People AND Tech - S2e3 - One Knight in Product - Jason Knight on Podcasting, Product Craft, Scrum and Technology

people AND tech

Summary

In this episode, Duena, Dave and Jason Knight discuss the topics of human debt and tech debt in technology, as well as the divide between technology and product. They also explore the role of podcasts in the current media landscape and the democratization of knowledge. The conversation touches on the benefits and challenges of podcasting, the diversity of thought within technical communities, and the potential fragmentation of audiences. They also discuss the importance of deep conversations and the need to challenge and engage with different perspectives. The conversation explores the fragmentation and division within the technology sphere, particularly between product managers and developers. It discusses the importance of collaboration and communication between these roles and the need to break down barriers and work together. The concept of Agile is mentioned, highlighting the need for companies to embrace Agile principles and foster a culture of collaboration and openness. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by product managers in terms of ownership and the lack of tangible outputs compared to developers. The conversation revolves around the topic of agile and Scrum. The speakers discuss how Scrum is often misunderstood and misused, with many organizations making their own changes to the framework. They question whether Jeff Sutherland, the creator of Scrum, feels any responsibility for how it is being implemented. They also emphasize the importance of understanding the principles behind Scrum and agile, rather than just following the processes and rituals. The conversation concludes with a call for technical and product leadership to advocate for these principles and show the business benefits of adopting an agile mindset.

Takeaways

• Human Debt and Tech Debt are important related concepts in technology that need to be addressed and managed by all organisations.
• The divide between technology and product can create challenges and tensions within organizations.
• Podcasts have become a popular medium for sharing knowledge and engaging in deep conversations.
• The democratization of podcasts allows for diverse voices and perspectives to be heard.
• Technical communities can be narrow and deep, but there is value in seeking out diverse perspectives and engaging in cross-disciplinary conversations. Collaboration and communication between product managers and developers is crucial for success in the technology sphere.
• Companies should embrace Agile principles and foster a culture of collaboration and openness.
• Product managers face challenges in terms of ownership and the lack of tangible outputs compared to developers.
• Communities of practice can be beneficial for sharing knowledge and advancing the craft of product management.
• Breaking down barriers and working together is essential for creating successful products. Scrum is often misunderstood and misused, with organizations making their own changes to the framework.
• There is a need to understand the principles behind Scrum and agile, rather than just following the processes and rituals.
• Technical and product leadership should advocate for these principles and demonstrate the business benefits of adopting an agile mindset.
• Agile and an agile way of thinking are essential for navigating the ever-changing nature of the modern world.
• It is important to empathize with leaders who may not immediately grasp the concepts of agile and find ways to communicate the benefits effectively.

Titles

• The Divide Between Technology and Product
• Exploring Human Debt and Tech Debt in Technology Embracing Agile: Fostering a Culture of Collaboration
• Breaking Down Barriers: Working Together for Successful Products The Misunderstanding and Misuse of Scrum
• Emphasizing Principles over Processes in Agile

Sound Bites

• "Podcasts could be democratized into being the new intellectual debare arena in social media"
• "There's a craft to software development. And no matter what some of the more skeptical developers might say, there's a craft to product management as well."
• "There are good ways and bad ways to do things. There's not a right way and a wrong way, but there's kind of more statistically probably successful ways to do certain things and other things."
• "They start then complain about... scrum theatre"
• "Are we just going to sit there and accept the fact that the vast majority of people out there that say that they're doing scrum or say that they're being agile aren't doing any of those things?"
• "I don't really care about scrum in itself, just show me that you're doing it with all your heart"

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Glitch Apology

02:30
Podcasts as a Platform for Intellectual Debate

04:12
The Democratization of Podcasting

08:22
Fragmentation of Technical Communities

09:18
Navigating Diverse Opinions and Communities

14:55
The Fragmentation of the Technology Sphere

21:47
Collaboration and Communication in Product Development

24:37
The Challenges of Implementing Agile

27:44
The Need for Education and Understanding

31:33
Introduction and anticipation of Jeff Sutherland's perspective

34:40
The importance of understanding and embracing Scrum principles

37:38
The responsibility of leadership in advocating for agile principles

40:27
The need for empathy and effective communication in agile environments

45:28
Conclusion and invitation for further discussion

46:23
Outro.mp3