Roam

roam

Welcome to the Startups of the Year Runner ups Interview Series. Congratulations for being one of the top 3000 startups worldwide! The HackerNoon team is thrilled to know more about you! share the link to your city here [example: ] https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-london-england-uk Tell us how your startup is changing the world. Roam Telecoms is revolutionizing the world by addressing the universal need for connectivity through sustainable innovation. Our range of Solar and water-powered products, including phones, laptops, and tablets, harness the natural environment to provide reliable power solutions. Our commitment to sustainability and groundbreaking achievements have earned recognition from awarding bodies, validating our impact. As we continue to innovate and expand our offerings, we remain dedicated to transforming the way people connect and interact with technology, paving the way for a more sustainable future. What sets you apart from the competition? What sets us apart from the competition is our unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation. We pride ourselves on being 100% carbon neutral, with a focus on bringing manufacturing back to the UK in a sustainable manner. Our pioneering achievement includes the development of a fully functional solar-powered phone designed to operate in all climates, making us a trailblazer in the industry. By prioritizing sustainability and pushing the boundaries of innovation, we stand out as leaders in our field, dedicated to making a positive impact on both the environment and the market. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? What I love about our team is our unwavering support for each other and our shared vision of creating a product that has a widespread impact. We foster an environment where no idea is dismissed, and instead, we collaborate to refine concepts into tangible solutions. Our ability to cheer each other on and work together towards a common goal is truly inspiring. We believe we are the ones to solve this problem because of our collective dedication to our shared vision and our commitment to bringing innovative ideas to life in a market where everyone can benefit. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? If I weren't building my startup, I would likely be working with an NGO or a fund focusing on democratizing access to technology. My passion lies in ensuring that technology is affordable and universally accessible, serving as a foundational tool for empowerment and education. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be connected and access information to enhance their lives and surroundings. Working towards this goal aligns with my values and aspirations to make a positive impact on a global scale without the hindrance of worrying about the cost of electricity when solar is in abundance. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your core metrics? Currently, we gauge success through a unique lens that prioritizes learning from failures and assessing the impact of our product. While traditional metrics certainly have their place, we place particular emphasis on understanding and addressing areas where we may have fallen short. Additionally, we closely monitor the feedback and experiences of our clients and field testers to evaluate the tangible outcomes and effectiveness of our product. By adopting this holistic approach to measuring success, we ensure that our focus remains on continuous improvement and delivering meaningful value to our stakeholders. What goals are you looking forward to accomplishing in 2024? In 2024, I'm eagerly anticipating the accomplishment of several key goals. One major objective is the development and launch of RoamGo, a groundbreaking 3D-printed smartphone. This innovative product represents a significant milestone for our company and has the potential to revolutionize the telecommunications industry with its unique design and features. Additionally, I'm excited about the possibility of acquiring or partnering with a satellite-based company to offer RoamGo to underserved communities. By leveraging satellite technology, we aim to extend access to reliable communication services to remote areas that have traditionally been overlooked. Achieving these goals not only demonstrates our commitment to innovation and social impact but also positions us as leaders in the advancement of accessible technology solutions. Which trend(s) are you most excited about in 2024? Share your reasons. One trend that I'm particularly excited about in 2024 is the focus on e-waste prevention and the utilization of recycling components to foster a more circular economy approach. This shift towards sustainability not only aligns with environmental conservation efforts but also presents innovative opportunities to minimize electronic waste and promote resource efficiency. Additionally, I'm eager to witness the mass adoption of 3D printers for on-demand printing, such as 3D printing PCB boards. This technology has the potential to revolutionize manufacturing processes by enabling rapid prototyping, customization, and reduced lead times. Embracing these trends signifies a positive step towards a more sustainable and technologically advanced future, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. 