Better ROI from Software Development

This episode is a wrap-up for a mini-series looking at estimation in software development - recapping the guidelines I provided in Episode 189 and providing some additional tips that didn't have a home elsewhere in the series. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/205 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In this episode, the penultimate episode in the Software Estimation mini-series, I want to discuss how Software Estimation works in terms of professionalism - and in many cases, surprisingly, the professional response is not to provide an estimate. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/204 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I ask the question, is AI the answer? Following on from the episodes on Qualitative and Quantitative approaches, it's easy to see there are pros and cons to individual practices. And realistically, it feels like you will need a blend of various approaches to create truly valuable estimates. But, this all seems like a lot of work and investment, a lot of training, tools and time to achieve. And even more so to iteratively improve to nudge towards those valuable estimates. As I'll say many times in this series, producing estimates costs. Producing valuable estimates costs a lot. Thus, it doesn't take much of a leap of logic to ask the question, can AI help us here? In an ideal world, there would be an AI-powered tool that would just do the work for us. Thus, I explore how such a tool could come into being, and probably more importantly, why I doubt it will happen any time soon. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/203 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development.In the last couple of episodes, I've looked at a number of methods that fall under the Qualitative approach to software estimation.Qualitative estimation is predominantly based on expert judgment, some think based on subjective thought process.In this week's episode, I want to move on to discuss some Quantitative estimation approaches.While Qualitative estimation is predominantly based on expert judgement, Quantitative is based on something we can count or calculate, a use of statistical analysis based on historical data.In this episode, I specifically want to discuss two quantitative techniques - Monte Carlo simulations and Statistical PERT (or SPERT for short).-----Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/202Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In last week's episode, I looked at a number of methods that fall under the Qualitative approach to software estimation. Qualitative estimation is predominantly based on expert judgment, something based on subjective thought process. In this episode I wanted to take a specific look at another method I personally consider a qualitative approach But it's so different to those discussed in the last episode, I felt it needed its own, the #NoEstimate approach ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/201 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In last week's episode, I introduced two approaches to software estimation, Qualitative and Quantitative estimation. Qualitative estimation is predominantly based on expert judgment, something based on subjective thought process. Whereas Quantitative is based on something we count or calculate. A use of statistical analysis based on historical data. In this episode, I want to dive deeper into the Qualitative and look at some specific practices. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/200 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I wanted to look at practical methods to help develop the team's estimation skills. We cannot expect valuable estimation without investment. It's like any skill, it has to be practiced and refined to obtain a good level of proficiency. So in this episode, I want to take a look at two approaches to estimation - Qualitative and Quantitative. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/199 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I wanted to highlight the emotional baggage that you developers may associate with estimation, and through no fault of your own, will carry that baggage into future estimation work. In the episode, I look at the psychological scarring left behind from decades of using estimates as punitive targets. Like most experienced developers, I've worked in organisations that turn estimates into punitive targets - where a well-meaning estimate has been turned into a commitment, and ultimately, a stick to beat the team with. Now that stick has ranged from the aggressive to the passive, be it threats of dismissal or simply discussing the failure to hit the estimate. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/198 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I wanted to look at the impact that dependencies have on software estimation. This episode was inspired by a blog post on scrum.org entitled "Eliminate Dependencies, Don't Manage Them", which I read while preparing this series. In brief, the article talks about how you're better off eliminating dependencies rather than trying to manage them through normal traditional management processes. In his book, Software Estimation, Demystifying the Black Art, Steve McConnell says that size of the software is the single most significant contributor to project effort and schedule. Personally, I'd like to suggest that dependencies, if not of similar importance, are a close second. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/197 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode, I want to encourage you to mentally separate estimation and planning. They are often conflated, which leads to confusion, distrust and dysfunctional behavior. An estimate is generally part of a plan, and a plan can be the outcome of the act of planning. Software development can't be delivered without planning, even if it's only the most cursory of activities. Software development can be delivered without an estimate. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/196 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In last week's episode, I asked you to think about what the term "estimate" means to you, your team and your organisation. In the episode I talked about different definitions that could easily be conflated - the amount of effort, a target, and a commitment. In this week's episode I want to continue the discussion by looking at estimates "proxies" - what they are, why they can be useful and how to avoid the trap of confusing them for scheduling. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/195 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this week's episode, I want to discuss what the term "estimate" may mean to you and the colleagues that you work with. The term 'estimate' is often used interchangeably to mean the effort required, the target completion date, or even a commitment to complete the work by a specific date. Often the meaning of an "estimate" changes between people within even a single team, let alone a organisations - thus it is often a cause of friction and dysfunction due to it being in "the eye of the beholder". ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/194 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In this episode I want to take a deeper dive into the cost of achieving that - what is the correct cost for the perceived value of the estimate to you and your organisation. This episode continue on from 190 where I asked "Don't invest in estimates unless there are clear demonstrable value in having them" ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/193 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. In the last episode, I talk about the short hand of a "valuable estimate" -  an estimate that is desirable for the organisation asking for it. While what constitutes "valuable" will differ from organisations to organisation, team to team, and maybe even piece of work to piece of work, I feel that it will mostly be related to acceptable level of accuracy and precision. Accuracy is how close to the actual the estimate was - which realistically can only be assessed after the work - and precision is how broad a range is acceptable - which can be defined as part of providing the estimate - and if anything also indicates confidence in the estimate - a narrower range indicating a higher confidence, a wider range indicating a lower confidence. In this episode I wanted to talk about how Predictability is part of this conversation ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/192 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

