Tag: business

Book: Henrik Kniberg “Scrum and XP from the Trenches”

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Not long ago, on the last day of 2020, I wrote a review of the book Kanban and Scrum — Making the Most of Both, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in implementing Agile methodologies. However, this book was not the first by the author, Henrik Kniberg. His first book, published in 2007, also drew on his personal experience with agile methodologies and was titled Scrum and XP from the Trenches. Kniberg himself admits that he wrote this relatively short book over a single weekend, when he felt a strong urge to share his experiences with others.

This time, I won’t delve into the specifics of agile methodologies or why I’m singling out Kniberg’s books in particular, as I covered that in my previous review. Instead, I’ll briefly describe the book itself.

It’s also a very concise account of how he and his teams implemented various practices from Scrum and Extreme Programming in their work, with concrete examples and specific descriptions of the pros and cons. He’s not afraid to admit mistakes and point out what can go wrong. This is quite normal for agile methodologies, where much is governed by the motto “experiment and see what works best for your specific team.” The key is to frequently evaluate what’s been done (unlike older methodologies, where you might work for a year only to realize that you’ve been doing it wrong all along).

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Book: Henrik Kniberg & Mattias Skarin “Kanban and Scrum — Making the Most of Both”

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Since the beginning of the 21st century, the software development industry has undergone a tremendous number of changes. Nowadays, if you aren’t familiar with Agile methodologies and words like Kanban and Scrum leave you puzzled, chances are you might hear, “Out of the profession!”

Many people now see Agile methodologies as some kind of panacea for all problems. It’s like, “Back in the day, everyone worked with Waterfall, so things were slow, expensive, and unpredictable.” And if you suddenly switch to modern agile methodologies, happiness will immediately follow. But there is no cure-all, and any methodology requires proper application. In my experience, I haven’t seen a single company that fully applies all aspects of agile methodologies, and that’s generally fine. Agile is more about approaches and practices that each team should try, experiment with, and find what works best for them. Of course, there are certain principles that need to be followed.

I also know several companies (fairly large ones) that became disillusioned with Agile after trying the wrong approach or implementing it incorrectly. Personally, I’m not an avid fan of every methodology, but I’ve worked extensively with Agile, tried different approaches with teams, and continuously read about implementation practices—regardless of the old saying, it’s better to learn from others’ experience.

And I must say, there aren’t that many good books on the subject. Many authors provide rather superficial descriptions of techniques, while some are more focused on selling themselves as trainers than on helping companies understand what to do and how to do it. I can say that even some official certifications from the Agile community provide very superficial knowledge, and people then flaunt an official certificate without any real experience or, at times, even a basic understanding of how to work with the methodology.

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Book: Susan Cain “Quiet”

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I remember, during my childhood, there was a period when I became very interested in various tests, even collecting them in a separate notebook. It all started with Eysenck’s temperament test, where people were categorized as choleric, sanguine, melancholic, or phlegmatic. But Eysenck had another test, which, by the way, overlapped significantly with his temperament test—the introversion-extroversion test.

Who are introverts and extroverts? There are actually a huge number of scientific interpretations, and they sometimes differ in the details. But I’ll try to explain in simple terms.

Introverts are generally rather reserved people; they tend to focus on their inner world. They are usually not very sociable, feel uncomfortable in public or in large groups, and would prefer an evening with a book to a party.

Extroverts are the opposite of introverts 😉 They enjoy being in the spotlight, often becoming the life of the party, have a large number of friends and acquaintances, and are very sociable.

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Book: Guy Kawasaki “Art of the Start 2.0”

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Guy Kawasaki is described as “the boldest venture capitalist in Silicon Valley,” according to the cover of the Russian edition of his book The Art of the Start. In the original English version, however, no one characterizes him this way, nor did he include his own name in the book’s title—that was the work of the Russian publishers (in the Russian version, the book is titled Startup by Kawasaki.)

I can’t speak to his boldness, but Guy Kawasaki is best known for promoting the Macintosh brand at Apple in the 1980s, and he is credited with creating both the strategy and even the term “evangelism” (when a product gains passionate fans who promote and advertise it on your behalf—”evangelists”).

