Achieving Better Outcomes Through Reorganization: A Conversation with Elisabeth Hendrickson

ON THIS EPISODEIn Episode 3, Gene Kim is joined by Elisabeth Hendrickson, a longtime colleague and inspiration behind The DevOps Handbook and, more recently, The Unicorn Project. Her stories from the trenches shaped the way Gene sees the world of DevOps. From Dev test ratios to the importance of architecture and the need for leaders to decompose systems well, Elisabeth has been a huge inspiration to the entire DevOps community. Together they explore her years as VP R&D for Pivotal Software, Inc. and talk about software development and how to think more efficiently when you develop a structure to build software. Nothing is off the table in this new episode, from Elisabeth’s mental model of balance, structure, and flow to her view of how organizations work. Listen as Gene and Elisabeth dive deep into stories from her WordCount Simulation to her personal experience with MIT’s Beer Game and much more.ABOUT THE GUESTSElisabeth Hendrickson is a leader in software engineering. She most recently served as VP R&D for Pivotal Software, Inc. A lifelong learner, she has spent time in every facet of software development, from project management to design for companies ranging from small start-ups to multinational software vendors. She has helped organizations build software in a more efficient way and pioneered a new way to think about achieving quality outcomes and how that hinges on fast and effective feedback loops. Her book, Explore It!: Reduce Risk and Increase Confidence with Exploratory Testing, was released in 2013 and is explores technical excellence and mastery, and creating effective feedback loops for everyone. She spoke at the DevOps Enterprise Summit in 2014, 2015, and 2018, and received the Gordon Pask Award from the Agile Alliance in 2010.Visit Elisabeth’s websiteTwitterLinkedIn YOU’LL LEARN ABOUTHow to build software in a more efficient wayElisabeth’s mental model of balance, structure and flowHow Conway’s law applies to Elisabeth’s modelElisabeth’s WordCount Simulation  RESOURCESRadical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim ScottThe four quadrants of Radical CandorRuinous EmpathyManipulative InsincerityObnoxious AggressionRadical CandorDangerous Company: The Consulting Powerhouses and the Businesses They Save and Ruin by James O’SheaExplore It!: Reduce Risk and Increase Confidence with Exploratory Testing by Elisabeth HendricksonBetter Testing, Worse Quality? by Elisabeth Hendrickson Managing Proportions of Testing to (Other) Developers by Dr. Cern Kaner, Elisabeth Hendrickson, and Jennifer Smith-BrokWhen NASA Lost a Spacecraft Due to a Metric Math Mistake by Ajay HarishLockheed: New Carrier Hook for F-35 by Dave MajumdarConway's lawDecoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System by Steven Spear and H. Kent BowenThe WordCount Simulation by Elisabeth Hendrickson"The Beer Game" by Prof. John D. Sterman

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In The Idealcast, multiple award-winning CTO, researcher and bestselling author Gene Kim hosts technology and business leaders to explore the dangerous, shifting digital landscape. Listeners will hear insights and gain solutions to help their enterprises thrive in an evolving business world.