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Friday fun: Talk with me!

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2010/08/it-is-that-easy.html

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Video Thursday: John Cleese on airlines

I particularly liked the use of gobbledygook, starting at 2:51. Sounds like most marketing literature...

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

An Agile backlash

Now that teams have spent some time with agile methods, some are finding it's not the silver bullet they expected.  Agile is a set of principles for writing better software but it's not the answer for every team. 

In a post, Daniel Markham offers extensive remarks to "Agile ruined my life," 

Making good software is hard, and anyone claiming to have a magical process that guarantees good software is selling snake oil. I can appreciate your wanting to make a buck, but would also seriously appreciate it if you could find some other industry besides software development to go screw up

Source: http://www.whattofix.com/blog/archives/2010/09/agile-ruined-my.php

There's a bunch of anti-agile screed in the mix but to me it seems that agile is imposed on some people--and it's not always the right choice. Yet don't lose sight of the success stories: applying a discipline--agile or otherwise--to the art of development is always a good idea. The real successes seem to be there: from cowboy coding to iterative development. 

My rule is this: friends build products. Collaboration is better than contract negotiation. We need something between a cocktail napkin and an 800-page MRD/PRD. How about a set of index cards with an agreement to discuss. That's the approach we take in Requirements That Work. 

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

On my reading list

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately so my Kindle app on the iPad has been a wonder! Here's what I've read and am reading.

Ender's Game & Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M. Rogers

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

Just received today but I haven't started: 

Zero History by William Gibson (just released)

Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman (but I've read it before... in paper!)

What are you reading???

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Friday fun: product management made easy

Uh oh, looks like the start of a series...

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2010/08/product-management-made-ea...

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

ProductCamp DC Recap | Small Business Conversations by Network Solutions

This past Saturday on a beautiful sunny day in Northern Virginia, about 70 people passionate about building great products came out for the first ProductCampDC. Hosted by Network Solutions in Herndon, VA the space was great for three parallel tracks of topics that ranged from mobile product innovation, three types of product managers, adventures in P&L and managing engineers.

via blog.networksolutions.com

A nice writeup by Steve Fisher of the pCamp DC event last weekend.

Is a product camp coming near you soon? Check www.productcamp.org for the latest.

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Video Thursday: John Cleese on creativity

Jason Z blogged about this wonderful ten-minute YouTube video with John Cleese. 

Here's my favorite quote:

People who have absolutely no idea what they're doing have absolutely no idea that they have no idea what they're doing.

In particular, he reveals the power of observation. Ideas do not come from your laptops.

So, have you observed a customer (or non-customer) lately? 

NIHITO. 

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management