This is the second part of a series discussing MVP and the technology we used to prove to ourselves that lightweight > heavyweight. The first part can be found here. The classic definition of MVP involves getting almost real-time market feedback on your ideas and letting that determine what your next step is. The increments [...]

This is the first part of a multi-part talk about a successful use of MVP to create a framework for proving and building products quickly. I’m a huge fan of lightweight. Lightweight tools, lightweight management, lightweight processes. Weed out the overhead by not even allowing it in to the system in the first place. Thus, [...]

The Execution phase of our Agile Data Center move is where all the fun stuff happens. As a reminder from the previous entries about the project setup and preparation, we’re doing a data center move where the schedule is flexible (the client is more tolerant of time, less tolerant of risk) and the requirements are [...]

I got an email today asking essentially, “WTF does Fibonacci have to do with estimating?”. Well, my argument starts with the word “estimating” as to me, it’s more about “sizing”. The Fibonacci sequence is essentially a relative scale of effort required to complete a task.  It’s not meant to be an absolute value of how [...]

Recently, I talked at a high-level about a data center migration on which I’m currently working, and how it would be possible to use an agile approach for it (or at least parts of it).  The high-level process seemed to make sense, so I wanted to dig a little deeper to see if it was [...]

One of the main questions I always get when talking about agile methodologies is – “Can I use it to manage non-development projects?” The answer is typically yes, although it’s not always evident until you start to break it down. My most recent test is with a data center move.

I was reminded late that my scheduled 45 minute talk was actually a 90 minute talk so I was struggling a bit last weekend to get enough content in place so I didn’t leave a lot of dead air.  And since I’ve been trying to do all of my speaking gigs in the Presentation Zen [...]

I’m starting to get a little anxious.  I have had any Tech of the Day posts recently simply because I haven’t been doing any tangible tech!  My current project is a project management gig for a data center migration (I’m in charge of the Virtualization stuff), but aside from talking about VMs, networking protocols, SANs [...]

AgileZen is the newest web-based agile project management tool to make it’s way to the public. As more of these types of products becomes available, we can finally break free of the horrid stranglehold MS Project has had on project managers for more than a decade.