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.

Books, MPD

Architects Must Write Code

  I had the opportunity to read Practices of an Agile Developer: Working in the Real World. The book has 45 tip to help developers become agile. And, it’s clear that Venkat and Andy know the problems of becoming an agile developer, because along with each tip, there’s a devil-thought to show people what happens

MPD, risk

Do Engineers Use Their Software?

  My friend and colleague, Stever Robbins, has started a blog, and one of his early posts is Are engineers living on another planet? Don’t they use their software? Unfortunately, not always. It takes self-discipline and the desire to look for problems to cause people to create systems that allow them to use their own

Articles

How Much Building Is Too Much?

Summary: Staged integration versus continuous integration–which does your team prefer? Can’t decide if one is better than the other? In this week’s column, Johanna Rothman explains that you can create the perfect blend of the two. Developers and testers benefit from frequent builds, but be careful with how much you build. Build too much or too

MPD

Are Your Managers Part of Your Team?

  I was talking with Don Gray this morning about our work on the AYE Conference. I’m the marketing chair, he’s the program chair. We were discussing the sessions we have so far, and I said we could put one of the management sessions into the team effectiveness track. “No,” Don said, “Managers aren’t part

MPD

Time Boxes

  Via Pragmatic Marketing, this piece on How to use timeboxes for scheduling software delivery.

hiring strategy, HTP

Managing One-on-One Workshop Announcement

This one is for you HR managers and folks who don’t normally read my Managing Product Development blog.Esther and I are leading our management workshop: Behind Closed Doors: Managing One-on-One, July 10-12, 2006, in Minneapolis. Interested? Here’s the flyer (PDF). I’ll be adding a workshop page to my site later today. I’ll update this post

Agile Job Search, HTP

Blogging for Everybody?

The article, Blogs ‘essential’ to a good career says a well-executed blog can help you find a job by establishing you as an expert. The key here is “well-executed.” Blogging is great fun, and can help potential hiring managers discover another side of you. And, if your blog isn’t well-written, doesn’t link to others, and

Agile Job Search, HTP

Reframing Your Skills

I was speaking with a project manager the other day, who’s looking for a job but does not have a PMP certification. He was worried, so I asked him how he presented himself to potential hiring managers and HR people. He said, “I don’t have a PMP, but I’ve been really successful managing projects for

MPD, writing

Writing Feedback That Wasn't Helpful

I am an early reviewer on Esther Derby’s and Diana Larsen’s upcoming book about retrospectives (Pragmatic Bookshelf, sometime this year). Here’s a piece of my feedback that puzzled Esther: “Put those words on weight training!” Her response was “cute, but what do I do?” I laughed out loud on the phone with her. I was

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