindset - have a hypnosis, try something, act on the feedback.

The timeliness and quality of the feedback has real impact on our outcomes. &n...

#117: Robotic Process Automation from 2022-01-19T17:03:24

What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

Even with over 30 years experience, it was a new term to me when I same across it in the Tech Pro Unicorn episode (#114).  Thus I wanted to ...

#116: Low Code and No Code from 2022-01-13T08:34:11

What is Low Code?  What is No Code?  How can they help us?

I touched on this subject during the Tech Pro Unicorn episode (#114), but had a lot more notes than could be covered -...

#115: Build vs Buy from 2022-01-05T16:39:59

Should you build or buy your software?

I touched on this subject during the Tech Pro Unicorn episode (#114), but had a lot more notes than could be covered - thus in this episode, I take ...

#114: The Tech Pro Unicorn Podcast from 2021-12-22T16:53:49

Back in October I had the pleasure of appearing on the Tech Pro Unicorn podcast - the first time that I appears as a guest.

The host, Michael Grace, and I covered a number of topics - suc...

#113: Security Briefing - The OWASP Top 10 - Part 3 from 2021-12-15T17:16:13

The OWASP Top 10 is the most critical security concerns for web application security as defined by the Open Web Application Security Project®

In the last two episode, I introduce OWASP, t...

#112: Security Briefing - The OWASP Top 10 - Part 2 from 2021-12-08T17:03:41

The OWASP Top 10 is the most critical security concerns for web application security as defined by the Open Web Application Security Project®

In the last episode, I introduce OWASP, their...

#111: Security Briefing - The OWASP Top 10 - Part 1 from 2021-12-02T08:21:24

The OWASP Top 10 is the most critical security concerns for web application security as defined by the Open Web Application Security Project®

In this episode, I introduce OWASP, their Top...

#110: Security Briefing - Supply Chain Attacks from 2021-11-24T17:19:35

Continuing my mini-series on security, I discuss Supply Chain Attacks.

No conversation on cyber-security in 2021 would be complete without talking about Supply Chain Attacks.  They a...

#109: Security Briefing - Paying to be hacked from 2021-11-17T16:58:06

Continuing my mini-series on security, I discuss why you would paid to be hacked.

When you are spending so much time and money putting security in place, it seem counter-intuitive to then...

#108: Security Briefing - Social Engineering from 2021-11-10T16:19:10

Continuing my mini-series on security, I introduce Social Engineering.

Social Engineering is a direct attempt to manipulate us into doing something that we otherwise would not.  Its ...

#107: Security Briefing - Introducing Zero Trust from 2021-11-03T17:10:23

Continuing my mini-series on security, I introduce Zero Trust.

The traditional approach of security at the border is not longer enough in the modern IT world.  Unlike the good citize...

#106: Security Briefing - Beyond Passwords from 2021-10-27T14:43:02

Continuing my mini-series on security, I want to follow on from last week's episode, taking a look beyond passwords.

We are rapidly moving to additional forms of proving our identity - be...

#105: Security Briefing - Passwords from 2021-10-20T15:58:50

Continuing my mini-series on security, I want to talk about passwords.

Passwords are historically our ubiquitous method of proving our identity.  In the episode I talk about what hap...

#104: Security Briefing - Getting started from 2021-10-13T16:17:48

If you're new to thinking about cyber security, in this episode I give you my top 5 recommendations to address in your organisation:

• Patching
• Backups
• No shared...
  Listen

#103: Security Briefing - Why cyber security matters to you from 2021-10-06T16:56:29

In this first of a mini-series on security, I look at why cyber security is so critical.

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Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/103

Have an ...

#102: The Theory of Constraints - Part 2 from 2021-09-29T15:29:41

In this episode, I discuss the Theory of Constraints as introduced in the book The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.

Modern software development methodologies (Agile, Lean, DevOps) place a hea...

#101 - The Theory of Constraints - Part 1 from 2021-09-22T17:46

In this episode, I discuss the Theory of Constraints as introduced in the book The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.

Modern software development methodologies (Agile, Lean, DevOps) place a hea...

#100: Project to Product by Mik Kersten from 2021-09-15T16:15:08

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Better ROI from Software Development podcast.

In this episode, I introduce the second book that I would recommend to any non-technical CxO.

