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Next: Scrum?

I'm not sure exactly how people are finding Risk-First on the internet. Seems like I get a lot of traffic referred from Github. For some reason, even fairly specific searches don't make much of an impact in Google.

But nevertheless, I'm still seeing a fair bit of traffic over the last couple of weeks, and despite the content being free, people are buying the book.

It's got me thinking about what I want to do next on this project. A quick recap:

  • Thinking Risk-First was explaining how Software Development is really an exercise in risk management. Although that sounds a bit dull (maybe complex even), I try to explain it really simply.

  • The Risk Catalog looks at the types of risks we face in Software Development. I spend a while breaking down the different types.

So next, we should look at the different techniques/practices/actions we use, and explain the qualities of them. Generally, all activity boils down into something like this:

Taking Action

Finally, we need a track on software methodologies (e.g. DevOps, XP, etc) as collections of techniques. (Some people don't like this use of the word "methodology". I can see why, but, it's the most commonly used term for this type of thing).

Put together it looks like:

Basic Model of Software Risks and Practices

I think I'm probably going to start tackling these two parts (3&4) simultaneously. I'm going to write an article on Scrum first, looking at some of the key practices it espouses such as:

  • Timeboxing
  • Backlogs / Backlog Grooming
  • Daily Standup
  • Burndown Chart
  • Estimates - Point/Relative
  • Planning Poker

There are overlaps with other things... XP or Lean for example, but I think I've got to start somewhere.

In the future, I'd like to cover DevOps, Prince2, SAFe and so on. I think I may have people who can help me with a couple of these, as I'm not expert on everything.

Let me know what you think - especially if you have any good war stories or points to make on the areas above.