iiSM.ORG Feed

Ride the lightning: The art of Creative Motivation

2025-02-11T05:39:02Z

In this article the author explores why it is so important for software leaders to celebrate the learning that comes from failed value attempts.

Neural Network Matrix Visualization

2021-03-01T01:56:55Z

So, why are software engineers better CEOs?

2021-02-16T05:47:03Z

In this article the author explores, "Is the art of software engineering shaping technology leaders to be better at discovering valuable new products and services?"

Is management pressuring you to deliver unfinished code?

2020-08-05T01:49:19Z

It is well known that traditional companies are struggling with failing software development projects. We explore the reasons for this in our latest article on how management techniques favored by these companies pressure software engineers to deliver code that is unfinished.

Developers can't fix bad management

2020-07-07T20:53:16Z

Numerous articles have been written that chastise developers for blindly implementing code without knowing why the code is needed. We believe these articles to be off-point, as most developers are quite happy to know the 'why' because it enables them to create a solution with a better product/market fit. In this article we explore how at least 85% of the problem is rooted in traditional management using practices that actively discourage developers from figuring out the right solution for the customer.

Why CEOs are failing software engineers and other creative teams

2020-06-23T00:13:06Z

A must-read article that clearly explains why traditionally taught management practices fail at software development, arguing that discovery of new value requires creative management, not business management. The author makes his case by citing a number of emerging techniques used by leading software companies that speed the discovery and realization of new value. This five-minute read frees us from centuries of institutional thinking and enlightens us to manage our software engineers as creative staff that are hungering for a life-changing opportunity to transform the world.

How many of you know deep down that the team is working on something that no customer wants?

2020-06-10T23:49:50Z

Many organizations stand up a product management "Idea Silo" to pursue product-market fit. This articles goes through the perils of using the Idea Silo anti-pattern and provides a practical prescription for building teams that create new, valuable works of software that customers happily pay for and use.

The value destroying effect of arbitrary date pressure on code

2020-05-19T22:00:21Z

We all kind of intuitively know that arbitrary dates aren't good for software projects. We probably know this because we've seen too many rushed software projects catch fire when deployed. But how about the actual real effect on the code? This article drills into real, practical code examples that happen when software engineers are pressured to create Something™ by date certain.

Agile Scrum is not working

2020-05-15T02:28:40Z

Many organizations implement Agile Scrum and then wonder why they didn't realize the promised benefits. In this article, the author lays common reasons for Agile Scrum's negative outcomes and provides suggestions for mapping specific situations to more effective R&D patterns.

Driving engineers to an arbitrary date is a value destroying mistake

2020-05-04T21:10:14Z

Many organizations need estimates on when software will be delivered for budgeting and planning purposes. This article goes through the folly of trying to use detailed estimates from software engineers to fill this organizational need. Read to the end where a practical, proven solution is laid out that will satisfy the organizational need and let your engineers focus on creating valuable software.

You need Software Developers to believe in your project

2020-03-13T21:42:08Z

Help your organization discover the true scope of their software projects

2020-02-26T23:42:59Z

Is tasking developers with creating detailed estimates a waste of company money?

2020-02-07T20:38:58Z

The Case for Statistical Chaos Control in Software

2020-01-09T07:29:25Z

The problem with chaos, like cholesterol plaques in the arteries of your software, it just silently accumulates until somebody, a business or customer, is dead. That is what the author would have liked to have told the Toyota software team before their cars started accelerating out of control or before Boeing’s airplanes started taking nose dives. Even in well-run, quality minded companies, accumulating chaos in software is often overlooked, but the value eroding effects can be felt everywhere. In this five-minute read, the author makes the case for statistical chaos control, a dark space technique designed to uncover silently accumulating chaos in your software before it is too late.

Avoid having your weekend trashed by what you don't know

2019-12-14T00:15:43Z

Is your weekend getting trashed by unexpected chaos? This article walks you through a proven technique for discovering "unknown unknowns" in your software, things that you have no idea that they are happening, but, your customers will likely find and escalate on Friday night.

3 Tips for answering the Non-Technical Scrum Master's question: What did you work on yesterday?

2019-12-06T21:20:22Z

Many software engineers work in organizations that are under traditional, manufacturing practices based management, which tends to mean there is non-technical project manager who fills the role of "Scrum Master" in your daily stand-up. This article gives some practical tips for getting through the daily ~~stand up~~ project manager status meeting.

Do Software Engineering teams need a specialized management approach?

2019-12-03T02:49:50Z

Software Research Uncovers 3 Keys to Value

2019-11-09T21:46:36Z

Value of a Good Software Development Team

2019-11-06T20:45:49Z

Study Reveals Top Sources of Software Chaos!

2019-10-30T20:54:06Z

Politics of Opportunity -- Confirmation Bias

2019-10-12T03:07:31Z

The Politics of Opportunity – Corner of Side Jobs

2019-10-07T03:58:29Z

The Politics of Opportunity – Venture Valley

2019-09-30T01:03:29Z

Executive Mandates and the Politics of Indifference

2019-09-09T01:29:56Z

Corporate Hijacking Opportunity

2019-08-31T20:18:11Z

The Politics of Outsourcing

2019-08-27T23:39:31Z

Are Office Politics Necessarily Evil?

2019-08-25T22:34:48Z

Leadership and The Importance of Relevance

2019-08-13T15:42:36Z

Pursuing Sustainable Market Opportunities

2019-08-12T18:21:26Z

The path of your future: MBA or Creative Management

2019-07-31T00:10:36Z

Truth #1 – the Evolution to Continuous Discovery

2019-07-30T06:53:09Z

Truth #1 – The Theory of Discovery

2019-07-27T21:40:16Z

Software Management Big Picture Functional Model

2019-07-22T21:03:39Z

The High Demand for 4X Software Leaders

2019-07-19T16:07:50Z

Classic Requirement Synthesis

2019-07-04T19:03:03Z

Classically Coerced Project Execution

2019-07-04T18:44:06Z

Product Execution or Project Execution

2019-07-04T18:38:31Z

Deliverable #1 - Making Happy/Trusted Engineers

2019-07-03T22:14:26Z