Proj...

#99: Value Streams and Value Stream Mappings from 2021-09-08T16:34:22

In this episode, I introduce Value Streams and Value Stream Mapping.

Value Streams and Value Stream Mapping,&nbs...

#98: Open Source - Licences from 2021-08-19T14:07:40

Continuing the conversation on Open Source, in this episode I look at common licences.

There are a variety of licences in Open Source - covering legal use and commitments you must abide b...

#97: Open Source - the motivation from 2021-08-11T16:32:37

Continuing the conversation on Open Source, in this episode I look at the motivation behind why it exists.

Why would individuals, groups and even organisations give up their time, their w...

#96: Open Source - Is it really free? from 2021-08-04T15:48:22

Open Source is everywhere - in our software, in our servers, and in the services we use every day - and its here to stay.

In this episode, I give an introduction to what Open Source is, w...

#95: Software Application Speed - the Content Delivery Network from 2021-07-28T14:53:37

Continuing the conversation on Software Application Speed, I look at one of the means of improvement - using a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

In this episode I introduce the Content Deli...

#94: Software Application Speed - Caching from 2021-07-21T16:04:32

Continuing the conversation on Software Application Speed, I look at one of the means of improvement - Caching.

In this episode I introduce Caching - how prevalent it is within modern com...

#93: Software Application Speed - Website Performance Optimisation from 2021-07-14T16:38:54

Continuing the conversation on Software Application Speed, I look at one of the means of improvement - Website Performance Optimisation.

In this episode I introduce Website Performance Op...

#92: Software Application Speed - UX Design from 2021-07-07T16:27:04

Continuing the conversation on Software Application Speed, I look at one of the means of improvement - User Experience Design.

In this episode I introduce User Experience Design, its subs...

#91: Software Application Speed - why its important from 2021-06-30T15:53:19

Speed of our software applications is rarely considered until it becomes a problem.  In this episode I talk about why speed it important in all of our software application - not just the co...

#90: Finding a Search Engine Optimisation Expert from 2021-06-23T16:18:35

Following on from last week's introduction into Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), I wanted to provide my advice how to avoid the bad and the ugly of the industry.

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Find this e...

#89: Search Engine Optimization - SEO from 2021-06-16T16:07:03

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is seen as highly desirable for driving traffic to your website.

In this episode I address the myth of SEO being "free traffic" and provide my thoughts on...

#88: Eventual Consistency and the CAP Theorem from 2021-06-09T15:44:53

Have you ever come across a website or mobile app that occasionally takes time to reflect changes?

This maybe due to Eventual Consistency - a side-effect of decisions being made by techno...

#87: The value of Meeting Agendas - an episode 83 follow up from 2021-06-02T16:40:50

In episode 83, I had a long chat with Trevor Ewen about how he provides software service to non-technical clients.

If you've not listened to it, it was an excellent interview full of wond...

#86: Using Video for Rapid Feedback - an episode 83 follow up from 2021-05-27T07:35:54

In episode 83, I had a long chat with Trevor Ewen about how he provides software service to non-technical clients.

If you've not listened to it, it was an excellent interview full of wond...

#85: Regular software releases - an episode 83 follow up from 2021-05-19T17:51:56

In episode 83, I had a long chat with Trevor Ewen about how he provides software service to non-technical clients.

If you've not listened to it, it was an excellent interview full of wond...

#84: Service Level Agreements - an episode 83 follow up from 2021-05-12T15:46:40

In episode 83, I had a long chat with Trevor Ewen about how he provides software service to non-technical clients.

If you've not listened to it, it was an excellent interview full of wond...

#83: The non-technical buyer with Trevor Ewen from 2021-05-05T15:56:47

In this episode I talk to Trevor Ewen about providing software solutions to the non-technical buyer.

Trevor shares with us his experience on who a non-technical buyer is, why he enjoys wo...

#82: No, being furloughed should not influence recruitment from 2021-04-14T16:01:31

This episode is based on LinkedIn poll which asked the question: "Will you be judging jobseekers on whether or not they were furloughed during the pandemic?"

I talk about...

#81 - Scrum - The dangers of misunderstanding from 2021-04-08T08:38:10

Completing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I wanted to talk about the dangers of misunderstanding Scrum.

