Agile Software Engineering

Alessandro

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TECHNOLOGY

This podcast explores how craftsmanship, architecture, engineering rigor, and organizational practices come together in modern R&D environments. Each edition refines and deepens my earlier reflections, building a coherent and evolving body of knowledge around Agile Software Engineering

4 DAYS AGO

Hiring and Onboarding Talented Engineers Is a Leadership Responsibility

In this episode of The Agile Engineering Deep Dive, Alessandro Guida explores why hiring should be treated as a long-term leadership investment rather than a short-term operational task. Many organizations focus on speed, cost, and visible output when hiring engineers. But these signals often hide the real risks: poor role definition, mismatched expectations, underinvestment in onboarding, and decisions that optimize for the next quarter rather than the next decade. This episode reflects on how different problems require different hiring strategies, why the number of applicants is a misleading success metric, and how leadership choices during hiring quietly shape culture, capability, and resilience over time. The goal is not to slow organizations down, but to make hiring decisions more deliberate, responsible, and sustainable - especially in engineering environments where long-term value depends on people, not just processes or tools. Please subscribe to this podcast. It’s the best way to support it. If you’re interested in the original article behind this episode, make sure to subscribe to the Agile Software Engineering newsletter.

18 min
6 DAYS AGO

Rethinking Legacy Software: A Strategic Leadership Challenge

Do legacy systems really slow organizations down - or are they quietly holding everything together? In this episode of The Agile Engineering Deep Dive, Alessandro Guida challenges a belief many organizations take for granted: that legacy software is something to avoid, escape, or replace as quickly as possible. When legacy systems are neglected or treated as second-class citizens, risk accumulates quietly. Knowledge concentrates, change becomes expensive, and business-critical value is taken for granted - until something breaks and the impact suddenly becomes visible. This episode explores: • The many faces of legacy - from missing documentation to compliance constraints • Why legacy systems often represent core business value • Lessons from Y2K and other “invisible until critical” moments • How incremental modernization reduces risk without stopping the business • Why stability is a prerequisite for sustainable innovation Not an argument against innovation. Not nostalgia for old technology. A challenge to how leaders think about responsibility, risk, and long-term value. If you care about building organizations that can innovate without sacrificing stability - and that treat legacy as a managed asset rather than an unmanaged risk - this episode is for you. Please subscribe to this podcast. It’s the best way to support it. If you’re interested in the original article behind this episode, make sure to subscribe to the Agile Software Engineering newsletter.

18 min
7 JAN

Why Hero Cultures Fail (and Professional Engineering Succeeds)

Do hero cultures really make organizations strong - or do they quietly make them fragile? In this episode of The Agile Engineering Deep Dive, Alessandro Guida challenges a belief many organizations take for granted: that relying on heroes is a sign of strength. When systems depend on exceptional individuals to keep things running, knowledge concentrates, ownership blurs, and resilience suffers. What looks like efficiency in the short term often turns into risk, technical debt, and organizational fragility over time. This episode explores: • Why hero cultures emerge - and why they don’t scale • The hidden risks of knowledge silos and low bus factor • How professional engineering practices enable shared ownership and resilience • Why legacy systems can be growth opportunities, not career dead ends • What leaders can do to replace heroics with sustainable capability Not an attack on talented individuals. Not a call for more process. A challenge to the systems and incentives that turn professionalism into heroics. If you care about building organizations that scale beyond individuals - and remain resilient when people change - this episode is for you. Please subscribe to this podcast. It’s the best way to support it. If you’re interested in the original article behind this episode, make sure to subscribe to the Agile Engineering newsletter.

16 min
3 JAN

Do we really put users first in Agile — or do we just ask them to debug our assumptions?

