AGILE2017 Top 10 Takeaways by Synerzip

AGILE2017 Top 10 Takeaways 1
Top 10 Takeaways
from
Agile2017 Conference in Orlando
by Agile Alliance
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AGILE2017 Top 10 Takeaways
AGILE2017 Conference Overview
• August 7-11th in Orlando, FL
• 2,200 participants from 40+ countries
– 18 tracks, 284 sessions
• 4 Special Tracks
– Stalwarts
– Experience Reports
– 3-7 min Lightning Talks
– Audacious Salon
• Inspiring Keynotes
– David Marquet, best-selling author of Turn the Ship Around
– Jez Humble, Founder and CTO, DevOps Research and Assessment LLC, UC Berkeley
– Denise Jacobs, Founder and CEO, The Creative Dose
2

Vinayak Joglekar, CTO
@vinayakj
Hemant Elhence, CEO
@HemantElhence
Top 10 Takeaways
presented by

18 Tracks + OpenJam
• Agile Companies (New)
• Agile Foundations
• Audacious Salon
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Collaboration: Culture & Teams
• Customers & Products
• Development Practices & Craftsmanship
• DevOps
• Enterprise Agile
• Experience Reports
• Leadership
• Learning
• Lightning Talks
• Project, Program & Portfolio Management
• Stalwarts
• Testing & Quality
• The Future of Agile Software Development
(IEEE Software)
• User Experience
4

Our Top 12 from AGILE2017
1. VJ: We Are Going Back Full Circle
2. HE: Agile Executive Leadership
3. VJ: Whole Team Does UX
4. HE: Agile Beyond Engineering
5. VJ: Containerized Microservices=NoOps
6. HE: ATDD/BDD Holy Grail
7. VJ: Dynamic Re-Teaming!
8. HE: Estimating Time/Cost
9. VJ: Get Them Hooked!
10. HE: Scaling Agile / SAFe 4.5
11. VJ: Surprises at Spotify!
12. HE: Architect/Architecture
5

1. We Are Going Back Full Circle
6
1980
Dev
2000 2010 Today Test Engg
Dev
QA
Dev
QA
Ops
Dev
QA
Ops
UX
Dev
TE
Ops
UX
NoOps
Dev
TE
DevOps
UX
New UX
Dev
TE
DevOps
UX-Dev

Shared by Paul Merrill
7

Machine Learning in Testing
8
Hundreds of
simultaneous
users
Multiple
containers
serving their
requests
Millions of
log entries
generated by
monitoring
tool such as
NewRelic &
Logstash
Unsupervised
Machine
Learning
senses exact
patterns in
the log entries
to predict and
reproduce
errors

Impact of Machine Learning on Testers
• Some of the repetitive tasks in testing
can be learned by machine learning.
• It is possible to simulate human actions
like scrolling and swiping on mobile
phones using ML.
• A new breed of testers who will
understand ML enough so that they
can train the machines.
• This new breed will face ambiguous
expectations and less repeatable
workflows because ML will generate
rules at runtime.
• Record and playback will be replaced by
train and test.
• ML will help us by pointing to most
susceptible parts that need our attention.
• ML will work from within the application
to inform us what to test -- in a way
writing test cases and scenarios.
• This implies that most of the testers will
have to acquire developer skills.
Alternatively testing can be done by
developers who will find it more
interesting!
9

2. Agile Executive Leadership
Attention to Agile (mindset) at Executive Leadership Level
1. Intent Based Leadership - David Marquet's Keynote
2. Business Agility - Steve Denning's Learning Consortium
a. The SD Learning Consortium (SDLC) is a nonprofit organization whose members are
organizations committed to discover together the world’s most advanced Agile goals,
principles and practices and disseminate them globally.
b. The SDLC conducts site visits to its members, synthesizes their findings, and disseminates
globally, including reports, web posts, social media and participation in conferences.
3. The Leadership Circle – An Agile framework for leadership
development, Reactive Tendencies vs. Creative Competencies
10

