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The Agile Mindset
Uncertainty is everywhere. Accept it.
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Jobs to be Done in action: a real life example
Jobs to be Done in action: a real life example
A worked example of how I’ve used the Jobs to be Done framework to map needs to jobs in a real problem space.
Tom Whiteley
Jun 11
Can you explain the difference between a “Job to be Done” and a “need”?
Can you explain the difference between a “Job to be Done” and a “need”?
In Product Management we talk about the importance of focusing on user needs (or problems and desires). But then some people start talking…
Tom Whiteley
Apr 19
Don’t use the phrase “Minimum Viable Product”
Don’t use the phrase “Minimum Viable Product”
I’m a big fan of Eric Ries and the Lean Startup. However I really wish he didn’t popularise the phrase “Minimal Viable Product”. I believe…
Tom Whiteley
Apr 2
Which Product Management framework to use when
Which Product Management framework to use when
There are lots of different Product Management tools, techniques and frameworks out there that all seem to do different things. These…
Tom Whiteley
Mar 15
Never stop problem discovery
Never stop problem discovery
The product management process is quite long. We need to go through various phases where we understand customer needs (problem discovery)…
Tom Whiteley
Mar 6
How to structure your approach to Product Management: A double diamond view
How to structure your approach to Product Management: A double diamond view
A product manager is expected to do a whole range of things, from interviewing customers to building a product vision, from consulting…
Tom Whiteley
Feb 26
Agile Coaches focus on the wrong things
Agile Coaches focus on the wrong things
Controversial thought: Agile Coaches spend too much time focused on team health and process; and not enough time on what it actually means…
Tom Whiteley
Jan 6
The 3 things required to make autonomy work
The 3 things required to make autonomy work
We are told that we need to give our employees autonomy. We are told that we are motivated by autonomy. But so often it fails to yield…
Tom Whiteley
Dec 8, 2023
Why do people have so much trouble minimising WIP?
Why do people have so much trouble minimising WIP?
Have you ever done an exercise that teaches you the importance of minimising your Work in Progress? They can be quite fun, and compelling…
Tom Whiteley
Nov 11, 2022
Minimising WIP is the foundation of being agile
Minimising WIP is the foundation of being agile
Minimising WIP allows us to build quickly and adapt quickly. Which makes us very agile.
Tom Whiteley
Oct 31, 2022
Make your roadmap publicly accessible
Make your roadmap publicly accessible
Thanks to tools like Trello, it has never been easier to publicise your team/company’s plans. In doing so you’re able to engage your…
Tom Whiteley
Jan 25, 2021
An Agile Coach making himself accountable — with dog treats
An Agile Coach making himself accountable — with dog treats
2 months ago I quit my job as an Agile Coach to set up BrewBix, a sustainable dog treat brand that upcycles the by-products of brewing…
Tom Whiteley
Nov 8, 2020
Levelling up your “Build, Measure, Learn.”
Levelling up your “Build, Measure, Learn.”
“Build, Measure, Learn” is more than just building a first iteration and seeing how it goes. Here’s why.
Tom Whiteley
May 4, 2020
Setting a team’s “Mission”
Setting a team’s “Mission”
A common phrase you hear in the product world is that we want “missionaries not mercenaries”. But how do you direct these missionaries?
Tom Whiteley
Nov 28, 2019
How should we judge a product team?
How should we judge a product team?
We generally accept that it is best to build software through autonomous, empowered teams. However, how do we assess an autonomous team?
Tom Whiteley
Nov 5, 2019
How agile are you?
How agile are you?
Can you measure agility? When you break it down to its basic steps, then you can measure how quickly/effectively you can do each step. This…
Tom Whiteley
Jul 10, 2018
Continuous Improvement — the critical survival technique
Continuous Improvement — the critical survival technique
Continuous improvement is what companies need to survive. It needs to be a core competence.
Tom Whiteley
May 18, 2018
Agile is simple. Stop Complicating it. Please.
Agile is simple. Stop Complicating it. Please.
At its core, the concept of being “agile” is simple — I condense it to just four steps: prioritise, do something, get feedback, iterate.
Tom Whiteley
Apr 20, 2018
Backlog pitfalls
Backlog pitfalls
I’ve written previously about how you should ensure that the items at the top of your backlog have the following qualities:
Tom Whiteley
Mar 4, 2018
Want to be Agile? Make your backlog items small, independent and valuable
Want to be Agile? Make your backlog items small, independent and valuable
One important characteristic of being agile is how quickly you are able to pivot onto a new piece of work, having completed what you are…
Tom Whiteley
Mar 4, 2018
People actually want to work
People actually want to work
“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the…
Tom Whiteley
Jan 18, 2018
I’ve changed, and I’m proud of it
I’ve changed, and I’m proud of it
“You’ve changed” is a phrase that gets used regularly as an insult. It’s seen as disappointing if someone changes to be/act differently as…
Tom Whiteley
May 25, 2017
Autonomy doesn’t work for everyone
Autonomy doesn’t work for everyone
It’s sometimes hard to remember that not everyone likes your way of working.
Tom Whiteley
Mar 12, 2017
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