Steve McConnell is one of the best writers about software practices in our generation. Over decades, each of his books pushes the field forward, and each new book updates his thought with oodles of new data. This book, an evidence-based look at Agile, is no exception. Agile has become a catch-all term for a lot of software practices, but McConnell recenters his study about Agile on what’s most important in a business – getting results.…
Agile methods are just different than traditional approaches, kind of like Einsteinian physics is just different from Newtonian physics. They both have the same aims; they only have wildly different ways of getting there. Instead of estimating software schedules by reality-based values, agile creates abstractions like user stories, story points, and velocities to measure progress. Burndown charts project how quickly a feature set can be released. Maybe I’m an old fogey in the world of…
Developing a leadership strategy is tough for any organization. Leaders have to function at various levels and lead in different ways, depending on the task at hand. Many leaders become stuck by doing their previous job instead of embracing the new charter of their new responsibilities. Leaders must simultaneously be kept happy doing their present work while being ready to accept different responsibilities when needed. Leadership must no longer be viewed as an ascent but…
Software estimation is a somewhat undefined craft. Most coders simply “go with their gut” in estimating a project, and that gut is often wildly off. Alternative techniques involve intense calculations that take a lot of time, but rarely yield enough accuracy to help, especially for smaller projects. Unlike, say, construction or mechanical tasks, software builds represent a creative process where new territory is tread with each project. There’s a learning curve involved, and it’s hard…
In over two decades of its existence, Amazon has changed the business landscape. After its founding, many investors made fun of the company for reinvesting its profits – or even running at a loss – so that it could position itself better in the future workplace. Once the home of just bookselling, it has become a powerhouse of logistics, web development, eBooks, and digital devices. The authors, former senior leaders at the company, team together…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has immense, obvious power inside, but to many business leaders, the disruptive potentialities scare them. Will they lose their jobs? Will their company lose its place? Is this just another technical fad that will sunset sometime soon? Author Geoff Woods wants readers to say a resounding “no” to all three questions and instead to learn how to harness AI’s power to add strategic value to their leadership. He views AI as a…
Software projects are notoriously difficult to estimate a time-to-completion, especially in the earliest days of a proposal. Sometimes, simple projects can prove time- and resource-consuming, and seemingly hard projects can complete quickly. Because learning is involved in every project, even good project managers struggle with wildly varying possibilities at first. Author Johanna Rothman offers her advice about what to do with this situation. A few pieces of her advice stand out. First, when estimating, always…
From the title, this book seems like a social pitch to get on the biotech bandwagon. However, its central point doesn’t address social policy or health policy. Rather, it’s a pitch for investors – particularly in Europe – to invest to create a biotech industry on that side of the Atlantic. Andrew Craig points out that the scientific infrastructure is strong, particularly with England’s Oxbridge, but the ability to translate insights and knowledge into companies…
Leadership as a CEO is among the most demanding roles in a business environment. Everyone hangs on your every word, for better or for worse, and people are reticent to criticize the leading leader, even when the leader needs desperately to hear critical feedback. The promises of making an impact are great, but so are the opportunities to make a mistake. The authors, senior partners at the McKinsey & Company business research firm, seek to…
For decades, the classic project-management challenge has been to produce software quicker with more features and less bugs. Software, however, has its revenge because scheduling it accurately and precisely is a highly inexact science. Even the best, seasoned estimators struggle at first attempt. This book by Steve McConnell, though written 30 years ago, gives communal sympathy towards development teams who can seemingly never meet a deadline. Further, he actually provides some answers on how to…