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Rational Scrum

Recently I tried out a variant on methodology that I’ll dub Rational Scrum. I’ve been trying to put together a few thoughts about the overall process for months, and finally found some time for it. Just as people have specializations, so do processes. Applying one process to all situations is just as wrong as calling your [...]

Featured Post

Software cost estimation: Where’s the silver bullet?

Recently Kirk Gray wrote a piece — more of a plea really — titled Software Estimation is Hard. The problem at hand is that there doesn’t seem to be a silver bullet that delivers accurate software project cost estimation. Software cost estimation (and here, I mean “cost” in the sense of effort, time and money) [...]

Formal inspections: An introduction

The price of software problems is very high: As much as 50% of development and 100% of all maintenance costs can be attributed to software defects. Often, this price becomes apparent late in the software life cycle—quite often after the software has reached its operational phase (after the software ships)—as previously undetected defects are discovered [...]

Asides

• According to an informal poll conducted by Cranky PM, Agile methods (Scrum in particular) has been penetrating deeply into the enterprise. Specifically, in 2006, you reported that a sizable majority of product development used a waterfall methodology (55%), with Scrum garnering a mere 7%. In 2008, the picture is very different. Scrum and its Agile cousins account for nearly 60%, where waterfall has dropped to a mere 28%. While it's a small statistical sample, the figures are encouraging. #
• It may still be a bit rough around the edges, but Rational Scrum is open for business! Welcome! #
• Looking to learn the fundamentals of Scrum? First and foremost I'll recommend a short hands-on course, but if you can't swing that try "Agile Software Development with SCRUM (Series in Agile Software Development)" (Ken Schwaber, Mike Beedle) and "Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)" (Ken Schwaber), two definitive works on the subject. #
• Patrick Wilson Welsh has a great little rant on this really incomprehensible trend. I think the root of the problem is that too many companies still think of software development as an industrial, assembly line process and too few have really embraced the idea that it's a creative effort. #
• I really liked this post by Patrick Wilson Welsh about the The Fallacy of Individual Accomplishment. Yes it's true, your heads-down cubicle dwelling knowledge hoarders are more of a liability than an asset. And while we're here, let's all just recite: "Hero Culture Is Bad." #
• Looking for a fast-paced, easy to digest introduction to Scrum? Check out STI's Scrum Workshop. Recently updated for 2008, this workshop will get your whole team up to speed and using Scrum in one day. #