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Let's talk User Experience - What's worse?

I've recently been party to a somewhat rare event in one's life.  It has made me think about the customer experience - or the UX that we discuss so much in software.  On a scale of 0 - 10 rank these events in your life: Applying for and receiving a home mortgage . Being the subject of Inter-Stellar Species cataloging and experimentation ( Alien Abduction ). Having the periodic Colonoscopy exam . I feel like I can be considered an expert in all of these areas, having multiple experiences in each unique domain.  Here is how I rate them on the scale (terrible to uneventful): (0) Home Mortage - - - - (5) - - - Colonoscopy - Alien Abduction (10) What is your worst UX experience? Is anything worse than a Home Mortage experience?

What is a Coder's Umwelt?

 I've been exploring the Umwelt of my dog, Malibu through our walks (it is a practice described by Ed Yong in An Immense World ).  So I'm practicing the practice of ...  Umgebung  (an Umwelt as seen by another observer) . It is an interesting practice - one that takes extreme empath - it is exhausting and exhilarating at times. I read a book sometime in the 1990s about a spaceship crash-landing on a planet with beings like trees - the trees were sentient and I cannot remember the title nor much more about the storyline.  Those trees had a unique Umwelt, and to communicate the humans had to first, practice Umgebung.  [Note: this book could have been by Don Saker -  Scattered Worlds series - maybe].  I've been reading about the Hlutr - they have a First Language - of color, they have a Second Language - of sounds, and they have the Universal Language. I'm trying to remember... investigate this... When I read about a minke whale in captivity that "learned to speak&q

XP Explained - Embrace Change - ToC

The first edition, 2000 copyright, version of XP Explained by Kent Beck has a uniquely great table of contents.  I've talked with people about this... I feel that these 27 chapters could be the outline for a master's degree in software. I don't know if this content was removed in later editions or what... I don't see it in the online versions of the table of contents. At the risk of getting called out - here are some images of those pages.  Decide for yourself - is this not the greatest SW Dev book of the last 30 years? Table of Contents - eXtreme Programming eXplained

Introducing Ask Apple

  Did you see this offer for developer help?  This is great for the solopreneur iOS Dev.

Limitless - Visualizing Wisdom

 I just found a site and fell in love with the illustrations.  Here's just a sampling... GoLimitless - Visualising the World's Wisdom.

A decade of Views

 The Google Site manager gave me this graph of the history of Agile Complexification Inverter views over the history (since 2011).  In 2017 I guess I was most active and received about 15K per month.

An application of Benevolent Dictator with Dunbar's number in Mind.

Do you want your team to run upon the principle of democracy or benevolent dictator or some form of holarchy or self-selection, etc?   There are many ways to organize or self-organize.  But the one form that humans have found valuable and worth repeating is best described by the term Benevolent Dictator.  This is the pattern that describes so so many of our businesses and many organizations.   We must find it useful. I  just heard that scientists have found that dolphins have a tiered network of associations. " Bottlenose dolphins form multi-level alliances to find mates — the largest known network outside of humans, according to a new study . Bottlenose dolphins are social creatures, usually traveling in a pod of 12 or more, even though they do strike out on their own from time to time." I was  talking with a  business owner who  described  one  of  the  key factors in his weeding out of people that didn't fit well  with the  company (either culturally,  mission, tempe

Do you recognize this definition of Agile?

 Here's a  2022  Article  about what  Agile  is  and  even better a combined  V-Shaped software development method  that  combines the  best of Agile with Waterfall.  Proving that just because you  can read it - doesn't make it TRUE. The Growing Popularity of Agile in Software Development Nate Nead   /   20 Aug 2022   /   ReadWrite The Agile model of software development is becoming more and more popular compared to the V-shaped model. This model is based on iterations and feedback, and it allows for changes to be made quickly and effectively. The V-shaped model is a combination of the two most popular models currently in use-Agile and Waterfall. The Agile model of software development is a more recent model that has been gaining in popularity in recent years. It is based on the principle of iterations-meaning that the software is developed in short, repeatable cycles-and feedback. This allows for changes to be made quickly and effectively, which is beneficial for both the cust

BBQ life coach leads you to new understanding of the Agile Manifesto

 Some times it takes time to  process great truths.    They  don't all hit you like a  grand piano  falling from the 5th floor.  Many  take time and considerable ruminating to totally GROK. The 20-Day Agility Challenge DeMystifying Agility, one belief at a time. There is a good friend of mine that has worked to make the Agile Manifesto reachable by the many people who need to read (reread) and come to terms with its true meaning.   Here is  Derek's summary in a multipart pod-cast   The Long Way Around the Barn. PLAY EPISODE Podcast: Unlimited Agility The Agile Manifesto is often thought of as a historical event or document, but Derek Lane is hoping to redefine how it’s introduced and revisited because the principles are time- and battle-tested in how it brings value to people. As 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the Agile Manifesto, Lane and fellow colleagues have formed a community, Unlimited Agility, where you won’t find answers, but you will find like-minded individuals to

How does a Rocket Engineer Reason?

