Pragmatic Thinking: Leveraging Experience to Navigate Complexity

Explains burndown charts in Scrum, their purpose, common issues, and compares tracking by hours, story points, and acceptance tests to improve team …

A real-world account of guiding a new Scrum team through their first sprint, covering estimation, story points, sprint planning, and handling …

Explores how immersive learning and DevOps practices improve training effectiveness, boost knowledge retention, and deliver real value for individuals …

Compares agile product development and waterfall project management, highlighting differences in decision-making, delivery, customer collaboration, …

Explores how Agile transformed product management by enabling shorter release cycles, faster feedback, continuous delivery, and a stronger focus on …

Explores how businesses and individuals can achieve success by embracing continuous adaptation, flexibility, and principle-based decision-making in …

Explores what traditional organisations must change, beyond adopting Agile tools, to achieve true agility, cultural transformation, and sustained …

Explains how real consulting experience enhances training by providing practical examples, bridging theory and practice, and making learning more …

Explores how automation in software development reduces human error, improves reliability, and streamlines workflows, using real-world examples and …

A great agile consulting outcome enables organisations to adapt quickly to change, fostering resilience, decentralised decision-making, and empowered, …

Explores the distinct roles of human and AI agency in adaptive systems, emphasising human-led strategy and accountability versus AI-driven tactical …

Discover how using a Minecraft-based case study enhances Agile training by boosting engagement, illustrating complexity, and improving team …

Explains the key accountabilities, skills, and behaviours required for a Scrum Product Owner, including hiring trends, role requirements, and …

Learn how structured learning in product development boosts user value, reduces waste, fosters collaboration, and encourages creativity through …

Current Value is one of the four key value areas of Evidence‑Based Management. Rather than being a single measure, it comprises a group of indicators …

Explains how Kanban can be integrated with Scrum to improve workflow visibility, provide key metrics, and enable continuous improvement in agile …

Explains how a well-ordered, refined Product Backlog guides Agile teams, supports goal alignment, and ensures value-driven product development through …

Learn how to align teams, stakeholders, and processes for effective agile product management by fostering shared goals, clear communication, and …

Rookie agile consultants often mistake strict adherence to frameworks like Scrum for success, overlooking the need for context, team buy-in, and …

Explains how Product Owners can replace traditional project management with vision, value, and validation to guide teams, deliver real value, and …

Explains how to configure MSTest for automated testing of web services on Team Foundation Build Services 2010, including handling dynamic server ports …

Explores the shift from traditional to immersive Agile learning, highlighting how ongoing, real-world practice and reflection improve knowledge …

Immersive learning enables on-the-job coaching by combining real-world assignments, collaborative feedback, and practical application for deeper, …

Explores why focusing solely on contracts can miss client needs, and how flexible, value-driven consulting builds stronger relationships and delivers …

Explores why organisational responsiveness and real-time decision-making are crucial for staying competitive, highlighting the risks of outdated …

Explains how to actively manage Kanban workflows by monitoring work in progress, resolving bottlenecks, and optimising flow for greater efficiency and …

Explores how relying on story points and velocity can harm Agile teams, advocating for objective metrics like cycle time and throughput to boost …

Explains the benefits of Visual Studio ALM over alternatives like Git and Jenkins, detailing its comprehensive features for managing the entire …

Step-by-step guide to migrating source code from Perforce to Git on VSO, covering repository setup, dependency management, build processes, and key …

Explores the challenges and benefits of self-organising teams, highlighting key factors like team accountability, identity, size, and consistency for …

Explores how virtual labs help development and operations teams manage, test, and automate complex modern application environments using …

Explains why preserving complete historical data and accurate dates is often incompatible with data migration, especially for compliance and …

Explains why adopting Scrum is challenging and disruptive, highlighting the need for training, mentoring, and dedication for successful organisational …

Tagging build servers in TFS helps manage dependencies, assign builds to suitable agents, and streamline workflows across teams and regions for …

Learn how to improve Kanban workflows by identifying blockages, reducing waiting times, and making continuous changes to boost efficiency and value …

Explores how unchecked pride can harm Agile teams, stressing data-driven decisions, learning from failure, and balancing confidence with humility for …

Explains how resource efficiency focuses on maximising individual output, while flow efficiency optimises the entire workflow for better value …

Explains how to resolve TFS build errors caused by missing write permissions for the Project Collection Build Service on orchestration plans, …

Explains how mismatched component versions in licences.licx files can cause build errors on TFS servers, and offers solutions for consistent automated …

Explains how to configure multiple Dynamics AX instances to sync with a single TFS 2010 Team Project, streamlining source control and work item …

Explores why burndown charts can limit Agile teams, highlighting the drawbacks of fixed planning and advocating for adaptability, empirical work, and …

Explains the assessment phase in consulting, highlighting continuous learning, agile adaptation, and the value of hands-on engagement over rigid …

Explains how to build a TFS Integration Platform Work Item Tracking (WIT) adapter for a source system without history, covering versioning, field …

Discover how Russell’s extensive product development experience and practical teaching approach make his PSPO course ideal for mastering Product …

Immersion programmes extend learning beyond the classroom, combining real-world practice, retrospectives, and expert guidance for deeper, more …

Explains how to reserve a build agent in Team Foundation Server 2012 using custom activities, agent tagging, and workflow changes to ensure reliable, …

Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS 2010 to TFS 2012, migrating VSS data, consolidating process templates, and resolving common issues during team …

Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS 2008 and WSS v3.0 with SfTSv2 to TFS 2010 and SharePoint 2010, including process template migration and data …

Explores the full responsibilities of a Product Owner in Agile, highlighting strategic decision-making, value maximisation, and the importance of …

Explains how Kanban visualises workflows, tracks metrics, and supports continuous improvement, helping teams identify bottlenecks and enhance …

Explains how evidence-based management uses data-driven decisions and tailored metrics to boost business value, leadership effectiveness, and …

Learn how to address concerns about incomplete data transfers during cloud migration, with practical steps for planning, risk mitigation, and using …

Explores why Scrum shifted from "commitment" to "forecasting" work delivery, highlighting the risks of overpromising and the benefits of transparency …

Explores common pitfalls in early Scrum adoption, highlighting why full team involvement in sprint planning is crucial and lessons learned from a …

Explains Product Discovery in product development, its role in setting strategy, uncovering opportunities, and aligning teams to build valuable, …

Training people worldwide reveals that organisations face similar challenges when adopting agile and scrum, highlighting the universal nature of …

Explains when to use Areas versus Team Projects in TFS 2010, comparing benefits, drawbacks, and best practices for managing multiple projects and …

Learn key strategies and expert advice for migrating to Azure DevOps, including handling database complexities, validation, and when to seek external …

Learn about Azure DevOps migration, including common scenarios, challenges, solutions, and best practices for planning, testing, and ensuring a smooth …

Explores why replacing "User Stories" with "Product Backlog Items" improves clarity, flexibility, and transparency in product backlog management and …