Comments for AdventureTech http://www.adventuretechgroup.com Kansas City .Net Custom Software Provider practicing Agile Lean and Kanban Principles Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:33:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 Comment on My AdventureTech Experience: A Post From “The New Guy” by Jeff Skistad http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2012/01/my-adventuretech-experience-a-post-from-the-new-guy/#comment-157 Jeff Skistad Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:33:33 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1944#comment-157 Sounds like Krengeltech. Except we don't have the cool hats! Jeff Skistad jeffskistad.krengeltech.com Sounds like Krengeltech. Except we don’t have the cool hats!

Jeff Skistad

jeffskistad.krengeltech.com

]]> Comment on My AdventureTech Experience: A Post From “The New Guy” by Donald Rossberg http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2012/01/my-adventuretech-experience-a-post-from-the-new-guy/#comment-156 Donald Rossberg Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:44:41 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1944#comment-156 Congratulations on joining Kansas City's premier development team. AdventrueTech is the creme of the crop when it comes to .Net development in KC, glad everything has worked out well. Congratulations on joining Kansas City’s premier development team. AdventrueTech is the creme of the crop when it comes to .Net development in KC, glad everything has worked out well.

]]> Comment on The Human Cost Of Deadlines by Darren Cauthon http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/12/the-human-cost-of-deadlines/#comment-146 Darren Cauthon Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:18:35 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1888#comment-146 One thing that really changed my mind on this was "The Clean Coder" by Uncle Bob. In the book, he explains the difference between an "estimate" and a "commitment." Estimates are things that programmers give with a best-case and a worst-case. From them, we work with the managers, weigh things with others, and then from the programmer will make a commitment that he is held to. The main difference I see is that the commitment comes the programmer, not from the manager. And it's a commitment that the programmer makes on his terms, knowing that he will be held to it. If it requires extra hours, the programmer does it because that's what he committed to -- not because that's what the manager required. There's an ownership to the commitment (the deadline), versus having it imposed by someone else. One thing that really changed my mind on this was “The Clean Coder” by Uncle Bob. In the book, he explains the difference between an “estimate” and a “commitment.”

Estimates are things that programmers give with a best-case and a worst-case. From them, we work with the managers, weigh things with others, and then from the programmer will make a commitment that he is held to.

The main difference I see is that the commitment comes the programmer, not from the manager. And it’s a commitment that the programmer makes on his terms, knowing that he will be held to it. If it requires extra hours, the programmer does it because that’s what he committed to — not because that’s what the manager required. There’s an ownership to the commitment (the deadline), versus having it imposed by someone else.

]]> Comment on The Human Cost Of Deadlines by Gonzo http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/12/the-human-cost-of-deadlines/#comment-145 Gonzo Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:51:30 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1888#comment-145 I've found the "your estimates suck" line from your image above to be all too often the case, referring to management revised estimates. I have a good track record of making estimates and meeting them to within a few hours, yet my boss insists that I'm doing the egregious time padding "Scotty" from Star Trek alluded to, and killing our productivity. Inevitably we get overloaded with inane projects with priorities set higher than the projects vital to core business functions, and nothing gets done on time. Managers from top to bottom tend to make two key mistakes - they don't trust their professionals to know their jobs, and they assume everyone is replaceable without making any effort to make them that way. I’ve found the “your estimates suck” line from your image above to be all too often the case, referring to management revised estimates. I have a good track record of making estimates and meeting them to within a few hours, yet my boss insists that I’m doing the egregious time padding “Scotty” from Star Trek alluded to, and killing our productivity. Inevitably we get overloaded with inane projects with priorities set higher than the projects vital to core business functions, and nothing gets done on time.

Managers from top to bottom tend to make two key mistakes – they don’t trust their professionals to know their jobs, and they assume everyone is replaceable without making any effort to make them that way.

