Arguing Agile – Details, episodes & analysis

All Aboard the AI Hype Train!!!

Product management is DEAD! It died facing a high-noon showdown with AI, and the rumors of it's demise are spreading faster than a locomotive through the boom-town of Silicon Valley.

In this episode of Arguing Agile, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel try a daring uncoupling of the the AI hype train as they examine Claire Vo's take on whether product management is about to derail.

Listen as we navigate treacherous mountain passes following this shiny new engine, exploring:

The runaway train of AI expectations vs. reality
Why the "lone ranger" product manager is a dangerous myth
Navigating the switchyard of cross-functional collaboration
Breaking out of the Silicon Valley echo chamber
Why technical skills are just one car in the product management train

What's your ticket to the future of product management say? Drop your perspective in the comments, partner!

#AI #ProductManagement #Innovation #TeamTopologies #TechLeadership #ProductDevelopment #AgileCoaching

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Watch on YouTube
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Subscribe on YouTube:
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Apple:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

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Toronto Is My Beat (Music Sample)
By Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)
CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

Success as a platform PM requires both technical depth and exceptional emotional intelligence to navigate complex organizational dynamics...

That goes double if you work in banking or finance!

In this episode of Arguing Agile, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando read and respond to a question from a listener who is a platform product managers at a Bank.

Getting into the nitty-gritty of platform how-to's, this episode is perfect for product managers, agile coaches, and technology leaders working in traditional industries looking to modernize their approach to platform management!

As industries embrace digital transformation (err... product operating model), platform product managers face unique challenges, including: 

• How to effectively manage cross-functional relationships in siloed environments
• Strategies for prioritizing platform features that deliver organization-wide value
• Tips for reducing cognitive load across teams
• Ways to build trust and showcase value as a platform team
• Create value through standardization without weaponizing it
• Build effective cross-functional relationships

#ProductManagement #TeamTopologies #PlatformTeam #AgileLeadership #Banking #TechLeadership #ProductDevelopment #AgileCoaching

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Watch it on YouTube
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast
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Toronto Is My Beat (Music Sample)
By Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)
CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

In this episode of the Arguing Agile Podcast, school is in session as Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel helps Product Manager Brian Orlando understand the ways of successfully transitioning a team from Scrum (or whatever) to Kanban! 

We cover key Kanban concepts, like: 

• Adapting and Reducing events and meetings
• Understanding flow and pull systems
• Setting effective WIP limits
• Creating common-sense policies
• Managing backlogs and estimations
• Measuring success with Kanban metrics

Whether you're considering the switch or already using Kanban, this episode will help you optimize your flow!

Kanban, agile, Scrum, workflow management, WIP limits, pull system, flow, backlog refinement, continuous improvement, agile metrics

#Kanban #ContinuousImprovement #ProductManagement #SoftwareDevelopment

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Watch it on YouTube
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast
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Toronto Is My Beat (Music Sample)
By Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)
CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

Does your team or org have a Scrum Master or Agile Coach?

Many do not.

Organizations without Scrum Masters have many common challenges and in this episode we discuss those challenges in-depth!

Listen as Product Manager and Registered Nurse Stormy Dickson joins Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel to discuss what life is like without a Scrum Master.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:23 Metaphors!
2:26 Challenging the Analogy
3:30 Team Development
5:10 Who is Leadership? Small Companies.
7:07 Who is Leadership? SMBs.
8:14 Segue: Scaling Bad Practices
8:55 Who is Leadership? SMBs. (Part 2)
10:06 Now, We Are Going to Be Agile
12:02 Brian's Response
14:40 The Cost of No Scrum Master
15:51 Product with No Scrum Master
17:19 Separating Product from Process
19:46 ...sCrUm MaStErS sHoUlD bE tEcHnIcAl
22:50 Process vs Product and Operations
24:53 Cognitive Load
26:57 What Really Matters?
29:33 Sharing Learnings
30:59 Product Involvement in Process
35:42 Being Comfortable Letting Go
38:11 Qualitative and Quantitative Questions
41:40 Part Time Scrum Masters
43:14 Definition of Done
45:55 Soft Skills and Checklists
48:01 "Work Yourself Out of a Job"
50:45 Wrap-Up

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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzgxMzE5LnJzcw

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast

Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/agile-podcast-2
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AA92 - Life without a Scrum Master

Do you want to be a Product Manager and have been doing the role of Product Owner on a Scrum Team?