Intent Based Leadership
11
http://www.davidmarquet.com/

SDLC - Steve Denning
12
Core Business Agility Practices
1. Delighting Customers
2. Descaling Work
3. Nurturing Culture
4. Enterprise-wide Agility
https://sdlearningconsotrium.org

Leadership Circle
Assessment on Reactive Tendencies vs. Creative Competencies
13
http://agileforall.com/ https://leadershipcircle.com/a-universal-model-of-leadership/

Empirical Evidence
14
http://agileforall.com/ https://leadershipcircle.com/a-universal-model-of-leadership/

Big Consultants onto Agile
Recent trend of bigger companies acquiring Agile
competencies (Tools, Training/Coaching, Transformation)
– Accenture acquiring SolutionsIQ (Jun 2017)
– Deloitte partnering with ICAgile (Aug 2017)
– CA acquiring Rally (May 2015)
– HP
– IBM
McKinsey on Agile – uptick of Agile writings
15

3. Whole Team Does UX
16

3. Whole Team Does UX
• To start with UX is paired with the Dev
team.
• It’s the Dev team not the product
owner who manages the backlog.
• The whole team is involved in the
Build-Measure-Learn loop.
• Everyone participates in user
interviews and notes responses-
preferably direct quotes.
• Whole team participates in interpreting
the response by using tools like affinity
map.
• Redgate offered beer for those
participating in research calls. Not
much beer was drunk but everyone
started talking about it.
• Research is published making it freely
accessible to the team.
• Dropping names of subjects is
encouraged -- that gives credibility.
• Result: Dev teams at Redgate were
able to aim better and knew why they
were doing what they were doing.
• Session by Elizabeth Ayer.
17

4. Agile Beyond Engineering
Expanding application of Agile outside of the
engineering organization
• Early adopters: Marketing, Operations, HR
• Lagging adopters: Finance/Accounting, ...
18

Agile Marketing
19

Agile Marketing @CA/Rally
20
https://www.agilesparks.com/services/agile-marketing/
Total marketing team of ~300 at CA
~50 Adopted Agile, off those
~20 came from Rally acquisition
Made appropriate changes to terminology,
e.g. Product Owner >> Marketing Owner,
Story >> Jobs-to-be-done
Moved from Shared Services (w/ SLA)
model to Persistent “feature teams” with
clear metrics/goals
Encouraged “T” shaped skills

Agile HR
21

Agile Finance
22

5. CD in High Performing IT Orgs
23

5. Containerized Microservices=NoOps
• No need of scripts to bring up virtual
machines.
• Bye-bye deploying code in environments
configured by chef or puppet; welcome
container images=config+code in the
deployment pipeline.
• Low friction way to distribute software
across Dev, test, pre-prod and prod.
• Faster startup and shutdown. No need to
re-boot the OS.
• Better env fidelity = reduced ops role.
• Applications are decoupled from the
infrastructure.
• Orchestration platforms provide scaling
and resiliency.
• License costs: one server can have
many containers.
• Containers are programmatically
generated and have smaller attack
surface - hence more secure.
• Each microservice does one thing well
and is loosely coupled with other
microservices - ideally suited for CD.
24

6. ATDD/BDD Holy Grail
• Focus on clarifying
requirements upfront/early
• “Amigo Review” & collaboration
- PO, Developer, Tester
• Come up with Acceptance
tests before development
begins
25
CardinalSolutions.com, John Riley’s session on ATDD

ATDD/BDD Holy Grail (cont’d)
Format: Given...when, and, …, then
Tools: Gherkin, Cucumber, SpecFlow
Automate: 194mins of manual down to 1.5mins!!
26

ATDD/BDD Holy Grail (cont’d)
• Key is to get to “Test First”
mindset
• “Once a team starts this
process, it spreads like wildfire,
and they never go back”
• Getting started is hard - needs
mindset change
• Do Unit TDD before
ATDD/BDD
27

