Arguing Agile Podcast Brian Orlando

In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel are joined by Software Development expert Ed Martin for an exploration how company size affects business agility.

We discuss the challenges that arise as organizations scale from 3 people to 30 to 300 and beyond, covering topics like losing the culture of experimentation, organizational rigidity, continuous improvement, and the "rule of 3 and 10".

Listen as we share real-world examples on how to maintain agility while growing your business. Listen to learn strategies for reinventing your culture, org design best practices, and the importance of having a framework to "work on the business" as you scale. Listen whether you're a founder, agile coach, or product leader and this episode will give you valuable perspectives on navigating the complexities that come with company growth!

0:00 Podcast Intro
0:17 Topic Intro: Business Agility & Company Size
0:47 Brian's Start-up Story
1:51 The Rule of 3 and 10
3:20 Proactive Work on the System
5:27 Om's Systems Example
7:05 Ed's Planning Example
8:11 Example: 3 to 30 People
11:20 Example: Growth to 300
13:57 Continuous Improvement
17:04 Shooting the Messenger
19:35 Your 100%
23:04 Losing the Experimentation Culture
26:15 Business Rigidity and Reinvention
28:16 Culture is Past Tense
30:10 Reinspection Triggers
32:53 Org Design
34:57 Gino Wickman: Traction
37:49 Working Groups
38:45 The Natural Order
44:12  Reinventing Organizations
48:37 Future Podcasts
48:55 Wrap-up

= = = = = = = = = = = =
Watch it on YouTube
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1

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
= = = = = = = = = = = =
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)

Onboarding New Product Managers

In this episode of Arguing Agile, hosts Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel dive into the challenges and best practices around onboarding new product managers. 

Topics include:
Communicating the company vision, mission and goals Mapping key players, stakeholders and decision-making processesAligning the new PM's goals to organizational objectivesBuilding and owning the product roadmap Understanding customers, segmentation and building empathyThe importance of mentorship and coaching for new PMsWhether you're a product leader looking to optimize your onboarding or a new PM wanting to hit the ground running, this episode provides actionable tips to set up PMs for success from day one!

Roman Pichler's Stakeholder Management Article referenced in the podcast:
https://www.romanpichler.com/blog/stakeholder-management-tips-for-product-people/

= = = = = = = = = = = =
Watch it on YouTube
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1

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
= = = = = = = = = = = =
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, hosts Hemant (Om) Patel and Brian Orlando are joined by special guest Bob Crews, co-founder and CEO of Checkpoint Technologies.

Listen as we dive deep into the critical role quality assurance plays in the agile development process, including:
The difference between QA and QC and how they fit into agile How QA has evolved over the past 20 yearsThe importance of risk analysis as a QA functionHow QA can bridge the gapThe impact of AI on software testingTips for spotting and developing top QA talent#QualityAssurance #AgileTesting #DevOps #TestAutomation #AI

= = = = = = = = = = = =
Watch it on YouTube
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1

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
= = = = = = = = = = = =
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)

What is a product philosophy and why does it matter? 

In this insightful episode, Ed Martin joins hosts Om Patel and Brian Orlando to discuss how clarifying your product principles and values can align your team and improve decision-making. 

Discover the difference between product philosophy, vision, and principles. Learn practical tips for formalizing your philosophy and applying it to real-world tradeoffs in features, technical debt, and go-to-market plans. Walk away with an understanding of how to establish a strong product philosophy for more cohesive, customer-centric products.

"Fail fast" is used so often, it has become a cliché!

In this episode, we tackle rebranding the term "fail fast" to "learn fast" within organizational cultures. Is this a step towards promoting psychological safety and open conversations, or does it undermine the essence of embracing failure as a catalyst for growth?

Whether you're a leader, manager, or part of a self-organizing team, this episode offers valuable insights into cultivating a culture that truly values experimentation, iteration, and learning from setbacks.

0:00 Podcast Intro
0:17 Topic Intro
1:11 Negative Connotations of "Fail"
2:53 Identifying the Fixed Mindset
4:40 Management & Failure
5:40 Promoting Psychological Safety, Maybe
7:48 Directness & Alignment
9:52 Accepting the Change
11:19 Setting & Achieving Goals
13:30 The Growth Mindset
14:22 Slicing Work
18:55 Failure & Leadership Reactions
22:20 The Fixed Mindset
24:00 Acceptable Risk Taking
25:53 Self-Organization Gone Awry
28:50 Brian's Learnings
31:42 Wrap-Up

= = = = = = = = = = = =
Watch it on YouTube
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1 

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
= = = = = = = = = = = =
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, our favorite special mystery guest joins the podcast for a comprehensive walkthrough of the PI Planning agenda so that our resident Product Manager, Brian, can be "sold" on the idea.

SAFe P.I. Planning is a critical event that aligns teams with business objectives and fosters collaboration across the organization...

...or is it?

Drawing from extensive experience, we delve into the benefits of PI Planning, including fostering relationships, securing leadership buy-in, and mitigating risks. We also discuss the challenges teams face, such as managing dependencies, handling missed objectives, and maintaining engagement throughout the intense planning sessions.

0:00 Podcast Intro
0:17 Topic Intro
0:50 Benefits of PI Planning
2:20 Big-Room and Quarterly Planning
4:35 Product Pre-Work
7:06 Portfolio Funding: Lean Business Cases
8:43 Staying High-Level
11:25 Risks and Objectives
12:58 Failing to Meet Objectives
14:12 Arguing on: Stretch Goals
17:23 Goals: Committed vs Uncommited
19:25 Slowly Moving Train-Wrecks
23:43 Benefits of In-Person, Hybrid, & Virtual
27:57 Facilitating Preparation
30:19 SAFe PI Planning Agenda, Day 1 (Pre-Lunch)
34:27 SAFe PI Planning Agenda, Day 1 (Post-Lunch)
37:04 SAFe PI Planning Agenda, Day 2 (Pre-Lunch)
39:31 SAFe PI Planning Agenda, Day 2 (Post-Lunch)
41:44 Negotiations
45:27 PI Retrospective
48:11 Keeping Leadership Engaged
52:13 Wrap-Up

= = = = = = = = = = = =
Watch it on YouTube
= = = = = = = = = = = =

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XUSoJPxGPI8EtuUAHOb6g?sub_confirmation=1 

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
= = = = = = = = = = = =
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)