]]> Comment on If IT Is Your Business Brain, Then You’ve Got Problems by Mark S http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/11/if-it-is-your-business-brain-then-youve-got-problems/#comment-134 Mark S Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:48:11 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1811#comment-134 This is why business leaders in APAC and EMEA are kicking the cr@p out of American corporations and taking a leadership role in global innovation. Corporate leaders in APAC and EMEA understand how to leverage technology and that it is their leadership driving deciscions about HOW to use technology that drives innovation and great customer service, not the other way around. Strange juxtaposition for a country that basically invented the IT industry. Americans get off your laurels and start thinking again!!! Great article. This is why business leaders in APAC and EMEA are kicking the cr@p out of American corporations and taking a leadership role in global innovation. Corporate leaders in APAC and EMEA understand how to leverage technology and that it is their leadership driving deciscions about HOW to use technology that drives innovation and great customer service, not the other way around. Strange juxtaposition for a country that basically invented the IT industry. Americans get off your laurels and start thinking again!!! Great article.

]]> Comment on What’s Your Software Guarantee? (And Why On Earth Do You Believe It?) by Ron Montgomery http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/10/whats-your-software-guarantee-and-why-on-earth-do-you-believe-it/#comment-123 Ron Montgomery Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:38:37 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1778#comment-123 Great post, Brett. A failed project will normally provide plenty of warning signs up front, and one of the most common warning signs is improper customer expectations. A client that asks for a guarantee is expecting to transfer responsibility for the project from themselves to a 3rd party. If the project involves agile practices, the customer cannot simply hand off the project to a vendor. Their participation and commitment will be required, and that is too often overlooked during the sales process. Great post, Brett. A failed project will normally provide plenty of warning signs up front, and one of the most common warning signs is improper customer expectations. A client that asks for a guarantee is expecting to transfer responsibility for the project from themselves to a 3rd party. If the project involves agile practices, the customer cannot simply hand off the project to a vendor. Their participation and commitment will be required, and that is too often overlooked during the sales process.

]]> Comment on What’s Your Software Guarantee? (And Why On Earth Do You Believe It?) by Tom Crimm http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/10/whats-your-software-guarantee-and-why-on-earth-do-you-believe-it/#comment-121 Tom Crimm Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:02:25 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1778#comment-121 Well said, Brett. We are seeking to apply these same quality principles to our IT Managed Services practice. Thanks for articulating clear, transferable principles. Well said, Brett. We are seeking to apply these same quality principles to our IT Managed Services practice. Thanks for articulating clear, transferable principles.

]]> Comment on Technical Debt: When Deadlines Are Met, Bad Decisions Are Forgotten (But Bad Code Lives On) by Should You Participate In LinkedIn Groups? | Blue Gurus http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/09/technical-debt-when-deadlines-are-met-bad-decisions-are-forgotten-but-bad-code-lives-on/#comment-117 Should You Participate In LinkedIn Groups? | Blue Gurus Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:49:58 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1749#comment-117 [...] an EXCELLENT blog article recently posted on AdventureTech’s web site titled “Technical Debt: When Deadlines Are Met, Bad Decisions Are Forgotten (But Bad Code Lives On).” Below is an excerpt from the discussion (you can see the entire discussion by joining the [...] [...] an EXCELLENT blog article recently posted on AdventureTech’s web site titled “Technical Debt: When Deadlines Are Met, Bad Decisions Are Forgotten (But Bad Code Lives On).” Below is an excerpt from the discussion (you can see the entire discussion by joining the [...]

]]> Comment on Technical Debt: When Deadlines Are Met, Bad Decisions Are Forgotten (But Bad Code Lives On) by RRNeal http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/09/technical-debt-when-deadlines-are-met-bad-decisions-are-forgotten-but-bad-code-lives-on/#comment-112 RRNeal Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:06:28 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1749#comment-112 Nice decomp on the high costs of ignoring thorough process! Nice decomp on the high costs of ignoring thorough process!

]]> Comment on Lean & Agile : A Panel Discussion by Leslie Maness http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/2011/08/lean-agile-a-panel-discussion/#comment-111 Leslie Maness Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:22:02 +0000 http://www.adventuretechgroup.com/?p=1732#comment-111 Literally laughed out loud at a few of these. Thanks! Literally laughed out loud at a few of these. Thanks!

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