lazy agile developers

..said my colleague. "How so?" I enquired.

"Well!" he said, "when we do planning, I notice that one or two of the guys are always happy to suggest we only ever attempt to match our previous velocity, they never try to improve. If anyone suggests we aim for more points than we achieved before, they are quick to shoot them down. If that's not laziness, I don't know what is?"

"OK" I replied, "if we set aside the issues of point inflation and the like for the moment, I still don't see how Agile has made anyone lazy? If it's true that these individuals are, indeed, lazy, then what Agile has done is simply made this visible. I would guess that they were always lazy, it's just that nobody really knew before because work and the effort required to complete it were hidden. It's only now that we've introduced transparent methods that these issues have become apparent."

That is if, and only if, they really are lazy. My guess is that they are fully aware of the nature of velocity and the problems of story point inflation.

The reality is that Agile doesn't make you lazy but it does highlight the fact if you are.

Some ChatGPT Prompts

My inbox has turned into an AI listicle hotspot lately. It seems that AI tools, in particular ChatGPT, can solve just about any problem you can think of and many that you probably didn't even know existed. I thought if you can't beat them, you might as well join them, so I've used ChatGPT (of course) to produce some prompts of my own below. I've done most of the hard work by producing the prompts. I'm expecting others to use them to actually solve the problems and apply the the real world solutions. Please do let me know how you get on. The prompts - simply copy and paste them into ChatGPT (other AI systems are available): Prompt: "Generate a Single Line of Code to Decipher Dark Matter's Cryptic Language" Prompt: "Explain Quantum Entanglement in a way that a lay-person would understand" Prompt: "Develop an AI Interpreter in Python for Decoding Alien Communications" Prompt: "Provide a simulation of Black Hole Fusion" Pro...

Embracing AI - Augmented Intelligence

There is no denying that artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides over recent years, becoming more advanced and capable than ever before. With this progress, many have begun to wonder whether AI poses a threat to humanity, particularly our jobs, privacy, security, and overall well-being. Some may argue that the rapid advancement of AI could lead to a dystopian world where machines rule supreme and humans become obsolete. However, it is important to remember that at its core, AI exists to serve us, not replace us. Instead of viewing AI as competition for human intelligence, we should consider it as an augmentation of our abilities. This idea of 'Augmented Intelligence,' instead of Artificial Intelligence, highlights how powerful technology can enhance rather than impede human potential. Augmented Intelligence recognizes that humans and machines each possess their unique strengths, making them better together than apart. Humans excel in creativity, intuition, ...

Embracing the Promise of AI: Overcoming Fears and Musk's Paradox

In the face of groundbreaking technologies like AI, initial fears and uncertainties are not uncommon. However, history has shown that society often transitions from apprehension to wholehearted acceptance as the true potential of a technology unfolds. When motor vehicles emerged in the late 19th century, society grappled with fear and uncertainty. Laws mandating a person carrying a red flag to precede each vehicle reflected public anxiety and attempts to mitigate potential accidents. Similarly, society's current apprehension towards AI stems from fear of the unknown and its potential disruptive consequences. However, history shows that initial fears are often unfounded and subside with increased familiarity and understanding of new technologies. AI's capability to process vast amounts of data and identify complex patterns presents unprecedented opportunities for decision-making and efficiency. Organizations can unlock insights, make data-driven decisions, and optimize proces...

David Putman

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