When Velocity Becomes a CultEver seen a team celebrate record-high velocity while customers quietly vanish? This satirical fable will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe rethink what you measure next sprint. The Velocity Cult (A modern corporate fable about rewarding A while hoping for B) Let me tell you about Sophie. She joined bright-eyed, caffeinated, and carrying just enough imposter syndrome to fit right in. Day one, her manager pointed at the wall-sized Jira dashboard glowing with KPI green. “See that number? That’s…Read more
Managing Dependencies? You're Doing It Wrong.Let’s be real: dependency management isn’t progress – it’s maintenance of dysfunction. In this article, I unpack why these fancy PI planning boards might be making things worse, and how to actually design for flow instead. Stop Managing Dependencies. Start Eliminating Them. Let’s start with a blunt truth: Managing dependencies is a trap. (Yes, I’m looking at you, PI Planning boards with your red strings and sticky-note spiderwebs. 🔍) These boards don’t make your organization agile. They just…Read more
You're Optimizing for the Wrong Cost DriverIn the 20th century, the biggest cost in product development was waste. But the world has changed – and your metrics probably haven't. Let’s talk about the shift every company needs to make to survive and thrive in the 21st century. The Real Cost Driver Has Changed – Has Your Company Noticed? Once upon a time – not that long ago – product development was a slow, stately dance. A new idea emerged every few years, maybe once a decade. Companies would then spend years perfecting its execution:…Read more
Why You Don’t Need Story Points (But It’s Okay If You Still Use Them)Story points were invented with good intentions–and then slowly turned into a mess. Here’s what I’ve seen over the past decade, how I stopped using them, and what I teach teams now instead. This one’s practical, detailed, and a bit liberating. Beyond Story Points: A Practical Guide for Grown‑Up Agile Teams Story points aren’t the problem. They were created with good intent. A soft way to guide planning without the stress and politics of time estimates. Ron Jeffries, one of the original…Read more
A Brutally Honest Look at Real and Misguided Motivations—for Coaches and Decision-MakersRead more
Why respect isn’t just a soft value — but your system’s only real chance at speed.Read more
Why your team isn’t stepping up—and what you can do about it.Read more
Ever notice how, deep down, a lot of us still believe work is supposed to hurt?Read more
