May 9Why should we use our intelligence deliberately?I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what I had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. — Walden We are gifted with…Intellegence2 min read
Apr 8Avoid output-based Agile metrics and embrace outcome-based ones.We have seen many productivity metrics used in the Agile world. To begin with, Velocity, Escaped defects, Burndown charts, Defect ratio, etc. These are all output-based metrics, and it is not connected to any outcome. Above all output-based metrics can be easily manipulated and inflated. It is better to use…Agile2 min read
Mar 27Why writing things down is a therapy“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” — Anne Frank Have you ever been in a situation where you go through physical and mental turmoil? Just take a pen and paper or type in your thoughts. After 10 minutes of pouring out…Writing2 min read
Mar 20Why we shouldn't use these productivity metrics for project executionRecently, we have seen a proliferation of productivity metrics to manage agile projects. Many of these productivity metrics are output-based and not outcome-based indicators Let's take a look at a couple of them. Velocity: Velocity measures story point completion per sprint in the agile world. It is commonly used to…Agile2 min read
Mar 8Why is it tough to put down your mobile?Today's technology is very addictive. It is not that this addictiveness is unique to our time. It was there even before the mobile came into existence. They're cinemas, radio, games, and other social interactions. …Neuroscience2 min read
Mar 2One main factor to watch out during Product development.Watch out for Product features handed over to you There are many ways Product feature lists are handed over to the product team to develop. These features come from various stakeholders. Many a time, you will be given a feature from top-down to get developed. Stakeholders who cry the loudest…Product Management2 min read
Feb 28What are we getting wrong when we are having a discussion?Have you experienced a well-laid argument based on rational and logical reasoning being vetoed? Have you seen people argue persuasively without any logic or coherence? If we are rational animals, logical reasoning should have won the argument. Unfortunately, it is not the case. We think our brain makes decisions like…Discussion3 min read
Feb 22Pitfalls of working remotelyCovid has done the inevitable, and working remotely has become a norm. Working remotely helped employees reduce the daily commute to work, better quality time with family, and above all, saving financially. Remote working is long in the making. …Remote Working2 min read
Feb 20Why honing an efficient mental model is essential?Our brain is a factory for creating mental models. It builds and stores these models, frequently validating to perfect them. These mental models evolved to extract the essence of everyday objects we encounter in the world. If our brain sees a person, it is not essential that it need to…Neuroscience2 min read
Jan 3Productivity hacksAlways keep your mail Inbox empty. Ensure that unwanted or cc’ed emails that are not directly addressed to you are archived. For all other emails that need your attention, use “Schedule” or “Snooze” features to deliver the emails at an appropriate time of your choosing. Keep your desktop clean. A…Productivity2 min read