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A treatise on Measuring Agile Performance

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Introduction       Measuring Agile sounds like an oxymoron, Isn't it? Why would you like to collect metrics on projects that follow the 'Agile' methodology? Do you really need to measure some aspects of your project? You have a product owner, the scrum master and the end users who would ultimately define the quality of your software. They are responsible folks and they would track the work. No metrics needed. Also, would this not take away the flexibility that 'Agile' proclaims? Well, yes and no! I'd rather take the middle path.        Yes - because many organizations require that the team members 'generate' metrics that the management can ingest and track the performance. The organizations overburden the teams to track the metrics that is not relevant for the project. In doing so the agile stops being agile and starts resembling the heavily metric based development methodology like the CMMi. Now, I am not proclaiming that CMMi or other simila...
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The Scale Problem

Someone asked me a logical question in a party - Suppose you are able to fold a newspaper 100 times , how much thick would that bundle be? He also dropped us a hint - remember, each time you fold it, it doubles in thickness - so answer judiciously. Assume for now that in fact you can fold it 100 times without running out of paper. Of course we cannot work out without a calculator. But remember, it is an exercise on how your brain comprehends such a problem. We were asked to take a guess. We did, but before you read any further - pause and think - What would your guess be? Some of us guessed that it would be as thick as a brick. One guy said 4 stories tall. Someone with a scientific outlook suggested that it might extend upto the sun from the earth, drawing many disdainful eyes. So, what was your guess? The way most people thought even after being given the hint, was that it would be 100 times (or 100x) the thickness of the newspaper. You might think that the claim that the thick...
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Winning by passiveness

Winners should be more active than others, they should be the alpha of the pack, the leader of the clan, stronger than the masses, intelligent than the group, courageous than the army and cleverer than the coterie. Or is it? How many active people have been sacked in an organization? How many alphas have been reduced to rubble? How many leaders shamed? How many strong people have been killed? How many intelligent people have been fooled? How many courageous people have been imprisoned? And how many clever people have been taken for a ride? So, are all these traits - strength, intelligence, courage - really needed to be a winner? Could be. Will you not be a winner if you do not have these traits? Lot of people would say no, you can't win because you do not have these traits then are not capable to compete with the people who have these. Agreed. But what if these folks are removed from the scene? Can you win, then? Can you wait out till the winners move out, and then move in taking...
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