OK, I’m still on my metaphor kick– Back in 2016, I wrote a whole piece here on the orchard and the orchardist, and a couple of years ago, I spun up the concept of Agilists as gardeners–especially gardeners of an Agile culture– as a way of introducing myself to the teams in an organization in […]
Restaurant Service and Software Service
OK, another metaphor. I remember the moment pretty clearly. It was another one of those offhand comments that lands a little heavier than it probably should have. “Arjay, you talk about restaurants so much… maybe you should just leave software and go open your own. . . ” It was said with a laugh. I […]
Robbie the Robot Arm; what it taught me about AI
In my previous post, I harkened back to a time when I was first introduced to robotic assembly mechanisms, and I thought it might be fun to dive into that a little more deeply. Back in the late 90s–(yes, the 1900s), I was dropped into a hose assembly plant in Easley, SC. My job was […]
If AI is writing the majority of the code. . . .
I was recently asked the following question: “If AI is writing the majority of the code, how much of the agile process goes away? What parts need to change? For example, we won’t need story point sizing anymore.” It took me aback a little, not because I hadn’t been thinking about it, but because it […]
AI Magnifies What’s Beneath It
Protecting the foundations of delivery in an AI-accelerated world. I’ve spent a lot of years inside Agile systems, long enough to see small teams do remarkable things when the fundamentals were protected. Long enough to see those same fundamentals slowly whither as organizations grew and pressure increased. In all of those instances, the frameworks didn’t […]
Adding Artificial Intelligence to our Agile Coaching toolset
Hear me out, I think Artificial Intelligence Ethics should be added to the Agile Coaching Growth wheel. Using AI is a toolset in its own right, and I propose that it’s a solid tool the output of which any good Coach and facilitator could draw tremendous value. Warning, this is a bit of a rambling […]
The 4 Product Owners you meet in Hell, (and the 1 you meet in Heaven)
There are several traits that are essential to good Product Ownership, but, like many aspects of an Agile organization, there has to be a balance. Out of balance, pretty much everything goes to hell. I hinted at this topic recently in a series of podcast interviews with Vasco Duarte on the Scrum Master Tool Box. […]
Back from the Outside: Agile in a COVID world
I took a long break there, not just from this blog but from being fully immersed in Agile teams and organizations. Life threw some curveballs that I couldn’t hit, and distractions began to pile up. In many ways though, time away gave me a fresh perspective. Being on the outside of the struggles of Agile […]
An Agile Coaching Certification Journey
Pretty regularly, I mention to people that I have this blog, “So Agile it Hurts Sometimes,” but I have to admit that I have been a negligent blogger. An absentee landlord of this page. A loser. You know the part of the title “it hurts sometimes?” Neglecting this blog has been one of those times. […]
Estimating for Better Understanding.
Over a year ago, my wife and I hired a company to convert our garage into a family room–estimated to be a 4 month project at most. That was 3-4 months faster than I estimated that I could do it myself. A full year and a month later, the family room project is unfinished, […]