Uses and Abuses of JiraI’ve been using Atlassian Jira for more than 20 years already at this point, and I have seen a fair share of patterns and antipatterns (that’s Japanese for “fuckups”) and, being the new rambling old man, I feel entitled to spread my dystopian views on the pages of this publication you’re reading right now.
The Various Styles of Standup MeetingsThe most visible star of the Agile galaxy is, without any doubt, the famous, the dreaded, the hyped, the all mighty standup meeting. During the early ages of Agile, from 2005 to 2010, every company I have worked at interpreted the meaning and purpose of the words “standup meeting” according to their own experience, culture, and most importantly, their hierarchy.
Saving a Failing ProjectIn 2006 I had the opportunity to work as a “project leader” into a small failing project. Three developers were working in an ad hoc basis, creating a software application for an important client (a government office in Lausanne), without any kind of detailed formal specification, without any kind of design documentation, and with strong pressure from the management to release the application, even if not in an usable state. Needless to say, the project was also beyond budget.