Author name: Johanna

I help you identify and solve the problems that prevent you from releasing systems, hiring the right people, deciding which project to work on next. I take a pragmatic approach: what will work best for you, now? Some people call me a focuser. Some call me an accelerator. When I work with people, first we define our goal together. Typically, it's to get a better product out the door faster. I work with my clients to help managers figure out how to do the managing better, and how the technical contributors can contribute better, not to create a by-the-book system. I work with you, your staff, and your current product development practices. Together, we learn what works well for you and what doesn't. I believe in changing only what needs to be changed at the current time, to maximize your success. We work together to develop a blueprint for the future, and to build in capacity to recognize and implement change.

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Refocusing: 90% Done is Not Almost Done

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Feature Article: 90% Done Is Not Almost Done Back when I was a new developer, my boss asked me how long it would take to complete a specific task. I looked at it for about 20 seconds, and said “Four weeks.” “Great,” he said. At the end of the first week, I was 25% done—that’s

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MPD, requirements

Traceability Matrix and Agile

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I received two questions this week about how well does agile allow you to do traceability matrix. Very well is the short answer. Here’s why. If you commit to implementing features (not chunks of architecture)  based on user stories in an iteration, you know what you’re planning before the iteration starts. Because you’re working in

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hiring strategy, HTP

Initiative vs. Entrepreneurship

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Many hiring managers are looking for initiative, especially for agile team members. (In agile, the team members self-organize, which means they are looking for ways to do work better and to solve problems without requiring management’s involvement.) I was thinking about initiative how to look for it, and I realized that at least some people

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MPD, writing

Examples in Writing

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Dwayne’s comment on my post, Architecting from the Features, made me realize I hadn’t provided an example of how I’d changed the book. Head slap on me! One of my rules of writing, which I use when I’m revising because I rarely remember as I’m writing the first draft, is to explain what I’m writing

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MPD, writing

Architecting from the Features

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I’m writing the portfolio management book, and I just finished a whole big re-architecture. I’m so excited. I realize most people aren’t that excited about a rearchitecture :-), especially not of a book in progress. But I am, because I took my own advice. When I started writing the book, I had several partly done

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MPD

My Clutter is Different

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On the long weekends, Mark and I make a concerted effort to clean up the house. That means I have to address all my little piles: go through them, recycle what I can, throw out what can’t be recycled, file others, figure out what to do with the rest. While Mark was helping me bring

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HTP, job analysis

A Little More on How to Hire a Manager

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Lisa has a nice post, How to Hire a Manager – A Time Tested Recipe. She’s close. I’m not so sure about the “humble” part, and I would add something like “advocates for team.” But the piece Lisa missed is integrity. Without integrity, the other qualities, preferences, and non-technical skills are useless. To be fair,

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