Pomodoro Technique® Considered Harmful (don’t worry: you are not using it)

So, you have your shining, ticketing, tomato-shaped timer on your desk and you are a proud practitioner of the Pomodoro Technique®.

I’ve got bad news and good news.

The Definition of Definition of Done

TL;DR

Want to help editing a collaborative version of Definition Of Done checklist, driven by questions, rationales and “don’ts”?
Click here and feel free to share your ideas!

8 Practical Rules For Producing Decent Estimates

This the second part of How I Was Able To Be Successful Even When Forced To Use Waterfall

Rule #1: take your time

Luckily, your estimation meeting will be much more fortunate than mine (see Part I).
In my previous Scrummerfall experience, since I was forced to produce a big-planning-up-front phase, I was used to always plan 2 or 3 days for it. I was asking for an estimation when my ignorance of the problem was at the maximum level, hence I needed a lot of analysis.

8 rules for being successful even when forced to use Waterfall (with a pretty good estimation)

Waterfall can work

No it cannot.
I mean: actually, it does, but adopting new and modern methodologies, you can dramatically improve your team productivity.
Yet, I believe most teams are using a mix of Agile and Waterfall. The reason is Waterfall is the sole methodology able to give the only information your manager needs to know: how much the project will cost and what’s the delivery date. About this, read the excellent post by Christopher Goldsbury Why Agile Adoption Fails in Some Organizations

Why you should learn some Waterfall as well

Scrummerfall

I once worked as a team leader in a startup. I was in love with XP, studying Scrum and looking forward to be able to put into practice what I was reading.

Unfortunately, my boss explicitly told me to use Waterfall. I never blamed him: before him, the company had no process at all, and was governed by anarchy; no documentation, no requirements, no clear roles. Actually, introducing a Waterfall process, he made a great revolution, and let the company succeed.

The 3 most valuable qualities a candidate should have to bring value to a team

Very recently I asked Giacomo Tesio, author of Epic Framework, which developing methodology was the more successful, from his point of view.

Perché il tuo superiore è un incompetente?

Perché vengono promossi sempre i meno meritevoli? Perché anche nelle aziende che dichiarano di essere meritocratiche si promuovono per anzianità gli incompetenti e si deludono sistematicamente gli entusiasmi dei più promettenti e giovani talenti? Perché al livello gerarchico immediatamente superiore al tuo sembra essersi stabilita una casta impenetrabile di incompetenti?
Perché è così difficile essere meritocratici?