Value of Test Automation
From Jez Humble’s keynote on DevOps
28
Before (2008) After (2011)

7. Dynamic Re-teaming!
• Mob programming to get the new team
members assimilated
• Email introduction highlighting
achievements and quirks
29
• Time-sharing across multiple projects is
a bad idea
• Re-teaming is inevitable, might as well be
good at it
– To scale and grow
– Split as growth overwhelms
– Cross pollination/learning
– In pursuit of passion
– For business reason
• Both formal and the informal role needs to
be backfilled
• Over-communication helps
• Trading places in mobs at Hunter
• Deliberate re-teaming at Spotify; teams
formed by self selection

Patterns of Re-teaming
30

8. Estimating Time/Cost
1. Estimating Time/Effort/Cost - Troy Magennis
a. Use sampling - 7 to 11 samples sufficient for 90% confidence
b. Use statistical tools to estimate/predict
c. All of Troy’s docs and spreadsheets tools available free Bit.ly/SimResources
2. Don’t even use story points! If you do, just use 1, 3, 5. Better yet, slice
them small & just count them.
3. #NoEstimate Update - still a passionate and raging debate!
31

#NoEstimates
• #Noestimates is a hashtag for the topic of
exploring alternatives to estimates for
making decisions in software
development. That is, ways to make
decisions with “no estimates”
• This is the main premise behind
#noestimates: estimates do not directly
add value to your process, so we want to
find ways to reduce the estimation
process or even stop it where possible
• #Noestimates isn’t about ditching
estimates. It is about improving the way
we work such that estimates become
redundant
Key thought leaders, their blogs
• Woody Zuill
http://zuill.us/WoodyZuill/
• Vasco Duarte
http://oikosofy.com/news/
• Neil Killick
http://neilkillick.wordpress.com/
32
http://ryanripley.com/

Example: Defect Estimation
33

Example: Total Scope
34

Estimation Do’s & Don’ts
DO
• Use real historical date
• Use statistical techniques
• Use heuristics
• Same level of attention on
“value” estimate as on “cost”
estimate
• Use it for dialog and learning
DON’T
• Don’t do bottom-up, task based
estimates
• Don’t spend a lot of time doing
it - it is a waste!
• Negotiate decisions NOT
estimates
35

9. Behavioral Design by Chris Shinkle
36

9. Get Them “Hooked”!
• Prioritise based on outcomes- do what
is most effective in changing user
behavior is of high value and should be
done first.
• If user stories don’t intend changing
user behaviour then something is
missing.
• Most decisions are made emotionally
and automatically.
• Herding: Everyone is doing it.
• Artificial scarcity: Only 20 in stock.
• Anchoring: Maximum order 12.
37

10. Scaling Agile / SAFe 4.5
38
SAFe has the momentum
and a supporting
ecosystem of consultants
and training material
SAFe framework seems to
connect better with larger
enterprises and
IT/executive leadership
https://explore.versionone.com/state-of-agile/versionone-11th-annual-state-of-agile-report-2

SAFe 4.5
SAFe 4.5, can be configured to match an organization’s
needs, and allows them to:
• Test ideas more quickly using the Lean Startup Cycle and Lean User Experience
(Lean UX)
• Deliver much faster with Scalable DevOps and the Continuous Delivery Pipeline.
• Simplify governance and improve portfolio performance with Lean Portfolio
Management (LPM) and Lean Budgets.
39
http://www.scaledagileframework.com/whats-new-in-safe-45/

11. Surprises at Spotify!
• No Model exactly represents reality.
Some models are useful.
• Pairing is used differently in different
squads.
• TDD is practiced in some squads but not
in most squads.
• Light coding standards- devs not aware of
buzzwords like “Clean Code” or ”SOLID
principles”.
• Spotify is trying to implement; Pivotal’s
pairing model- but squads are pushing
back.
• They prefer “Move fast & break things”
over “Move slow to move fast”.
• Spotify compensates for lack of process
by hiring bright engineers.
• No squads have agile estimates,
burndown charts or visual aids.
• Some of these problems are rooted in
Spotify’s hyper growth.
• Too much autonomy, when everyone is
accountable no one is and complacency
are the reasons.
41