Scrum is deceptively simple to understand - but difficult to implement. &nb...

#80: Scrum - Stopping a Sprint from 2021-03-31T16:00:59

Continuing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I look at stopping a sprint.

Should you ever stop a sprint?  And if you do, under what circumstances?

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Find this ...

#79: Scrum - It will find your problems from 2021-03-24T16:51:58

Continuing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I look at Problems.

We commonly struggle to raise and discuss Problems in our Organisations; but in this episode, I talk about how Scrum ...

#78: Scrum - The team is asking for more from 2021-03-17T16:13:56

Continuing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I take a look at the potential warning flag of the team asking for more.

While the team asking for more maybe a good thing, it can also b...

#77: Scrum - Conflict from 2021-03-10T18:19:53

Continuing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I look at conflict.

We commonly have negative contentions about conflict; but in this episode, I talk about why healthy conflict is so im...

#76: Scrum - The Definition of Done from 2021-03-03T17:20:33

Over the last few episodes, I've been talking about Scrum, an agile framework.

In this episode, I want ...

#75: Scrum - Common Problems from 2021-02-24T16:51:06

Continuing my mini-series on the Scrum Framework, I look at some of the common problems I see with its adoption.

I discuss problems with transitioning the traditional Project Manager and ...

#74 - Scrum - Theories and Values from 2021-02-18T08:25:44

Following on from last week's primer of the Scrum, I take a look at some of the theories and values behind the Agile Framework.

#73: Scrum - A primer from 2021-02-10T16:52:46

In this episode I introduce Scrum - an Agile Framework popular within Software Development.

This episode serves as a primer for future episodes - in which I will dig deeper.

#72: To bonus or not to bonus from 2021-02-03T16:21:40

Is a bonus the best form of employee motivation?

In this podcast I talk about the dangers of a bonus culture and how to think about it differently.

#71: Meetings - the good, the bad and the ugly from 2021-01-27T16:44:22

In this week's episode I talk about meetings as they relate to Software Development - I introduce you to the good, the bad and the ugly.

#70: Making time for focus from 2021-01-20T16:45:40

In this episode I ask if we are making enough time for focused work.

Focused work is critical to us to allow us to solve problems and do the most valuable work.

Do we need to think...

#69: New Year's resolutions from 2021-01-13T17:09:01

In this episode I talk about the similarities between our New Year resolutions and major business initiatives; why we set them, why they are attractive and why they often fail.

#68: 2021 Predictions from 2021-01-06T21:57:29

Happy New Year and welcome to 2021.  In this episode I share my predictions for the year ahead. With Covid-19 doing more to drive technical disruption last year than any of the leadership team, I e...

#67: Bad for ROI - The Silver Bullet from 2020-12-16T16:44:14

Today's marketing is full of the promise of miracle cures for our problems. Full of "Do this one thing to achieve amazing results". Full of Silver Bullets. In this episode, I talk about why there a...

#66: Practices applied - How I use them from 2020-12-09T18:37:18

In this episode, I talk about a recent software project and how I've used many of the processes I have introduced in prior podcasts.

I talk about how I applied them.

And how they f...

#65: Bad for ROI - 100% Utilisation from 2020-12-02T16:32:58

Having your team working at 100% utilisation is a good thing for ROI, right?

Software Developers are expensive, surely maximizing their available time is the best way to achieve ROI?

#64: Bad for ROI - Big Bang from 2020-11-26T08:13:43

Doing "Big Bang" releases may seem like an effective use of time and people.  They may carry huge prestige and bragging rights for their leadership.  But are they good for ROI?

...

#63: Bad for ROI - The Rockstar developer from 2020-11-18T16:53:24

We think we want to employ the "Rockstar" developer.  We want the superstar.

We actively recruit for it - we even put it into the job adverts.

But is the "Rockstar" good for R...

#62: Bad for ROI: The Gantt Chart from 2020-11-11T16:54:40

Gantt Charts are a popular tool for visualising dependencies for complex activities. 

In this episode I discuss why the use of Gantt Charts are bad for ROI in Software Development.

#61: The UK Executive's attitudes towards custom Software Development survey from 2020-11-04T17:26:49

Through September I ran a survey to establish UK Executive's attitudes towards custom Software Development.

