Food for Agile Thought #380: How ChatGPT Works, Classic Product Manager Mistakes, Why Agile Does Not Work for You

Welcome to the 380th edition of the ‘Food for Agile Thought’ newsletter, shared with 36,747 peers. My name is Stefan Wolpers.

This week, we learn how ChatGPT works; Stephen Wolfram wrote an epic article essential for everyone working in the knowledge space. Moreover, we introduce a new category — 🍋 The Lemon of the Week — for pieces that get everything wrong. It would be best if you were strong for the first example; someone built a stack-ranking system for Developers based on velocity. Back to the real world: We share a simple revelation, explaining it all: ‘We cannot know the value of our work until it’s done and in use.’ (Of course, everyone wants us to predict what value will be created in advance precisely; you notice the contradiction.) Also, we push back against the consensus and delve into the possibilities to overcome the ‘various hurdles keeping us from doing our best work.’

Then, we compile a comprehensive list of behavioral anti-patterns for newbies and seasoned product practitioners alike, from building your work on assumptions to falling in love with your solution. Roman Pichler addresses how to best utilize Scrum’s potential to deliver valuable Increments as a product mensch, from including product discovery to aligning stakeholders, and we put ‘forward an alternative mental model for product development: think about building a garden, not a factory.’

Finally, the Scrum Master Salary Report 2023 is out; see below. Additionally, Teresa Torres shares the result of the first Continuous Discovery Habits survey. On the tool side, we found a simple yet helpful tool identifying the key features of your product and an introductory guide on supporting your CoP to mature, from guiding principles to meeting formats.

PS: 🗞 Did you miss past issues? No worries, here we go: 378, 379.

PPS: 🎓 📅 See all upcoming events and classes here.

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🏆 Tip of the Week

Stephen Wolfram shares an epic introduction to how and why large language models work—a must-read for everyone in the knowledge workspace: "What Is ChatGPT Doing … and Why Does It Work?"

🍋 The Lemon of the Week

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” That is Goodhart’s law. Nevertheless, Kevin Borders and his co-founder built a tool that allows for stack-ranking developers based on their velocity—the easiest team metric to manipulate—per Sprint: "What is Velocity Debt?"

➿ Agile & Scrum

• Industrial Logic: Jon Fazzaro shares a simple revelation, explaining it all: ‘We cannot know the value of our work until it’s done and in use:’ "Here's why ‘Agile’ isn’t working for you."

• 🎙 Harvard Business Review: In this podcast, Todd Kashdan, a psychology professor at George Mason University, pushes back against the consensus: "The Subtle Art of Disagreeing with Your Boss."

• 🎙 Farnam Street: In this podcast, Shane Parrish and Aaron Dignan delve into the possibilities to overcome the ‘various hurdles keeping us from doing our best work:’ "Change The Way You Work #158."

🎓 🖥 🇬🇧 Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills Class — March 23, 2023

The Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills (PSFS) training by Berlin Product People is a one-day official Scrum.org class for advanced Scrum practitioners and agile coaches, including the industry-acknowledged PSFS certification. This PSFS training class is in English.

Enjoy the benefits of a live-virtual immersive class with like-minded agile peers from 09:00 – 17:30 o’clock CET.

👉 New in 2023: Refresher Classes: Attend a free refresher class as a former student upon arrangement and availability.

Learn More: 🖥 🇬🇧 Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills Class — March 23, 2023.

👉 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

• Medium: John McDonald compiled a comprehensive list of behavioral anti-patterns for newbies and seasoned practitioners alike, from building your work on assumptions to falling in love with your solution: "The Ten Mistakes New Product Managers Make."
  
  

• Roman Pichler addresses how to best utilize Scrum’s potential to deliver valuable Increments as a product mensch, from including product discovery to aligning stakeholders: "Succeeding with Product Delivery and Scrum: 10 Tips for Product People."

• Mind The Product: Assaph Mehr ‘puts forward an alternative mental model for product development: think about building a garden, not a factory:’ "Product development: or how to turn factories into gardens."

🛠 Concepts, Tools & Measuring

• 📈 Teresa Torres shares the result of the first Continuous Discovery Habits survey: "Insights from the CDH Benchmark Survey: Measuring Product and Team Performance."

• Petra Wille created a introductory guide on supporting your CoP to mature, from guiding principles to meeting formats: "Rituals for Product Communities of Practice: A Round-up of Ideas & Inspiration."

• Nick Babich created a simple yet helpful tool identifying the key features of your product: "Features Audit Template."
  
  

🎶 Encore

There are no articles this week in this category. However, please check out the new 🍋 category.

📅 Training Classes, Meetups & Events

Upcoming classes and events:

• 🖥 💯 🇩🇪 Feb 28-Mar 3 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German)
• 🖥 🇩🇪 Mar 20-21 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Agile Leadership Essentials Class (PAL I; German)
• 🖥 🇬🇧 Mar 23 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills Class (PSFS; English)
• 🖥 🇬🇧 Mar 28-29 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM II; English)
• 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 Apr 5 — Live Virtual Meetup: Hands-on Agile 50: The Product Community of Practice w/ Petra Wille (English)
• 🖥 🇩🇪 Apr 18-21 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM II; German)
• 🖥 🇩🇪 Apr 25-28 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German)
• 🖥 💯 🇬🇧 May 11 — Live Virtual Meetup: Hands-on Agile EXTRA: Joe Justice on Elon Musk (English)

See all upcoming classes here.

📺 Youtube Channel

• Itamar Gilad: How much Product Discovery Is enough? The Confidence Meter — HoA #47.

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Best,