Different Ways of Pairing
42

12. Architect Role/Architecture
• Architecture is a shared responsibility, no "official" architect role
• Define "Landing Zones" upfront - a range (min, target, outstanding) of
acceptable values of essential system characteristics/qualities
– e.g. thruput - min 150K, target 270K, outstanding 320K
– tweak them along the way
• Architecture work “rolled into” user stories, and keep it visible
• Actively manage Technical Debt, and keep it visible
– “Floss” Refactoring: small, regular done, like hygiene
– “Root Canal” Refactoring: protracted, infrequent, undertaken only when in pain
43
Rebecca Wirfs-Brock session on Intentional Architecture

Color Your Backlog
44

Soundbites - VJ
• Set based design works better than point
based design. Keep multiple options
open.
• Avoid taking design decisions when cone
of uncertainty is wide-wait for the last
opportune moment.
• Way to change culture at NUMI was not
by changing how people think but by
changing how the behave. -Jez Humble
• Every business is a software business. -
Anders Wallgren
• Metrics that compare the team to
themselves are less toxic. Use ratios to
compare across teams.
• “Time taken to get the feedback” is the
single metric that matters.
• If you don’t know how to measure what
you want, you will end up wanting what
you measure. -Cheryl Hammond
• The longer you delay the release the
more is the pressure to accommodate
changes/additions.
• Plans are useless but planning is
indispensable. -Johanna Rothman
45

Soundbites - HE
1. There are two chronic complaints about software development
a. Requirement are not clear (enough!)
b. Estimates are not accurate (enough!)
2. To reduce bias of HiPPO, vote first and then discuss, rather than
discuss and then vote (people get to know leader's opinion and align
along that)
3. Two different types of refactoring
a. Flossing: small, regular done, like hygiene
b. Root Canal: protracted, infrequent, undertaken only when in pain
46

Soundbites - HE (cont’d)
4. Outcome (customer impact) vs. output (working software). Same team
should own both, today someone higher-up owns the outcome, while
team owns the output.
5. Pair programming and peer code reviews are far more helpful (for risk
management) than any other external review.
6. Build a system (dev/test) where the ”right” thing to do is also the
easier thing to do, e.g. automated testing.
47

AGILE2017 Top 10 Takeaways 48AGILE2017 Top 10 Takeaways
QUESTIONS?

Hemant Elhence
hemant@synerzip.com
@HemantElhence
+1. 469.374.0500
49

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53
Next Webinar
Lean UX + DevOps
Presented by
Vinayak Joglekar,
CTO, Synerzip

Not only do we help them scale their engineering
capacity and accelerate their roadmap, we
become their long-term partner and trusted
advisor.
Headquartered in the US, Synerzip has its development center in
Pune, India. We have more than 450 developers in our state-of-
the-art facility, where we hire the best people and do great work.
THERE’S A REASON CLIENTS CHOOSE SYNERZIP
54

WE ARE YOUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNER
WE ARE TRULY AGILE
While many companies pay lip
service to Agile, at Synerzip Agile
is in our DNA. We deeply
understand Agile values and
mindset. For every client, we
tailor our Agile practices to suit
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US + INDIA TEAM
Our India-based team of high-
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THOUGHT LEADERS
Our experienced software
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55

How Can Our Teams Help You?
At Synerzip, we pride ourselves on hiring talented people, paying well, and
retaining and nurturing our talent. Happy employees result in great work.
Just ask our clients, all of whom serve as references for Synerzip. We know
that’s unprecedented, but so is the experience you’ll have working with
Synerzip.
Our teams practice Lean Startup principles and are comprised of cross-
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56

We believe our growing list of
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Tech Companies Founded and
Managed by Indians in the US.
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TEXAS | SILICON VALLEY | INDIA
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