The book is often recommended as an excellent guide for those wanting to start their own business and for those seeking investors for such ventures. The book’s subtitle positions it as a collection of time-tested methods for launching any business.

Yes, the book consists of a series of relatively short chapters covering everything that might be needed to start a new business: from preparing a pitch and finding investors to hiring employees and working with customers.

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Josh Kaufman “The Personal MBA”

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A friend of mine recently decided to enroll in an MBA program. I was curious as to why. From my experience, I’ve noticed that while MBA holders often have solid foundational knowledge, they frequently lose out to those who have acquired these skills independently, especially through hands-on experience.

So, I checked out the course content and its requirements. It states that a certificate of English proficiency is absolutely essential. The thing is, in all my life, I’ve never bothered to get any such certificate. Yes, my English is far from perfect, I know. I work on it continuously, but I never got around to obtaining a certificate. Nonetheless, I work at a large international company and communicate with colleagues and partners in English daily, both verbally and in writing.

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Simon Sinek “Leaders Eat Last”

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The book Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek initially caught my attention because of its title. It immediately sparks different images in your mind, and you start imagining what the author meant by such a title… so it was worth reading to find out.

I read it almost in one go and took more notes than with any other book I’ve read. However, I struggled for a long time to decide what rating to give the book, as well as what I really liked and what still needs further thought. That’s why I’m writing this review three weeks after finishing the book.

The book is about what it means to be a leader and what the right company culture should look like.

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Richard Rumelt “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy”

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Some books come into your life at just the right time. I first noticed Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy, Bad Strategy a few years ago and bought it immediately. I didn’t get around to reading it right away, but once I started, it suddenly became very popular among my colleagues, which gave me the chance to discuss various points with them.

A year passed, my thoughts settled, and I realized that the book was so good that it deserved a more thoughtful re-read. So that’s what I did this time.

So what is this book about, and why did I read it twice in roughly a year and a half?

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Dawn-Michelle Baude “The Executive Guide to E-mail Correspondence”

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The book provides very valuable advice on writing business letters in general, not just in English. It thoroughly covers aspects such as the structure of a letter, the order in which information is presented, key points of emphasis, and more. English adds its own nuances, which the author addresses separately (as the book focuses specifically on correspondence in English).

The content is divided into thematic chapters with examples, and each is broken down almost paragraph by paragraph. I initially started reading the e-book version but soon realized that this is the kind of book you need to have as a reference on your desk. This way, you can refer to it when necessary and compose a letter with recommendations tailored to a specific situation or topic. It serves as a kind of cheat sheet.

I recommend it to anyone whose job involves a lot of business correspondence. It’s definitely worth getting the paper version and keeping it handy on your desk.

My rating: 5/5

Igor Mann, Renat Shagabutdinov “A Business Hack for Every Day”

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The book is interesting because it brings together a variety of small, useful tips from different areas of everyday work that are relevant to almost anyone. Nearly all of the content can be found independently by reading books or watching video tutorials. However, the value lies in the concise presentation: everything is collected in one place and in a single book.

The material is conveniently divided into sections, and some may be less interesting to the reader if they don’t pertain to their field (for example, tips on marketing or big data, which are quite specific). Others are more universally applicable. If something piques your interest, the authors generously provide resources where you can learn more.

I didn’t find any groundbreaking revelations for myself, but some of the tips helped me look at tricks I already use from a different perspective, showing how they could be improved.

The book is easy and quick to read, so I can recommend it. No one is saying you have to do things exactly as suggested, but if you find something useful, the benefit will be undeniable.

Book: Howard Behar “It’s Not About the Coffee: Lessons on Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks”

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The book doesn’t so much explain Starbucks’ corporate culture as it repeatedly emphasizes just a couple of fundamental principles of Starbucks. The author hardly delves into how this culture is built or instilled in employees (referred to as partners in the company’s culture).

Additionally, the book doesn’t feel like a cohesive work. The chapters are barely connected, and at times, they essentially repeat the same ideas but with slightly different wording.

I would say it feels more like the author’s personal journal, where he meticulously records his thoughts, often referencing other authors he constantly cites. If you approach the book from that perspective—as the thoughts of a Starbucks top executive—then it does contain interesting insights into building one’s work and relationships with employees and customers.