2023 had been another crazy year, especially in tech, with layoffs and the Generative AI takeover! Which trend are you most concerned about? Be as brief or as detailed as you like. The trend that concerns me the most, especially in the tech industry, is the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of Generative AI. While Generative AI holds immense potential for innovation and automation, it also poses significant ethical challenges. One of the primary concerns is the potential for misuse and abuse, as individuals with malicious intent can leverage this technology to create convincing yet entirely fabricated content, including deepfakes and misinformation. This proliferation of fake content can undermine trust in information sources and have far-reaching consequences for society, from misleading the public to manipulating public opinion and exacerbating social divisions. As such, it's crucial for policymakers, technologists, and society as a whole to grapple with the ethical implications of Generative AI and work towards implementing safeguards and regulations to mitigate its misuse while harnessing its benefits responsibly. Share your biggest success so far and/or your biggest failure so far. My biggest success to date has been the launch of Roam Telecoms in 2017. This endeavor has been a transformative journey for me on multiple levels. Leading the company has not only expanded my professional capabilities but has also been a profound learning experience that has shaped me personally. From mastering the intricacies of people management to navigating the complexities of product development and client relations, every aspect of building Roam Telecoms has been a valuable lesson. Moreover, delving into manufacturing processes, conducting extensive R&D, and overcoming numerous challenges along the way have further enriched my skill set and broadened my perspective. The journey with Roam Telecoms has been nothing short of an adventure, filled with growth, resilience, and continuous learning. We would love your feedback on HackerNoon as a tech publication! How has your experience been with us? Great, so far! Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with us? Your worst days are actually your best days since you learn a lot from them. Otherwise sometimes I always like to say ‘success is failure in disguise’. Startups of The Year is HackerNoon’s Flagship community-driven event celebrating startups that survived and thrived in 2023. 30,000 startups across 4200+ cities and six continents participated this year to be crowned the best startup in their city. See our global winners announcement . here Companies that blog more get 67% more leads - Jumpstart your company’s blogging journey by purchasing our . Business Blogging Package The 2023 Startups Of The Year is sponsored by: . . The winners will get a free .Tech Domain, a HackerNoon NFT, and a Tech Company News Page. TECH Domains

Meet Roam Telecoms, Runner-up of the Startups of the Year in London, UK

“Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is the practice of capturing the ideas and insights we encounter in our daily life, whether from personal experience, from books and articles, or from our work, and cultivating them over time to produce more creative, higher quality work.” —Tiago Forte I’ve tried a lot of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) tools, but none of them stuck. They were either too rigid or too complicated for quickly capturing notes and the ideas running around in my head. My notes stayed separate; connections between ideas never got made. My desire to find a flexible system that worked quickly and promoted a cross-pollination of ideas lead me on a three-year journey to find a tool that worked like my brain. The past three years went something like this: Phase 1 I discovered a system similar to (but not as organized) using index cards and notebooks. I wrote down interesting ideas into a Moleskine notebook and copied my favorite quotes onto index cards. It was a good system for starting, but it was a massive time commitment that became harder to navigate as it grew. Luhmann’s Zettelkasten method Phase 2 I brought my note-taking system into the modern world using the popular digital note-taking tool, Evernote. I also started using to sync my Kindle highlights into Evernote automatically. Switching to a digital system saved me a lot of time while also making my notes and highlights more searchable and easy to share. Readwise Phase 3 I tried to make Evernote work, but for whatever reason, my brain didn’t like the forced structure that it imposed. Notebooks structured everything, and a note could only live in one notebook unless you made a duplicate. So I abandoned Evernote for a simpler solution Google Docs. — I liked Docs because it was less structured than Evernote and easy to use. But the more it grew, the more disorganized and difficult to navigate it became. I was still searching for a system that became more useful as it grew, not the other way around. Phase 4 Back in March, I saw a lot of talk on Twitter about a small startup called Roam Research looking to disrupt the productivity and note-taking space. Branded as “a note-taking tool for networked thought,” Roam was getting a lot of praise for being a note-taking “game-changer.” I signed up while they were still in beta, and after playing around with it for a few days, I started to see what the hype was all about. Fast forward five months, and I can confidently say that Roam has completely revolutionized how I consume, connect, and interact with information. Why Roam: Hierarchies vs. Networks So what made Roam stick? It took me a while to find an answer that made sense, but I eventually came to the conclusion that Roam takes an entirely