On this episode, Product Manager and Registered Nurse Stormy Dickson joins Product Manager Brian Orlando to talk about her transition from being a Product Owner (as a job title and role) to being a Product Manager and the difference she has noticed.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:25 Starting with Teams
2:16 Stormy's Experiences with Self Managing Teams
5:26 Brian's Questions...
6:48 Change Triggered by Crisis
9:20 Brian's Take: PO vs PM Job Roles
10:29 Strategy
11:42 Learning New Skills
13:54 Stunted Growth
18:30 Coordinating Strategy
21:17 Communicate Like a Doctor
22:10 View on Career Paths in Product
23:29 Product Responsibilities (with Graphics)
25:28 Continuous Discovery, Customer Empathy
26:51 Validate the Most Important Problems
29:06 A Typical Product Situation
30:53 Being Overextended
32:02 Lobbying for Change
34:06 Bob Galen's 4 Quadrants of Product Ownership
34:38 Good Business Metrics
36:08 Brian's Experiences
39:54 Suggestions for Transitioning from PO to PM
42:38 Taking a Leap
44:27 Mentorship and Sponsorship

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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzgxMzE5LnJzcw

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast

Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/agile-podcast-2
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AA91 - Going from Product Owner to Product Manager

On this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel are joined by Product Manager Stormy Dickson to talk about culture, incentives, and the challenges of trying to change organizations.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:50 Engrained in the Culture
4:52 Pondering Large Companies
7:40 Challenging Organizations
10:31 Big Cultural Red Flags
11:50 Changing Your Organization
13:35 Sidebar on Dunbar's Number
15:08 Start with Yourself
17:52 Bad Apples
20:41 Incentives
23:39 Diversity
25:32 Walk the Gemba
26:59 Breaking Down the Org (Dunbar's Number, Part 2)
30:54 Same Company, Different Cultures
33:39 Training
37:57 Incentives & Erosion
39:36 Long Term vs Short Term
43:15 Product Incentives vs Process Incentives

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AA90 - Org Culture (with Stormy Dickson)

Today, we're joined by Product Lead Tricia Barnes and our favorite Scrum Master Surprise Mystery Guest to talk about red flags to watch out for when interviewing for roles on agile teams.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:14 No Scrum Peers in the Interview
1:59 When Product "Runs Things"
3:19 First Scrum Master Hire
6:07 Being "Methodology Agnostic"
7:36 Putting the Interviewer to Work
10:25 Different Perspectives
12:42 Recognizing Burn-Out & Chaos
16:29 Conflating Velocity and Business Value
20:33 Showcasing Business Value
22:37 No Passion for Project
27:33 Lack of Leadership Buy-In
30:23 Segue on Hardware
32:26 Scrum - It's Not for Everyone
34:29 Agreeableness / People Pleasers
37:33 Jessica's Summary

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AA89 - Agile Interviewing Red Flags (with Tricia Barnes & Surprise Mystery Guest)

There's a line in the Agile Manifesto: "Customer collaboration over contract negotiation."

This episode will help familiarize you with contracts because contracts are not just something that should be "done by somebody else."

0:00 Topic Intro
0:45 Master Service Agreements
3:13 Three Agreements Types
7:09 Time & Materials
8:58 Fixed Price Contracts & Agile
12:52 Boot-making Example (Fixed Price)
16:24 Grades of Service
18:54 Grades of Service & Agile
20:23 Fixed Price - Penalties
23:23 Fixed Price - Incentives
24:33 Fixed Price - Simplistic Approach
26:41 Minimizing Risk - Paying for Value Delivery
28:30 Pivoting? Build it In!
32:55 Agile & Contracting - A Common Theme
36:52 Time & Materials
41:06 Mitigating Risks with "Plus, Plus"
42:47 Shifting Goalposts
44:57 Spirit of Agile in Contracts
47:50 Wrap-Up

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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzgxMzE5LnJzcw

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast

Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/agile-podcast-2
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AA88 - Contracts in Agile Software Development

On this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel read through and discuss a recent article authored by a (clearly burnt-out) Product Manager.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:28 Reading the Post
3:38 Meaningless Work
8:42 Building the Wrong Thing (aka. Failure)
10:32 Building the Wrong Thing, Continued
13:33 Blame Game
17:28 Burn-out or Failure to Coach?
20:38 Culture Eats Strategy
23:14 Continuous Discovery
27:10 Being Not Good at Anything
29:46 Never Read the Comments
32:09 Making a Case with Data
34:55 Getting Cut
40:48 Wrap-up

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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzgxMzE5LnJzcw

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast

Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/agile-podcast-2
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AA87 - Burnt-Out Product Managers

You've been either hired or promoted as a new Product Manager or Owner. Congratulations!

What should you do next? What might you expect? What can you do to ensure success?

On this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel talk about what it's like to be a new Product Owner or Product Manager.

0:00 Topic Intro
0:35 Why/What
3:59 Starting with Why
6:16 Starting Points
11:27 Crossing the Chasm
14:08 Do You Have the Skills?
19:44 Being a Good Leader
24:07 Starting Fresh/New
30:26 Feature Parity with Competitors
35:31 Feature Toggles & A/B Testing
38:42 Starting without a Team
45:11 A Different Spin on this Podcast
48:27 Wrap-up

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Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596

Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzgxMzE5LnJzcw

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ee3506fc-38f2-46d1-a301-79681c55ed82/Agile-Podcast

Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/agile-podcast-2
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AA86 - New Product Owners and Product Managers