As a product manager, have you ever inherited a messy backlog? In this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel break down 6 useful tactics you can use to tackle this common challenge. Listen as we discuss the challenges of inheriting a product backlog and learn practical strategies for: Aligning with company objectives Effective stakeholder communication Prioritization techniques Leveraging data for decision-making Streamlining processes and workflow...
Nov 06, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 189
As product managers and agile practitioners, we often struggle to communicate our value to management in terms they understand. In this episode, you'll learn how to better translate business value to management, make a case for additional resources, and overcome resistance to change in your organization. Join Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel as we discuss: Translating agile metrics into business value Making a case for additional resources in SMBs Over...
Oct 30, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 188
We don't always do reaction videos, but when we do, we do them right! On this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel react to a candid interview with the former Google CEO as he shares provocative insights on the future of AI, Silicon Valley's approach to innovation, and potential disruption to big tech companies. Join us as we analyze his (somewhat) controversial statements on remote work, startup strategies, and the geopolitics of AI development. ...
Oct 23, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 187
As a product leader or agile practitioner, do you struggle to communicate value to your finance team? In this episode of the Arguing Agile Podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel muse on 13 common misconceptions CFOs face and how they impact product and organizational success. Listen as we discuss: Demonstrating the ROI of business agility Balancing short-term gains with long-term strategy Improving cross-departmental communication Showcasing the val...
Oct 16, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Are you struggling with strategic planning in your organization? In this episode, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando walk through the common mistakes companies make developing and executing strategies. Listen as we discuss: The goal mirage of confusing aspirations for action Overemphasis on planning and forecasting The pitfalls of being a "feature factory" Neglecting the external business environment Mistaking operational efficiency for strategy Learn ho...
Oct 09, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Are outdated management practices and hierarchical structures holding your organization back? In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando take the untraveled path of analyzing why the need for control is so pervasive in corporate environments. Listen to learn: How the illusion of control manifests How risk aversion stifles creativity and growth Better organizational structures than the autocratic heirarchy How the ill...
Oct 02, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 184
In this episode, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel put the controversial topic of centralized corporate structures (aka. the Ivory Tower) on trial. Listen or watch as the hosts explore the pros and cons, including: The pitfalls of consolidating specialized roles into "ivory towers" How centralization affects team autonomy and decision-making How to measure effectiveness of centralization The importance of aligning with business goals and maintaining acc...
Sep 25, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 183
In this episode of the Arguing Agile Podcast, school is in session as Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel helps Product Manager Brian Orlando understand the ways of successfully transitioning a team from Scrum (or whatever) to Kanban! We cover key Kanban concepts, like: Adapting and Reducing events and meetings Understanding flow and pull systems Setting effective WIP limits Creating common-sense policies Managing backlogs and estimations Measuring success with Kanban metrics Whether you'...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 182
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando open a door into the world of W. Edwards Deming by exploring his 14 principles for management from his seminal book "Out of the Crisis". Whether you're in software development or manufacturing; whether you're a leader looking to transform your organization, a QA professional seeking to improve quality, or a product manager looking to delight customers - this episode is for y...
Sep 11, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Do You Really Need a UX Researcher on Your Product Team? There are no easy answers on this podcast as we react to a provocative LinkedIn post. On this episode, Product Manager Brian and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om debate the merits and challenges of having dedicated UX researchers on product teams. Listen as we explore: Are UX researchers a must-have or a luxury? Can product managers develop research skills? Does short-term thinking undervalue the impact of UX research? Could UX researc...
Sep 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 180
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Nisha Patel joins hosts Om Patel and Brian Orlando to discuss how to develop effective product strategies. They break down real-world examples from companies like Dropbox, Airbnb, Stripe, and more to illustrate the key components of a strong strategy. Learn practical tips for defining the right problem to solve, creating a guiding policy, and identifying measurable actions to test your strategy. Whether you're a product manager, agile...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 179
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando are joined by Alex Polyakov, CEO of Project Simple (https://projectsimple.ai) for an immersive discussion of the complex topic of technical debt. They discuss what technical debt really means, when it can be beneficial vs harmful, and strategies for prioritizing and paying down tech debt while still delivering value to users. Learn how to have productive conversations about technical...
Aug 21, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 178
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando dive into the often misunderstood concept of platform teams. They discuss: - The definition and purpose of a platform team - How platform teams differ from stream-aligned feature teams - Key behaviors of effective platform teams - Common anti-patterns and mistakes made with platform teams - How platform teams enable greater business agility when implemented well Whether you're a produc...
Aug 14, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 177
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando debate the pros and cons of using shared services teams versus fully dedicated, cross-functional teams (otherwise known in Marty Cagan circles as "durable teams"). They explore common arguments made for shared services models, such as resource utilization, cost efficiency, and standardization. Om and Brian then counter these points, discussing the negative impacts on team co...
Aug 07, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 176
In this episode Enterprise Agile Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando dive into the concept of cognitive load and how it impacts agile software development teams. Drawing from the 1988 paper "Cognitive Load During Problem Solving" by John Sweller, they discuss: What is cognitive load and how does it manifest on teams? Why the mental effort required for day-to-day problem solving doesn't necessarily lead to learning new skills The importance of making space for developers to acquire n...
Jul 31, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 175
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast we welcome Lenar Mukhamadiev! Lenar shares his fascinating career path from starting as a QA intern at age 20 to founding his own software development company, iDelsoft: https://idelsoft.com Lenar discusses the challenges of being an entrepreneur, the importance of embracing failure as learning opportunities, his thoughts on the future of QA, and advice he would give his younger self. Tune in for insights on leadership, accountability, hiring, and mor...
Jul 24, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 174
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando explore the trend of product management specializations. We discuss the various types of specializations emerging, the factors driving this trend, and the pros and cons for both product managers and organizations. We also share practical advice on how to navigate your product management career path amidst the pressure to specialize. Whether you're a product manager feeling o...
Jul 17, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 173
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Software Development Expert Ed Martin joins Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel and Product Manager Brian Orlando as they review Marty Cagan's latest book "Transformed." Listen as we discuss takeaways, critique, and commentary, including: The evolving roles of product leaders and agile coaches Product discovery and the tech lead's accountability Common objections faced during agile transformations How Marty Cagan's ideas apply to real-world pr...
Jul 10, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 172
In this episode of Arguing Agile, Brian and Om dive into the seedy reality of the "shadow backlog." Defined as all the hidden work and side projects that don't make it into the "official" backlog, shadow backlog items end up consuming significant time and effort from development teams. From personal passion projects to break fixes to exploratory work, we discuss the many forms the shadow backlog can take and how it impacts planning, productivity and team focus. Listen to learn how to spot the si...
Jul 03, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 171
The first value expressed in the Manifesto for Agile Software Development is "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools." In this episode of Arguing Agile we are joined by Yadi Caro, host of the Hardcore Soft Skills Podcast for an exploration of practical and actionable ways to put people over processes and tools. Listen as we discuss how to build empathy, facilitate effective meetings, foster team collaboration, and customize processes to fit your unique teams. Discover actionable t...
Jun 26, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 170
...and other tips to Avoid Embarrassment & Improve Your Presentation Skills In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel share hilarious product demo disaster stories and provide actionable tips to help you avoid embarrassing mishaps during your next demo. Listen to this podcast if you'd like to learn how to better prepare, engage your audience, manage your time, and handle unexpected issues with grace. Whether you...
Jun 19, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 169
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel explore the importance of asking for help across various roles, including developers, testers, UI/UX designers, managers and executives. The podcast explores the common reasons people avoid seeking help, such as ego, fear of appearing weak or incompetent, and cultural factors. Listen to this podcast if you want to discover the benefits of fostering a culture where asking for...
Jun 12, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Many companies offer both products and services to their customers, but struggle with how to effectively manage and organize these two sides of the business. In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel dive deep into the challenges and opportunities that come with delivering products and services together. Join the hosts as they explore different organizational models, from silos to matrixed structures to customer-cen...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 167
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Brian and Om discuss the risks of bypassing user validation and prototyping in favor of quickly building and releasing features. They explore the potential pitfalls, including lack of alignment with user needs, rework, low feature adoption, and damage to company reputation. Learn why investing time upfront in user research, wireframes and staged rollouts can save major headaches later. Even if you think a feature is quick to build, validation is stil...
May 31, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 166
We've titled this podcast: "Escaping the Feature Factory," or Unlearn Bad Habits and Advance Your Career! If you're a developer, product manager, or in another tech role and feel stuck in the "feature factory" mindset, this podcast episode is for you. We discuss the key skills and mindset shifts needed to break out of the feature factory and advance your career in a more modern, collaborative product development environment. Topics include: Recognizing feature factory habits that hold you back D...
May 22, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 165
Does your team struggle with large, complex user stories that don't fit in a sprint? 🤔 In this podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel brainstorm for 10 techniques to split user stories for better flow and faster software delivery. 💡 This episode is all about practical tips to slice stories by: Workflow and valuable user paths Personas and roles System and technology borders Business rules and exception handling Non-functional requirements ...and m...
May 15, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 164
In this episode, we're joined by Ed Martin to discuss and debate the benefits and challenges of asynchronous daily scrum meetings. Listen as we explore the reasons teams may want to go async, potential pitfalls to avoid, and best practices to make async standups effective. If your team is struggling with async practices, listen as we explore ways to optimize your async workflow, including: The top reasons teams switch to async standups Anti-patterns and pitfalls to watch out for Best practices a...
May 08, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Are you (or management) considering shuffling team members to improve performance? Before you play musical chairs, explore the latest Arguing Agile Podcast (Linked in the comments) for ways to make sure you're using data, not just reacting to hearsay and emotions! Organizational design is difficult - don't just stumble through it. We all know shuffling people between teams can disrupt team dynamics and set teams back to the "forming" stage. Listen as Enterprise Business Agility Coach Hemant (Om)...
May 01, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 162
In this episode of the Arguing Agile podcast, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel are joined by Software Development expert Ed Martin for an exploration how company size affects business agility. We discuss the challenges that arise as organizations scale from 3 people to 30 to 300 and beyond, covering topics like losing the culture of experimentation, organizational rigidity, continuous improvement, and the "rule of 3 and 10". Listen as we share real-wor...
Apr 24, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Onboarding New Product Managers In this episode of Arguing Agile, hosts Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel dive into the challenges and best practices around onboarding new product managers. Topics include: Communicating the company vision, mission and goals Mapping key players, stakeholders and decision-making processes Aligning the new PM's goals to organizational objectives Building and owning the product roadmap Understanding customers, segmentation ...
Apr 17, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 160
