You can’t automate everything – the spark, the creative flow, the magic – that all invariably makes things work is why you are here, in the middle, to make things happen. Automation can only take you so far, but that’s when you take over to make it better. AI is a form of automation, where you take it is the value you, provide.

Everyone needs a backlog. If you don’t have a backlog, it doesn’t mean you are done, it means you don’t know what comes next. And that’s the value of a backlog, knowing what comes next, and taking it into account when building new features and planning for the future. When you start building out your first release, you plan for two iterations – the first release and the backlog – one is to deliver the…

The hardest part about any new team you join – whether new or existing – is figuring them out. In the early days, it is where all of your time should be spent, because it is all that matters. Learning who they are, what their role is, what they can contribute, what you need them to contribute, what their ups and downs are – essentially what value they bring to the team as a whole.…

Outside leaders are those that are not directly within the team or project that is being delivered but need to be kept in the know of its delivery. An Outside Leader can offer feedback, guidance, and mentorship in the delivery of a solution or they can be handed off only requesting updates where necessary. The Outside Leader doesn’t care what methodology, framework, or tools you use – if you need something, they want to get…

You will miss deliverables. They will slip. Something will crop up that will make it impossible for you to hit. The questions that matter more are; Did you give people notice weeks or hours before? Do you have a backup plan? Are you short on resources to accomplish the goal? What changed that impacted things? Often we aren’t concerned about the missed deliverable, but why it happened, when did we think it was going to…