Unfortunately the survey failed to obtain enough respondents to be useful, but ...

#60: The Programmers Oath - I will never stop learning and improving my craft from 2020-10-14T16:08:28

In this episode I continue to look at professionalism in software development.

I take a look at the ninth oath from the Programmer's Oath by Uncle Bob Martin, introduced in episode #51, t...

#59: The Programmers Oath - I will produce estimates that are honest both in magnitude and precision from 2020-10-07T15:52:16

In this episode I continue to look at professionalism in software development.

I take a look at the eighth oath from the Programmer's Oath by Uncle Bob Martin, introduced in episode #51, ...

#58: The Programmers Oath - I will continuously ensure that others can cover for me, and that I can cover for them from 2020-09-30T15:31:44

In this episode I continue to look at professionalism in software development.

I take the seventh oath from the Programmer's Oath by Uncle Bob Martin, introduced in episode #51, to explor...

#57 - The Programmer's Oath - I will do all that I can to keep the productivity of myself, and others, as high as possible from 2020-09-23T15:55:06

During September, I'm running a short survey to understand UK Executive's attitudes to custom software development.  Please take the time and have your say at: Listen

#56 - The Programmer's Oath - I will fearlessly and relentlessly improve my creations at every opportunity from 2020-09-16T16:04:25

During September, I'm running a short survey to understand UK Executive's attitudes to custom software development.  Please take the time and have your say at: Listen

#55: The Programmers Oath: I will make frequent, small, releases so that I do not impede the progress of others. from 2020-09-09T15:57:41

During September, I'm running a short survey to understand UK Executive's attitudes to custom software development.  Please take the time and have your say at: Listen

#54: The Programmers Oath: I will produce, with each release, a quick, sure, and repeatable proof that every element of the code works as it should. from 2020-09-02T16:07:56

During September, I'm running a short survey to understand UK Executive's attitudes to custom software development.  Please take the time and have your say at: Listen

#53: The Programmers Oath - The code that I produce will always be my best work from 2020-08-26T16:12:05

In this episode I continue to look at professionalism in software development.

I take the second oath from the Programmer's Oath by Uncle Bob Martin, introduced in episode #51, to explore...

#52: The Programmers Oath - I will not produce harmful code from 2020-08-19T15:46:12

In this episode I continue to look at professionalism in software development.

I take the first oath from the Programmer's Oath by Uncle Bob Martin, introduced in the last episode, to exp...

#51: Professionalism in Software Development - The Programmers Oath from 2020-08-12T16:03:16

In this episode I start to look at professionalism in software development.

Software development doesn't have the same level of professionalism & accountability found in Doctors, Lawy...

#50: Series recap from 2020-07-29T14:33:34

In this episode I provide a recap of the episodes since the last recap show (episode #25).

This episode is both a recap of the series since episode #25 and a good entry point for new list...

#49: Assuming another person's intent purely from their actions from 2020-07-22T16:05:22

In this episode I want to discuss how dangerous it can be to assume another persons intent purely from their actions.

This is a message I am seeing come up quite a bit lately.

And ...

#48: Its not just about building the right thing - its also about building the thing right from 2020-07-15T15:36:55

Over the last few episodes I've talked about learning to improve our individuals, teams and entire organisations to handle change.

In this episode I want to explore why it is so important...

#47: Deliberate Practice, Code Katas and Game Days from 2020-07-08T15:16:22

In this episode I wanted to continue the conversation on Learning.

In the last few episodes, I talked about;

• Why learning is so important to me personally
• Organisa...
  Listen

#46: Helping our teams with Individuals Learning from 2020-07-01T15:56:52

In this episode I wanted to continue the conversation on Learning.

In the last two episodes I talked about why Learning is so important to me personally and Organisational Learning.

#45: Organisational Learning from 2020-06-17T16:03:52

In this episode I wanted to continue the conversation on Learning.

In my last episode I talked about why Learning is so important to me personally.

In this episode, I want to move ...

#44: Learning from 2020-06-10T16:05:50

In this episode I wanted to start talking about learning. Learning is one of the singularly overlooked concepts in running a business. 

I believe every business is a technology busin...

