Welcome to the 419th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 49,633 peers.

This week, Henrik Mårtensson challenges the supposed conflict of Waterfall vs. Agile, advocating for a fresh understanding of software methodology. Heidi Musser urges reevaluating and expanding Agile principles to better align with evolving business landscapes. Joost Minnaar presents Elon Musk’s pragmatic, five-step strategy to cut through bureaucracy effectively. Lastly, Ivar Jacobson and Alistair Cockburn reaffirm the enduring significance of use cases in software development, highlighting their benefits across various stakeholder groups.
Then, we delve into pivotal insights from tech giants. Lenny Rachitsky’s interview with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky reveals insights into Airbnb’s product management and innovative culture. John Cutler and Melissa Perri analyze Airbnb’s strategic evolution from a startup to a market leader. Moreover, Cedric Chin’s discussion with former Amazon executive Colin Bryar uncovers Amazon’s distinct “Weekly Business Review” management style. Finally, Rich Mironov navigates the AI hype, advocating for thoughtful integration of AI into products, distinguishing genuine value from mere ‘AI-washing.’ Lastly, Jeff Patton identifies five prevalent mistakes in story mapping, advising on maintaining narrative and outcome focus. Ideo presents a comparison between Systems Thinking and Design Thinking, highlighting their distinct approaches to problem-solving. Also, Jason Yip critiques McKinsey’s perspective on measuring developer productivity, advocating for direct observation and multifaceted metrics. Finally, Teri Musick champions the inclusion of neurodiversity in Agile teams, emphasizing recognizing and accommodating diverse thought processes and communication methods.

📖 Preorder the Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book now for delivery in January 2024!

🗞️ Exclusively on my Substack Newsletter: Stakeholder Anti-Patterns — An Excerpt from the Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide (4).

🥇 The most popular discussion on LinkedIn last week was: #ScrumMasters are no #ProjectManagers! 🤬

Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought’s issue 418?
🎓 Join Stefan in one of his upcoming Professional Scrum training classes! 👉 Join 590-plus peers and help create the next edition of the Scrum Master Salary Report! 🏆 The Tip of the Week: Waterfall vs. Agile Henrik Mårtensson: Waterfall vs. Agile: Battle of the Dunces or A Race to the Bottom? Henrik Mårtensson critically dissects the misconception of a ‘Waterfall vs. Agile’ battle in a recent HBR article, debunking the existence of Waterfall as a methodology and warning against reviving it in modern software development. 🍋 Lemon of the Week We are lemon-free this Week. ➿ Agile & Scrum Joost Minnaar (via Corporate Rebels): Musk’s 5 Step Algorithm to Cut Internal Bureaucracy at Tesla and SpaceX Joost Minnaar outlines Elon Musk’s five-step algorithm to eliminate bureaucracy: question every requirement, delete unnecessary process parts, simplify and optimize, accelerate cycle time, and automate, emphasizing its significant organizational impact. (via Agile Alliance): Reimagine Agile: Back to Basics, Forward to the FutureHeidi Musser calls for the Agile community’s active involvement in reimagining Agile, emphasizing the need to update and extend its principles to meet contemporary challenges. (via Agile Alliance): Neurodiversity and invisible disabilities in AgileTeri Musick urges Agile teams to embrace neurodiversity, offering practical tips for creating inclusive environments that recognize diverse thinking and communication styles.

🎓 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Product Backlog Management Cohort Class of Jan 23 to Feb 20, 2024

Discover the Product Owner success principles in this engaging Product Backlog Management cohort class and accelerate your professional growth and career perspective with tried & tested, hands-on practices:
Excel at delivering value regularly — your #1 career success factor.
Learn to distinguish between valuable and useless ideas.
Abandon the feature factory. Instead, learn to contribute to customer and organizational success.
Gain actionable insights, learn supportive tools, and practice everything in a safe community of like-minded peers.
Learn to say no and build trust and rapport with stakeholders while focusing on creating value.
Create engaging feedback loops.
The class will be offered in English. Enjoy the benefits of an immersive cohort class with like-minded agile peers on the following dates:
Tuesday, January 23, 2024, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm o’clock CET.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm o’clock CET.
Tuesday, February 20, 2024, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm o’clock CET. Learn more: 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Product Backlog Management Cohort Class of Jan 23 to Feb 20, 2024.👉 From time to time, we can offer last-minute seats for training classes at cost to individuals who do not have access to a corporate training budget. If you like to be notified about these opportunities, please register here.

🎯 Product

Lenny Rachitsky and Brian Chesky: Brian Chesky’s new playbook for product, leadership, and growthLenny Rachitsky interviews Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, discussing Airbnb’s approach to product management, combating bureaucracy, setting ambitious goals, and new feature releases. John Cutler and Melissa Perri: The New Airbnb (Lenny’s Podcast) w/Melissa PerriJohn Cutler and Melissa Perri explore Airbnb’s leadership and strategy evolution, raising critical questions about the company’s transition from startup to industry leader and its approach to product management. Cedric Chin and Colin Bryar (via Commonplace): 📺 Colin Bryar on the practice of Amazon’s Weekly Business ReviewCedric Chin interviewed Colin Bryar, ex-Amazon leader and ‘Jeff’s shadow,’ who co-wrote ‘Working Backwards.’ Colin offers an insider perspective on Amazon’s unique management practice of the ‘Weekly Business Review.’

Rich Mironov: AI-WashingRich Mironov discusses the AI hype cycle, urging a strategic approach to integrating AI in products, differentiating between superficial ‘AI-washing’ and meaningful, value-driven AI applications.

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