Don’t serve markets that barely exist

A key decision of any business is what you should do and more importantly what you should not do. If you don’t consider both of these questions from time to time, you’ll wind up taking on any business that comes through the door. This leads to a cycle of making ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck. And it all happens…

Why not plan to operate dramatically under capacity?

If you’ve been responsible for running a company then you’ll be aware that it is impossible to keep everyone 100% productive, as in working productively every hour of every day. It’s just not wise to try. Most people would suggest you should also plan to leave some percentage of your “capacity” unallocated or free for the unknown. To run at…

Why Agile isn’t the answer.

For years I was a proponent of Agile techniques. Of course I say that knowing that the word Agile is about as ambiguous as the word God. The one thread of consistency in how Agile works out in practice is the reason why it’s not the answer to managing software development. In the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto, there’s…

You’re wrong

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when we have a sense that perhaps we’re wrong. Perhaps our position isn’t sound. Perhaps our opinion doesn’t add up. Something we believe to be true has received a legitimate challenge. But, when you have this sinking feeling, it is often for a reason. When you feel there’s something “wrong” what…