#43: Containers, Docker, Kubernetes and Serverless - explaining Serverless from 2020-06-03T19:03:27

Over the current few episodes I am introducing a number of technologies from modern Software Delivery.

These are:

• Containers
• Docker
• Kubernetes
Listen

#42: Containers, Docker, Kubernetes and Serverless - explaining Container Orchestrators and Kubernetes from 2020-05-27T12:40:43

Over the current few episodes I am introducing a number of technologies from modern Software Delivery.

These are:

• Containers
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• ...
  Listen

#41: Containers, Docker, Kubernetes and Serverless - explaining Containers and Docker from 2020-05-20T15:13:06

Over the next few episodes I want to introduce a number of technologies from modern Software Delivery.

These are:

• Containers
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• ...
  Listen

#40: Containers, Docker, Kubernetes and Serverless - explaining virtualisation from 2020-05-13T18:12:06

Over the next few episodes I want to introduce a number of technologies from modern Software Delivery.

These are:

• Containers
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• ...
  Listen

#39: Improving predictability in Software Development by asking the team to do less from 2020-05-06T16:06:22

I find that quite often business owners and leaders desire a level of predictability that isn't being achieved by their software development teams.

The want reliable costs and timelines f...

#38: The Covid-19 episode - Helping our unexpected remote workers from 2020-04-22T15:52:32

I'm recording this on Tuesday the 21st May 2020.

At this point, in the UK, we have been under lock down for 4 weeks.

UK rules discourage person to person interactions as much as po...

#37: Avoiding over focus on the short term from 2020-04-15T16:18:40

I find that many organisations have a myopic over focus on the immediate term.

This over focus drives poor return on investment over the longer term.

In this episode I revisit the ...

#36: Recruitment - Bonus Episode 2 - Feedback from 2020-04-08T18:10:17

Over the last 10 episodes I've been focused on recruitment.

I had originally planned to finish that mini-series two episodes back; but then I gave you a bonus episode last week on the bes...

#35: Recruitment - Bonus Episode - The best hire you can make from 2020-04-01T16:04:54

Last week I completed a mini-series of 9 episodes looking at various aspects of recruitment.

As I went through the series I decided I wanted to give you a bonus episode on recruitment. Listen

#34: Recruitment - Getting the best and keeping them from 2020-03-26T18:18:49

This episode is the final part of a recruitment mini-series; where I have been focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I think many of these th...

#33: Recruitment - Act quickly from 2020-03-18T17:02:33

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I am focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment.

And while I believe many of these themes are...

#32: Recruitment - Interviews from 2020-03-11T17:05:41

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#31: Recruitment - Working with agencies from 2020-03-04T16:52:12

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#30: Recruitment - Understanding worth from 2020-02-26T16:36:25

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#29: Recruitment - Defining the role from 2020-02-19T16:48:07

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#28: Recruitment - Is a permanent employee the right thing for you? from 2020-02-12T16:36:19

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#27: Recruitment - Should you be recruiting at all? from 2020-02-05T16:44:24

This episode is part of a recruitment mini-series; where I will be focusing on various characteristics that I believe are important in recruitment. And while I believe many of these themes are u...

#26 Recruitment - A mini-series from 2020-01-29T17:12:23

Over the coming episodes I'm going to take a deep dive into recruitment.

Recruitment is singularly one of the most important roles of management.

Our businesses are run and operate...

#25: The series so far from 2020-01-22T16:55:53

Welcome to the 25th episode.

I decide I wanted to use this episode as both a recap to the series so far and as a good entry point for new listeners.

During this episode, I'll be su...

#24: Mob Programming from 2020-01-15T16:58:33

In last week's episode I introduced the idea of Pair Programming.

A software development practice that has two developers working on the same thing on the same computer. One acting as the...

#23: Pair Programming from 2020-01-08T17:14:38

In this weeks episode, I want to introduce the practise of Pair Programming.

At first, Pair Programming can seem completely at odds with achieving returns from your software development i...

#22: Handling incomplete work from 2019-12-18T16:31:58

In the last few episodes I've started a mini-series introducing some of the tools and practices that allow for the fast delivery of software and ultimately delivery of value to our customer.

#21: Continuous Deployment from 2019-12-11T15:35:45

In the last few episodes I've started a mini-series introducing some of the tools and practices that allow for the fast delivery of software ... and ultimately delivery of value to our customer....