Do we really put users first in Agile - or do we just ask them to debug our assumptions? In this episode of The Agile Engineering Deep Dive, Alessandro Guida challenges a common Agile belief: that frequent feedback automatically means meaningful user involvement. When users are shown isolated features instead of full interaction flows, feedback becomes guesswork. User stories describe intent, but without UX context, interaction design, or storyboards, teams often build correct functionality into the wrong experience. This episode explores: Why user stories alone are often not enoughHow storyboards help validate understanding before code is writtenThe role of UX and interaction design in reducing rework and uncertaintyHow to involve users in shaping experiences, not just approving backlog itemsNot anti-Agile. Not anti-user stories. A challenge to how we use them. If you care about building the right thing - not just building fast - this episode is for you. Please subscribe to this Podcast. It is the best way to support it. Also, if you are interested in the original article for this podcast make sure to subscribe the Agile Engineering newsletter 👉 here.

17 min
29/12/2025

Clean Code, Clean Planet – How Software Design and Coding Practices Shape Our Digital Carbon Footprint

New podcast episode: “Clean Code, Clean Planet – How Software Design and Coding Practices Shape Our Digital Carbon Footprint” In it, I explore a simple idea that often goes unnoticed: software may be virtual, but its impact is physical. Everyday engineering decisions — from algorithms and design choices to architecture, usability, and team culture — quietly consume real energy and scale globally. The episode looks at this through six familiar engineering lenses: 🔹 Clean Code 🔹 Clean Design 🔹 Clean Architecture 🔹 Clean Usability 🔹 Clean Responsibility 🔹 Clean Thinking This is not about green rules or guilt. It’s about awareness — and seeing good engineering not only as a quality practice, but as a contributor to a more sustainable digital world. 💡 Clean engineering isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing only what truly matters — clearly, efficiently, and consciously. 👉 Read the full article here: “Clean Code, Clean Planet”

14 min
27/12/2025

From Toyota to Agile: Using Lean Tools in Agile Engineering

I just published an improved version of my article: “From Toyota to Agile: Using Lean Tools in Engineering” In it, I share how a few Lean tools I first learned from “The Toyota way” have followed me throughout my career - and how they fit beautifully into Agile engineering to make it more powerful and effective. Some of my favorites include: 🔹 Value Stream Mapping 🔹 Visual Management 🔹 Kanban 🔹 Kaizen 🔹 5 Whys They may sound simple, but when applied consistently they can transform how teams collaborate, focus, and deliver. 💡 Agile brings adaptability. Lean brings clarity and discipline. Together, they make engineering teams unstoppable. 👉 Read the full article here: “From Toyota to Agile: Using Lean Tools in Engineering”

18 min
16/12/2025

Surrounded by Talents: The Leader’s Role in Developing People

Throughout my career, the most meaningful achievements were not technologies, architectures, or deliveries - they were the people who grew around me. Many of them went on to become leaders, architects, innovators, and trusted voices in their organisations. For me, that has always been the real success measure of leadership. In this new podcast, I reflect on what it truly means to be surrounded by talents - how to recognise potential early, how to support people without micromanaging, and why mentorship is not an optional activity, but a core responsibility for anyone in a leadership position. I also connect these experiences to research on psychological safety, stretch learning, and mentoring - and even to the Danish ATU initiative, which shows that talent development can begin much earlier than we often think. If you are a leader, an aspiring leader, or someone who simply cares about people and growth, I hope this reflection resonates. 👉 Read the full article here: Surrounded by Talents

15 min
11/12/2025

The Secrets of Efficient Stand-Ups

The Secrets of Efficient Stand-Ups - Why They Fail, and How to Make Them Work Most stand-ups feel like this: “Yesterday I did X, today I’ll do Y, no blockers.” A round of micro-monologues… and very little actual coordination. In my new article, I explore why stand-ups so easily drift into status reporting-and how small changes can transform them into the most valuable 15 minutes of your day. Here’s what you’ll take away: • Why focusing on individuals destroys team flow • How walking the board unlocks real collaboration • The one question that instantly elevates any stand-up 👉Read the full article here

18 min

This podcast explores how craftsmanship, architecture, engineering rigor, and organizational practices come together in modern R&D environments. Each edition refines and deepens my earlier reflections, building a coherent and evolving body of knowledge around Agile Software Engineering

Creator

Alessandro
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

15
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 Agile Software Engineering
Show Website

Agile Software Engineering