 They tell me I'm not a Rocket Engineer -  and it's true.  To think like a rocket engineer is to think very differently.  So who is  a  rocket engineer - I bet you came  up with the name Elon. Here is Elon's  thought process for building  rockets. Make the  requirements less dumb.    Question the   requirements - the constraints  are wrong.   Especially  if the requirements are given by an  expert.   Also all requirement need to be traceable to a  person - not  a department. Delete the  part or the  process  - it's redundant or not at all needed.   Remember the  human  bias is to add.  The rocket engineer should be adding back only after first deleting and proving it  must be added back (an  acceptable rate of  re-addition  is 10%). Simplify or  optimize  only after steps 1 &  2.   Never optimize early.   Do  NOT optimize the thing that shouldn't  exist.  Example SpaceX grid fin folding parts - they just are not needed. Excelerate cycle time.   But only after 1,

Your invitation to join me in Unlimited Agility

Unlimited Agility Hello! I'd like to invite you to our community, Unlimited Agility. It takes less than a minute to join and together we're sharing our stories, experiences, and ideas. I know you'll love it. See you here! David Koontz David Koontz Join Me Unlimited Agility   Discovering unlimited agility through servant leadership. Are you looking for a safe place where you can grow as a servant leader? The UnlimitedAgility community focuses on growing servant leaders through... Join Us Now You've been invited to join Unlimited Agility | Unsubscribe   Unlimited Agility is powered by Mighty Networks 127 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301 |

Imposing Process is a Known Failure of Agile

 Where do you stand on the imposition of a process upon the workers doing the work? Is this Imposition OK in the Agile community?  Well, yes if one observers the work in enough work places it becomes quite obvious that this is common practice, and done by the most Agile of the change initiatives. But have YOU stopped to question this practice of imposition? Martin Fowler - Where we (the agile community) are in 2018 - 3 main topics (AIC Imposing Process, Technical Excellence, Organize around Products) at Agile Ausis (2018).  "It sounds like success."  "Individuals and Interactions over Process and Tools" - "The team chooses its own path."  "And it goes further than that..."  "the team should not just choose the process, but they should be actively encouraged to continue to evolve it and change it as they go..." (7 minutes into talk).

the Post COVID-19 Workforce Return with Different Expectations

 Hey Manager,   I'm going to work from home this week, you can IM me if you need anything.  I will be at the beach with my family.  No, I'm not talking vacation - why would I... I'll be working. How will you respond? Returning to work is going to raise some command and control issues.  Are you buying the works time and presence and efforts for an 8 hour day - or has that changed?  We have experienced a different way.  Can we discuss what this means upon the return to work?

The shape of Classic Sprint Burndown Charts

 Many new leaders of scrum teams want to know what the burndown chart "should" look like.  Some even start running statistical calculations on the data (I once worked with a 'coach' that had a spreadsheet custom designed to extract just such anomalies).  The best answer I've given is a session on the whiteboard to explain: how the data is obtained how accurate & precise the data is - just good enough & not any better interruptions that MAY be made ... but only by the TEAM  So here is that whiteboard session - on index cards... Let's go one at a time. They are learning to make their work visible... praise this effort - it can be quite scary to show your work. Do not use tools that show this mathematically perfect line from start to finish.  Only robots are capable of such precession, and only with the perfect PLAN. If you see something like this in the first 3 or 4 sprints... it is a good sign.  Now reduce the scope of work by at least HALF. This is wha

No Problem: Our ScrumMaster was Kidnapped

 Years ago there was a pattern in the Scrum community - loosely call "Kidnapp the ScrumMaster" - I googled and didn't easily find it - so here the reason this is a good practice . In general I am not talking about kidnap and ransom... I'm talking about agreeing with the ScrumMaster before the daily Scrum that they have an important personal errand and they just disappear for 30 minutes, with no warning, no preparedness, nothing - just gone! Then observing the team, from a distance - do not take over any of the duties of "DRIVING THE MEETING" (yuck) do not step in and facilitate.  The objective is to see the team, wait a few minutes and then start their daily Scrum meeting without missing a beat. If this can happen for the SM it could happen to any Team Member.  Feel empowered to kidnap other Team's players from time to time to test the resiliency of the teams.   I suggest once a month all the SM meet at the local coffee bar to have a group kidnapping.