Weeknotes

Weeknote 603: Fake coffee

This week I have learned: I've been obsessing about metaphors about teams like flight crews, film crews and international football teams. I've then also extended the metaphor to talk about roles mismatching, tribalism and the psychology of the narcissism of small differences, topped with the mention of a small tea shop in the Cotswolds. Ultimately … Continue reading Weeknote 603: Fake coffee

General

The Tech Team Value Prop – services offered

So far in this short series, I have looked at identifying who a modern technology team might be providing services to, the jobs those people might be doing, the gains they can receive if they are successful, and the pains that they might experience if they fail, or that get in the way of them … Continue reading The Tech Team Value Prop – services offered

Management, Marketing

The sales sieve

Occasionally there are conversations I have that stick in my mind for years and years. One of those such conversations was when I met up for lunch with a former-BBC and Microsoft colleague Mark a few years ago. "It's not a sales funnel," said Mark. "It's a sales sieve." Mark explained that whilst sales teams … Continue reading The sales sieve

PlayCards

PlayCards – the journey to product Ep. 2

As you will be coming to realise, these updates aren’t a sophisticated exercise in Content Marketing, but rather they are my Working Out Loud as I trace the steps to releasing the product next year. Working Out Loud is one of the 13 Play Skills that are explored in the cards, and it’s been an increasingly important … Continue reading PlayCards – the journey to product Ep. 2

Weeknotes

Weeknote 602: fountains

This week I have learned: it wasn't really until the coffin switched to the hearse that it started to mean something to me. Then I could relate. To the death of my Grandad, of my Gran, of my aunt. the pent-up tsunami of politics that was coming after the events of Monday was both expected … Continue reading Weeknote 602: fountains

Management, Technology

The Tech Team Value Prop – jobs to be done

In the last article, I explored the idea of the diverse groups of people who are the consumers of the services that are provided by an internal technology group, whether an IT or Digital team (or any of the many variants in between. This time around I’ll start to explore a few of those different … Continue reading The Tech Team Value Prop – jobs to be done

Weeknotes

Weeknote 601: gathering

This week I have learned: the importance of nomenclature. Look, what you call things really matters. Particularly if you call different things by the same term, or use terms that mean something different to different people. whilst techniques in technology projects might be transferable across contexts, sometimes you need people with domain expertise. That might … Continue reading Weeknote 601: gathering

General

Hybrid relationships

Most business-to-business businesses are relationship businesses. They are driven by the relationships that exist within and outside. On trust built between people and on the way in which they interact with one another. Whilst procurement processes might deliver a level of objectiveness to the process of establishing new business contracts, who bids and who is … Continue reading Hybrid relationships

Management, Technology

The Tech Team Value Prop – Customers

I've had a few months now out of running an in-house technology team to be able to start to reflect on the experience. One thing that is particularly notable, and this is true of technology teams and many other professions too is the prevalence of the proverb of Physician, heal thyself. Put simply, too often … Continue reading The Tech Team Value Prop – Customers

Weeknotes

Weeknote 600: Six Hundred

Well. Here we are then.The sixth century of weeknotes. Nearly 12 years' worth. That's a lot of weeknotes. The format has changed a bit since I started. They have on occasion become short and cryptic. In recent times they've become a bit more verbose. It's a way to shut down for the weekend. It's a … Continue reading Weeknote 600: Six Hundred