This episode is part of a wider mini-series looking at Estimation in Software Development. So for this episode I want to introduce the idea of a "valuable estimate" and what that may mean for you. As I go through this series I will use the term "valuable estimate" as a short hand for some value that is desirable by the organisation asking for it. This may seem a little vague … and to be honest, by design it is. I've spent a lot of time trying to decide what the best estimates should look like - but ultimately I feel it depends on a variety of factors - and is likely to be specific to an organisations - or maybe an initiative - or maybe even to an individual piece of work. We quickly find ourselves in the consultants stock answer of "it depends". So while, in this episode I'll discuss to key characteristics that I believe affect the value of an estimate, the actual (or imagined) value of an estimate will be in the "eye of the beholder". Thus the short hand of "valuable estimate" ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/191 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

I started the mini-series in episode 189 by providing the following guidelines: Don't invest in estimates unless there are clear demonstrable value in having them Agree what a "valuable" estimate looks like - this will likely be a desirable level of accuracy and precision for an estimate Provide the team with training & time to develop their estimation skills Collect data on points 1-3 and regularly review if you have the balance correct In this episode we dive into "Don't invest in estimates unless there are clear demonstrable value in having them" Estimates are not free – and I would argue that truly valuable estimates are often prohibitively expensive to produce. Thus in this episode, I ask the question are you getting the ROI on that investment. And more importantly – can you prove that. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/190 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

Back in January 2023, in episode  #160, "Revisiting Software Development Estimation," I made the commitment to revisit and potentially revise my views on software development estimation. While I acknowledged the desirability of estimations for reasons like cost, risk, and planning, the episode recognized that these desires don't always make estimations attainable or accurate, particularly in complex or complicated domains like software development. In 2023, I planned to research estimation techniques, focusing on their feasibility and implications in the software development process. This research would involve exploring resources such as online courses, books, and audience suggestions, with the intention of sharing findings later in the year. This is the first, if somewhat delayed, in a series of episodes following that work. In this episode I will provide a summary of upcoming episodes and how they fit together. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/189 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 episode takes a look at a similar paradox - the call for "more developers". We look at why "more developers" does not generally equal "greater output" - the unexpected operational overheads that a larger team generate. We look at some circumstances, when used with caution, increasing the headcount can be the right thing. And we look at suggestion for improving productivity without increase numbers. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/188 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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". In last week's episode, I looking at the historical context of why the request for "more planning", and explored the high cost and dysfunctions that can arise from over-planning. And this week's episode, I'll continue the discussion by exploring the limitations of planning in the face of complexity uncertainty, and some approaches that can help us strike the correct balance. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/187 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 episode, I will start by looking at the historical context of why the request for "more planning", and an exploration of the high cost and dysfunctions that can arise from over-planning. And in next week's episode, I'll continue the discussion by exploring the limitations of planning in the face of complexity uncertainty, and some approaches that can help us strike the correct balance. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/186 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 the other way - where an overemphasis on perfection leads again to dysfunction and unexpected results. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/185 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 into why the the feature factory is so alluring - and why beneath the allure, lies a multitude of hidden dysfunctions and potential for long-term damage. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/184 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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, results. In this episode I want to explore the dangers of performance measurements in modern software development - how, while they are a useful and powerful tool, they are so commonly used incorrectly to disastrous affects. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/183 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 the negative consequences of using bonuses for motivation - once again, leaning heavily on the work of Daniel Pink and his book "Drive" to explore the idea of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators - and what works best with modern software development. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/182 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 development - and thus would be bad for ROI. This week I look at the RAG (Red Amber Green) status reporting and its impact on modern software development. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/181 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 development - and thus would be bad for ROI. This week I want to introduce you to a strange beast, found way too often in our organisations, the HiPPO. While the term might sound comical, its implications in the corporate world, and our software development, are anything but. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/180 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 the manager still have a role to play? Picture this: You've successfully built a software development team that's as diverse as it is dynamic. They are cross-functional, self-managing, and entirely focused on delivering continuous value. You've assembled the dream team. But here's the central question we'll be grappling with today - if you've created this ideal team, what role, if any, should you as the manager play? Could you have possibly made yourself redundant? ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/179 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 the key takeaway is the common theme of constantly rethinking our best practice and adapting to the changing landscape of technology, our organisation, and our markets. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/178 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 down into more manageable tasks, which can improve the speed and quality of your output. I then explore how small batch sizes play a pivotal role in transaction-based costing, promoting efficiency and cost-effectiveness by enabling more precise tracking and control of costs. I also examine the benefits that come with this combination - enhanced agility for software changes, better predictability for improved financial forecasting, enhanced transparency for granular insights into cost allocations, and streamlined processes for reducing waste and improving value delivery. And to wrap up, I talk about some the challenges of a transition from traditional methods and implementing small batch sizes. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/177 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 groups that work towards delivering value from customer request to service delivery. I explore how they fit into the software development landscape, leveraging principles of lean manufacturing for better efficiency. I recap the transactional cost mindset, comparing it with the traditional CapEx/ OpEx model - highlighting the benefits of a transaction-based approach for improving visibility and accountability for better decision making. I then discuss the importance of breaking down organizational silos - examining the significance of focusing on the end-to-end flow of value in software development, emphasizing how transaction-based costing helps optimize this flow for better financial outcomes. Lastly, I highlight how this approach can enhance agility and speed up time to market. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/176 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 offers flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness by allowing businesses to pay only for the resources they use - and compare this model to the traditional capex/opex model and highlight how the transaction-based model, combined with serverless and cloud, can lead to higher profit margins, better financial planning, and the ability to invest in other areas of the business. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/175 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 worry, there's a solution! In this episode, I introduce transaction-based costing. By assigning a cost to each transaction within the software development process, you can achieve better transparency, tighter cost control, and a more direct linkage to outcomes. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/174 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 answers, leading to improved code quality and enhanced productivity within the organization. By tailoring AI Coding Assistants to an organization, it can understand and adapt to project-specific requirements, suggest appropriate design patterns and architectural improvements, integrate with existing development tools and workflows, and contribute to knowledge sharing and onboarding. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/173 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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, lack of creativity and innovation, false positives and incorrect suggestions, limitations with domain-specific knowledge, dependency on internet connectivity, adoption and learning curve, and privacy and security concerns. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/172 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

