Agile Amped Podcast - Inspiring Conversations

Latest Episodes:

Human Interactions & How Improv Can Help | Kupe Kupersmith Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

Extrovert Kupe Kupersmith has a goal to connect with every person in the world. "I'm not the smartest person in the room," he admits, "but I am a click away from getting any answer that you need."Kupe uses improvisation to improve human interactions, which technology and tools like social media can both hinder or support. He even demonstrates how you can use improv to, of all things, build a pool on the moon.

Howard Sublett assists at Agile2017 in Orlando, Florida.

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Uncovering Agile Coaches | Karen Greaves, Sam Laing & Michael Tardiff Aug 18, 2017

Show notes

How do you coach the mind? "Slowly, carefully," say our guests Karen Greaves and Sam Laing. The duo are attending Agile2017 from far away South Africa and presenting on "Growing Internal Trainers and Coaches." Karen shares her experiences becoming – then giving up being – a Certified Agile Trainer because it was at odds with her and Sam's real objective: growing and uncovering competent Agile coaches and trainers, rather than just handing our certifications to people whose only concern is whether something will be on the exam. As Sam puts it, "Some things that you chase can actually drive the wrong behavior."

SolutionsIQ's Howard Sublett hosts at Agile2017 in Orlando, Florida, with Agile coach Michael Tardiff adding color commentary.

Definition of Product Success | Jeff Patton and George Schlitz Aug 17, 2017

Show notes

Author of O'Reilly's "User Story Mapping" Jeff Patton joins SolutionsIQ's George Schlitz to remind us that product success is not defined by how many features it has but by the value that customers get out of it. In other words, if customers aren't using it, the company should take that feedback and run with it. "It's incredibly important to be focused on what are we helping companies achieve in their worlds more than how much stuff are we delivering." Meanwhile, George recognizes that leadership is key to ensuring that the business is achieving the actual goal of bringing value to customers.

SolutionsIQ's Howard Sublett hosts live at Agile2017 in Orlando, Florida.

Leadership Development Ain't for Sissies | Lyssa Adkins, Halim Dunsky & John Borys Aug 16, 2017

Show notes

Beloved guest and co-founder of the Agile Coaching Institute (ACI) Lyssa Adkins graces us with her presence and regales us with her experiences through leadership development, both her own and those that she has coached others through. SolutionsIQ's Halim Dunsky and Accenture's John Borys round out the table with the discussion centering around how difficult it is to be a good leader, whether you're leading a team or an enterprise. In the spirit of Agile and transparency, the group shares their individual growth experiences and aspirations, recognizing that "leadership development ain't for sissies."

SolutionsIQ's Howard Sublett hosts.

Disrupting Universities | Michael Vizdos Aug 15, 2017

Show notes

Michael Vizdos is a coach, entrepreneur, author, and now the ScrumMaster in Residence, and part-time professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Universities around the world now have demand for curriculum in Agile and Scrum, and Michael was hired by VCU's DaVinci Center to disrupt and develop both undergraduate and graduate studies in this field. "This is going to teach kids to think again."

SolutionsIQ's Howard Sublett hosts.

"The Tech Industry Needs All Kinds of Minds" - Sallyann Freudenberg on Neurodiversity Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

An Agile coach, trainer and mentor with a PhD in Psychology of Collaborative Software Development, Sallyann Freudenberg is an advocate for neurodiversity. It was after her son was diagnosed with autism that Sallyann recognized the same characteristics in herself – and in the tech industry around us. She says, "Statistically, you have autistics in your organization if you're a tech company. There's a huge correlation… These people are in your company right now, you're just not making the most out of them." To help companies recognize that neuro-atypical individuals with autism or ADHD may offer intrinsic "superpowers" to offset their challenges, Sally co-founded the Inclusive Collaboration Campaign with Katherine Kirk.

SolutionsIQ's Howard Sublett hosts.

The #NoEstimates Movement with Ryan Ripley Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

Agile coach and "Agile for Humans" podcaster Ryan Ripley drops by to talk about a passion of his: the #NoEstimates movement. The problem is that estimates can turn into commitments, dollars get spent based on misinformation, features end up misaligned with business needs, and all parties end up feeling misled and frustrated. The question then is: do estimates add value or is it unnecessary overhead? Jump into with us to learn more about this movement!

SolutionsIQ's Chris Murman hosts.

Ron & Chet Have an Agile Revolution in Mind Aug 10, 2017

Show notes

Agile pioneers Ron Jeffries and Chet Hendrickson take us on a roller-coaster ride – in a Delaurian! – through the pervasion of Agile, the evils of meeting big companies where they are, the next evolution of Agile, and treating programmers with human decency, all in the "right side lounge"! Not sure what that means? Neither are we, but we learned a lot and you will, too. Need more incentive? How about these quotes:- "You're not doing Agile until your teams are shipping software every two weeks."- "I have in mind a revolution."- "What is Agile 2.0? It's teal biomimicry."- "We coded live during the keynote to prove that we could do it."- "Everything I learned about Agile, I learned through pair programming."

Author David Marquet to Leaders: Empower Others by Giving Up Control Aug 10, 2017

Show notes

David Marquet's book "Turn Your Ship Around" is a favorite in the Agile community because it epitomizes team empowerment. David sits down with Agile Amped to discuss his thoughts on leadership, sharing stories of inadvertently becoming the leader aboard the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear submarine. He offers advice to the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, including (surprisingly) letting your waiter order your meal for you the next 10 times you eat at a restaurant. "When you know what it feels like [to give up control], then you know when you're on the right track." Learning to lead, he also advocates, is like learning a foreign language: you don't learn it by going off to on retreats but by doing a little bit everyday.

Howard Sublett hosts with guest SolutionsIQ's Dan Fuller.

Round Table Roulette - Agile2017 Edition Aug 10, 2017

Show notes

What happens when you get a handful of Agilists together and ask them random questions on the fly? A lot of fun – and insights. Who's the better ScrumMaster: Batman or Wonder Woman? What drink makes for the best retrospectives? What one piece of advice would you offer a Product Owner? Listen in and see how you stack up with our panel – Neville Poole, Chris Murman and Claire Moss. Hosted by Howard Sublett.