#20: Continuous Delivery from 2019-12-04T17:00:33

In the last few episodes I've started a mini-series introducing some of the tools and practices that allow for the fast delivery of software, and ultimately delivery of value to our customer. Listen

#19: Continuous Integration from 2019-11-27T16:38:28

UPDATE: I noticed after initial publish the order of the clips in this episode where very incorrect.  I've now updated - apologies for any confusion.

In ...

#18: Source Control from 2019-11-20T16:13:22

In this episode, I want to talk about Source Control.

Source Control is a tool that should be available to your Software Development and at the heart of everything they do.

The aim...

#17: Monoliths and Microservices from 2019-11-13T17:02:38

In this weeks podcast, I wanted to talk about how the size and complexity of a deployable piece of software matters to the ability to deliver value to the customer - and thus ROI on our Software...

#16: Technical Debt from 2019-11-06T16:50:40

In this episode I want to introduce the term Technical Debt.

The term Technical debt was coined in 1992 by Ward Cunningham to describe what happens when we fail to adequately maintain wha...

#15 - Monitoring from 2019-10-30T16:46:22

In last weeks episode I talked about software testing - predominantly around automation to aid in flow of delivering value to your customer.

One point I touched on in the episode is that ...

#14: Software Testing from 2019-10-23T15:21:17

In this episode I want to talk about testing, why it is important for ROI and what types of testing can be done.

#13: State of DevOps report 2019 from 2019-10-15T15:53:23

Back in episode 10, I briefly mentioned the State of DevOps reports as part of the introduction to DevOps.

In this episode I want to spend more time reviewing the 2019 report

#12: War and Peace and IT from 2019-10-09T15:59:53

In this short episode, I want to introduce a book that I feel that every executive should read.

I started writing about how to get better ROI from Software Development back in 2016.

#11: We need to talk about Culture from 2019-10-02T15:45:57

In the last five episodes I've introduced a number of terms to help us move away from the traditional software development practices.

In episode 6, I introduced the Minimum Viable Product...

#10 - Introduction to DevOps from 2019-09-25T16:25:41

Over the last couple of episodes;

I've introduced the concepts of Minimum Viable Product as a way to think about software development to improve your return on investment.

I've the...

#9: Introduction to the Cloud from 2019-09-18T16:08:05

In the last couple of episodes I've introduced the concepts of Minimum Viable Product, Lean and Agile.

I believe these help us to adjust our mind-set to one more conducive to getting Bett...

#8: Introduction to Agile from 2019-09-11T15:24:23

In the last couple of episodes I've introduced the concepts of Minimum Viable Product and Lean Software Development.

In this episode I want to introduce Agile.

Along with Minimum V...

#7 - Introduction to Lean Software Development from 2019-09-04T16:04:29

In the last episode I introduced the Minimum Viable Product.

I personally see Minimum Viable Products being related to Lean Principals.

I'll give you an introduction to Lean in thi...

#6: Introduction to the Minimum Viable Product from 2019-08-07T15:44:27

In my last podcast I talked about how you should be considering investment in software development as volatile experiments – and that they should be managed as such.

In this podcast, I’ll...

#5: Thinking about software development investment from 2019-07-31T15:33:26

 In this episode I want to talk about how to think about investing in software development.

I see too many people thinking that software development is an activity with one outcome –...

#4: Why is software development complex? from 2019-07-24T15:33:24

Software Development is complex.

The problems it solves will always have a level of complexity.

In this podcast I talk about why.

#3: Projects are bad for return on investment from 2019-07-17T15:48:44

Projects are not the best way to get great return on your software development.
And in this podcast I'll tell you why.

#2 - It's not about utilization from 2019-07-10T15:32:28

In the last podcast I told you that focusing on 100% utilization is the wrong thing for return on investment.
But how can that be?
Are we not taught that utilization means productivity?<...

#1 - Why is it difficult to get the best return on investment from 2019-07-02T16:25:33

Why is it difficult to get great return on your software development investment?

Why is it that software development isn't keeping pace with your business?

You’ve tried to resolve ...

Episode 0 - Why I'm doing this podcast from 2019-06-20T07:37:52

Episode 0 - a brief summary of why I am creating this podcast series.