In this episode, I discusses the expected benefits of using AI Coding Assistants in software development. These benefits include: increased productivity, code optimization, learning and knowledge enhancement, error detection and debugging, collaboration and coding consistency, code documentation, and code completion and suggestions. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/171 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 improve productivity and efficiency for developers, with examples of popular products in the market. AI Coding Assistants will not replace developers, but rather enhance their work. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/170 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 benefits, and the ethical and societal questions it poses. I also talks about my personal experience with ChatGPT and my intention to use it for podcast scripting. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/169 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 had with ChatGPT - with a followup planned for next week to talk through my experience and initial thoughts. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/168 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 from LastPass - and how it has provided an opportunity to clean up my password data and reset passwords for critical accounts. I also re-emphasizes the importance of good password hygiene and using multi-factor authentication for added security. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/167 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 that may not be obtained through day-to-day work - but is still no subsitute for experience when it comes to recruitment. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/166 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 Actor Model, such as in online gaming and IoT sensors, but acknowledge that it is a different development model than traditional approaches. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/165 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 design patterns in everyday life and emphasize how they can speed up the development process by providing tested and proven development paradigms. I also highlight the confusion that can arise when design patterns are not followed correctly. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/164 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 what I've been up to over the past few months. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/163 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 taking the time to look at how best to weather the storm. I've found that many organisations typically react with a combination of cost cutting and putting pressure on staff for "more" in such periods. However like many "traditional" sound managerial practices, this cause dysfunctional and negative outcomes in the Age of Software & Digital - and specifically when it comes to any form of knowledge work like Software Development. The problem we have is that these "traditional" managerial practices have become muscle memory - so ingrained with the managerial psyche that it can be a difficult thing to re-think. In this episode, I want to ask you to re-think about 3 things in particular: Training and learning Doing less work Take advantage ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/162 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 back in episode 13, and last year I devoted seven episodes, 120-126, to a deep-dive into the 2021 edition. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/161 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 strong opinions on the subject - are they still valid? Are there better ways? In this episode I recap the understandable desire for Software Development Estimations, why I feel that its a source of so much dysfunction and my plan for the coming year to test and challenge my opinions. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/160 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 include this additional history in that episode, but it felt out of place - thus this separate episode to revisit Gantt charts. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/159 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 updating the why of the podcast.  Over recent episodes, I've take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. And in this weeks episode, I want to explore the idea that there is no a one-size fits all approach to Software Development ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/158 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 updating the why of the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. In this episode, I look at why Software Development cannot be deterministic - why do have so many unknowns - why can't we make it as deterministic as moving pig-iron or flipped hamburgers at McDonalds. ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/157 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap

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 updating the why of the podcast.  Over the coming episodes, I'll take a deeper dive into the themes of the pitch and why they made the cut. In this episode, I want to take a deeper dive into the management practices of yesterday - where they came from and why they gave us success yesterday but are failing us today and certainly not fit for tomorrow ----- Find this episodes show notes at: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/156 Have an idea for an episode topic, or want to see what is coming up: https://red-folder.com/podcasts/roadmap