Troubleshooting Agile

A weekly problem-solving session for all things agile
  • 4.6 (12)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Troubleshooting Agile

Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for getting back on track.

  1. What Comes After Why (And So Does How)

    2D AGO

    What Comes After Why (And So Does How)

    when it turns out you’re lacking two out of the three?! In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about their own experience of this, the concept of leaky abstractions, and the importance of shared problem ownership. Links: - Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ - Somebody Else's Problem Field: https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Somebody_Else%27s_Problem_Field - Previous episode about Walking Skeletons - Ep125: Commitment Engagement is Not Enough: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/commitment-engagement-is-not-enough - Previous episode about Cycle Time - Ep249: Estimates: A Productive Argument, Part I https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/reporting-estimates -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    15 min
  2. Guilds and Adverse Possession

    MAR 12

    Guilds and Adverse Possession

    Should you start a Guild?In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss examples of adverse possession, including listener Marcel-Jan’s experience of starting a Python guild within his team, and how you can take similar proactive steps to help build a more engaging and dynamic community of practice. Links: Co-conspirators episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/co-conspirators-and-citcon Adverse possession: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dsquirrel_squirrel-squadron-events-activity-7015965093418934272-1qZf/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    12 min
  3. Co-Conspirators and CITCON

    MAR 5

    Co-Conspirators and CITCON

    What does it mean to be a co-conspirator? On the run up to CitCon Auckland 2025, join Squirrel and Jeffrey as they reflect on the event they first met, its history and how ‘co-conspirators’ have been pivotal in their careers and client work. Links: - CITCON ANZ 2025: https://citconf.com/auckland2025/ - Chris Matts Communities of Practise: https://theitriskmanager.com/2015/04/19/communities-of-need-community-of-solutions/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    17 min
  4. Flexible Leadership Part II - Flexors

    FEB 26

    Flexible Leadership Part II - Flexors

    What does it mean to be a flexible leader? In part two of this two-part episode of Troubleshooting Agile, we welcome back Kevin Eikenberry to talk about ‘flexors,’ approaches to leadership that can help leaders and team adapt more effectively, and develop a mindset of experimentation. Links: - Kevin Eikenberry: http://kevineikenberry.com and http://kevineikenberry.com/gift - Flexible Leadership https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible - Betterism: https://thectoclub.com/news/lies-your-tech-team-tells-you/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    21 min
  5. Flexible Leadership Part I - Clear vs Complex

    FEB 21

    Flexible Leadership Part I - Clear vs Complex

    What does it mean to be a flexible leader? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, we welcome Kevin Eikenberry to talk about complex vs complicated situations, how to experiment rather than sticking to rigid policies, and his new book ‘Flexible Leadership’ Links: - Kevin Eikenberry: http://kevineikenberry.com and http://kevineikenberry.com/gift - Flexible Leadership https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible - Cynefin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework - Naive Realism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%C3%AFve_realism -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    21 min
  6. Predictability = Trust

    FEB 12

    Predictability = Trust

    Is trust the ability to predict someone’s actions? And can it apply to organisations as well as individuals? Join your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey, as they tackle the importance of delivering consistent results to foster trust, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile. Links: - TDD for People, a method for building trust: https://itrevolution.com/articles/trust-and-test-driven-development-for-people/ - Stock picking scam: https://ask.metafilter.com/216295/Is-this-famous-investment-scam-real-or-fiction - Agile Conversations: https://agileconversations.com/agile-conversation-book/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    15 min
  7. Does Toyota Kata Scale?

    FEB 5

    Does Toyota Kata Scale?

    What are the challenges when it comes to implementing Toyota Kata at scale? In this episode of Troubleshooting agile, Jeffrey talks about how they’re using the Improvement and Coaching Katas to foster better structured learning and accountability across multiple teams. Links: - Toyota Kata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Kata - Shu, Ha, Ri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari - Previous episode - Toya Toyota Kata A-Z: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/toyota-kata-a-z -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    21 min
  8. Overcoming Legacy Systems - and Thinking

    JAN 29

    Overcoming Legacy Systems - and Thinking

    Why can't I apply for a driving license at 3 AM? Join Squirrel and Jeffrey in discussion on the history and challenges of modernising legacy systems and how delivering incremental improvements can "strangle" the pitfalls of a full rewrite, in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile. Links: - Dafydd Vaughan on DVLA batch systems: https://dafyddvaughan.uk/blog/2025/why-some-dvla-digital-services-dont-work-at-night/ - Joel Spolsky on not rewriting: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/04/06/things-you-should-never-do-part-i/ -------------------------------------------------- You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com -------------------------------------------------- About Your Hosts Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication. Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

    16 min
See All (374)

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for getting back on track.

Information

  • Creator
    A weekly problem-solving session for all things agile
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    374
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Troubleshooting Agile

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada