The document summarizes a presentation by Tania Katan on applying principles from theatre and storytelling to software development and work culture. Katan believes in using imagination and narrative structure to engage audiences and solve problems. She discusses how agile software development and narrative story arcs both involve initiating a project or story, encountering obstacles, getting feedback, iterating, and resolving issues. Katan provides exercises for developing one's point of view, understanding one's audience, dealing with critics, and maintaining momentum through continued practice of storytelling skills.

1. AT6
Session
6/9/16 11:30 AM
Playwriting, Imagination, and Agile
Software Development... Oh My!
Presented by:
Tania Katan
Axosoft
Brought to you by:
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2. Tania Katan
Axosoft
Award-winning author, playwright, and performer Tania Katan believes in
storytelling at all cost. She has performed her stories at the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe, NPR, Comedy Central Stage, TEDx, and more. Her performances and
published work have been written about in The New York Times, Huffington Post,
GLAMOUR, and others. Formerly a curator of performing arts at SMoCA, Tania
made the audacious leap into technology and is currently the curator of code for
Axosoft—because every rock star company needs a punk! She is the instigator
behind Axosoft's internationally viral #ItWasNeverADress campaign. Read Tania's
agile shenanigans at axosoft.com and taniakatan.com. Follow her on Twitter
@taniakatan and @axosoft.

3. 6/5/16
1
To Be, Or Not To Be Agile?
How to apply principles from theatre in order to create
dynamic content, software and work culture!
Hello DevOpsWest ADC BSC FBI BMW OMG!
Tania Katan
Jewish Evangelist
@taniakatan @axosoft
#ItWasNeverADress

4. 6/5/16
2
Narrative Arc
Inciting Incident
a. An event that puts the
play/book/story In motion.
b. Upsets the balance of
the main character’s world.
c. Introduces a problem,
concern that needs to be
solved.
Feb May Jul
Climax
Greatest tension in the
story and turning point
for our lead character.
(You.)
Falling Action
Unfolding events that
release tension
leading toward…
Rising Action
Series of events that
offer help, complications
and tension! Resolution
a. The problem is
solved
b. The lead character
has a deeper
understanding of her/
himself and the world
around her/him
c. We leave our
popcorn bags on the
theatre floor (or
hopefully not).
Obstacles
Repeat
Exposition
What happened before
this story begins? What
lead to this moment of
taking action? The main
character’s backstory?
What is the mood,
history and
context?
Agile Method
Initiate Project
a. An event that puts the
software In motion.
b. Upsets the balance of
the main character’s world.
c. Introduces a problem,
concern that needs to be
solved.
d. Leaves Project
Manager, Product
Owner, Devs,
wanting to
know more!
2016
Feb May JulDec
Feedback: Dev,
Client, Users
Greatest tension in the
process: To release, or
not to release…THAT
is the question!
Approval &
Release
Into the wild the
software goes!
Integrate & Test
Series of features and
functions being added
that offer help and
complications that cause
tension!
Iterate Changes
a. Incorporate
changes
b. Adjust and track
c. Next iteration
Obstacles
Repeat

5. 6/5/16
3
“Why fit in when you were born to
stand out?”
—Dr. Seuss
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
Develop Your P.O.V.
You are the main character in your life! Every
performer, company, human being has a different
perspective, a unique voice. This is what
differentiates you, your software, content,
presentations, emails in all the online (and in person)
chatter so you stand out in the best possible way!

6. 6/5/16
4
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
#1 Find your voice..Go!
What is important to you? What do you care about deeply? Write a
problem, concern, cause that you champion at work. (Exposition)
Why does this problem, cause, concern affect you? Write about the first
time you encountered this issue. (Inciting Incident)
How can you convey this concern to others in a way that is authentic to
you and embodies the concern? How do you inspire others to care too?
Write a blog post? Sing “This Is My Fight Song” in front of all the
developers? (Rising Action, Falling Action, Resolution)
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
Look at your audience…they’re right
infront of you!
Great performers are trained to see, hear and
connect to human beings. Let’s start seeing,
listening and connecting in order to engage
your specific audience!

7. 6/5/16
5
Fanny Brice
Actress, Funny Girl
Your audience gives you
everything you need. They
tell you. There is no
director who can direct you
like an audience.
Jimmy Stewart
Actor, Angel Wings Giver
Never treat your
audience as
customers, always as
partners.

8. 6/5/16
6
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
#2 Dating your audience…or at least making out!
See who you are talking, writing, presenting to/with. Who is the audience
on the other end of the email, blog, audience, table? Close your eyes and
see them in your mind’s eye. Be specific.
Listen to the needs of your specific audience. Are they fidgeting when
you talk about metrics? Are they gagging when you use the word “fleek”?
Tips for listening: first date + call-and-response + crowd sources.
Connect Are you making eye contact? Getting drunk and flirting with
the server? Seducing your audience to go on a journey with you?
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
Critics and hecklers, peace out!
Within a Narrative Arc and Agile Methodology, you
know within the first scene/iteration who ain’t
picking up what you’re putting down! In both cases
these peeps are called Antagonists. Antagonists
provide obstacles and complications just for you,
the Protagonist. They are, ahem, givers.

9. 6/5/16
7
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
#3 How to get Antagonists off your jock!
1. Initiate Humor. Now that you see, hear and connect to who’s in front of you,
let’s use context to take on those awkward situations with humor! Examples:
CIO Summit, WiTNY, Comedian Dani Modisette.
2. Embrace the Obstacle and Adapt. Ok, so you tried out a joke and…crickets,
that’s ok, we’re gonna play an improv game to help you adapt in even the most
uncomfortable situations: Yes, And...
3. Give a Gift. If we’ve done everything we can to craft an authentic narrative
and inspire our intended audience, and they are still throwing tomatoes at us,
well, then... My friend Mary Kay Zeeb can help us out!
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
Write, Rewrite, Repeat…Recap!
Ultimately, using your unique voice in service of
solving a problem in a way that connects to, and
delights, your specific audience is the goal. It ain’t
easy, but when it works…it boosts our confidence,
sales, software and work culture!

10. 6/5/16
8
Your time is limited, so don't
waste it living someone else's
life…Don't let the noise of others'
opinions drown out your own
inner voice. And most important,
have the courage to follow your
heart and intuition.
-Steve Jobs
Tania Katan: Creative Exercises
#4 Recap
1. P.O.V. just like Flash Dance…take your passion, and make it happen! Find your
voice, use it in service of a concern, and inspire an audience to address that concern
with you. Everything from bugs to landfills; storytelling amplifies your purpose!
2. Agile/Narrative. Both methods contribute to relationship building and exploring
through taking action, encountering obstacles, tension, feedback, adapting, iterating,
collaboration, resolution, rehearse and repeat.
3. It’s a journey. There will always be obstacles. Some you will avoid, others you’ll
dodge, some you’ll confront head on and a few you will embrace and transform
altogether.

11. 6/5/16
9
Listen + Be Heard
Keep using your voice
Some resources to maintain your momentum
Storytelling events +
Podcasts
The Moth, TED Radio Hour, Sit ‘N Spin,
Mortified
TED + TEDx talks
For narrative structure
A journal and a
pen.
Handier than a laptop
3 minutes a day to
work-out your voice.
Yep, that’s it.
Read.
Books, plays, blogs.
Open Mics
Eavesdrop
At airports, in malls…listen to how REAL
people engage; what excites + ignites them
Tania:
taniak@axosoft.com
@taniakatan
@axosoft
Q & A Time!
www.axosoft.com