different approach to how information gets organized. And when it comes to building out a PKM system, information can be organized in one of two ways: hierarchy or network. Let’s take a quick look at both approaches. A is a series of ordered groups within a system. It is inherently “top-down” in structure, with everything being controlled from a single, privileged position at the top (think CEO of a company). Hierarchies are effective for large-scale collaboration where organization is necessary for maintaining harmony between many moving parts (like the employees of a Fortune 500 company). hierarchy A has no orientation. Each individual, or “node” in a network, functions autonomously, forming relationships with other nodes. It is inherently “bottom-up,” in that structure emerges organically without direction from an authority figure. The self-organization nature of a network allows for new ideas and connections to spawn seemingly at random (similar to how our brains connect thoughts). network Roam is different from the other note-taking and productivity tools because of its belief in how information should be organized. While popular tools, like Evernote and Notion, adopted a hierarchical approach, Roam took the networked approach, evidenced by its three core features: “bottom-up” note-taking structure, bi-directional linking, and simple interface. “Bottom-Up” Note-Taking To understand what makes Roam truly unique, let’s look at how Evernote, Notion, and Roam are designed for organizing notes. Evernote organizes information through its use of stacks, notebooks, and notes. Your note lives in a notebook, which lives in a stack. If you want a note to live in more than one notebook, you have to make a copy of the said note. Evernote is like a digital filing cabinet that can quickly become overwhelming the more you add to it. In Notion, everything is a block whether its text, an image, or a table that can be infinitely nested. A note can live inside a note, can live inside a note, etc. While Notion does allow for blocks to live in multiple places at once, its use of templates for structuring information makes it more useful as a tool for collaboration rather than a tool for connecting ideas. — — With Roam, there is no information hierarchy, no stacking, and no linearity. Instead, Roam’s lack of structure allows you to organically create a giant knowledge web of ideas from the bottom-up. Each note lives simultaneously everywhere and nowhere as a node on your graphical overview. The more information you add to it, the more powerful it becomes as the connections grow stronger around your most important ideas. Bi-Directional Linking “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.” —Steve Jobs The most powerful feature of Roam is its use of bi-directional links. When you create a link to an existing topic, it will automatically create a link between the page you’re on and the page it’s going to. If you’re linking to a new topic, a new page will be created and connected to the page you’re linking from. Each page represents a node in your “network of thought.” Creating links between new and existing pages can be done two different ways. You can either create tags using a hashtag (#) or create a page reference using double brackets ([[ ]]). They both serve the same purpose, but there are stylistic differences between the two. I’d also like to note that if you use the hashtag for a link containing multiple words, you will have to encase the entire phrase in double brackets. Otherwise, it will only link the first word in the phrase. Not only does Roam show the references you’ve linked, but it also shows any relevant unlinked references. If you want to merge an unlinked references to the page you’re on, just click the “Link” button to the right of the reference block (or click “Link All” to merge everything). This feature will help you discover new relationships (and ideas) between seemingly unrelated information. Simple Interface “Good tools do not add features and more options to what we already have, but help to reduce distractions from the main work, which here is shrinking.” —Sonke Ahrens Roam differentiates itself from other note-taking tools because it’s simple: you start with a blank page headed by a single bullet point. The bullet point isn’t much by itself, but when used to create relationships between new and existing bullet points, it creates a powerful system for discovering ideas. There are multiple uses for the bullet point: It can nest inside other bullet points. It can combine with other bullet points. It can serve as it’s own page. It can link to other pages. If your PKM system were a living organism, then the bullet point would represent your organism’s fundamental building block-the atom. Everything builds on top of it, and while it is not particularly unique on its own, the connections you make between them is what makes your system truly unique. Roam strips away all of the unnecessary features so you can decide what structure you want to have while maintaining all of the core benefits of a note-taking tool. How to Use Roam for PKM Now that you have a general understanding of the functionality and features of Roam, it’s time to get to the good stuff: how to use Roam to turn your ideas and insights into workable knowledge. Specifically, I’ll share how I use Roam for building a digital by following the Smart Notes method (I recommend you also read my on to get the most out of the method). Zettelkasten book notes How to Take Smart Notes The Smart Notes method can roughly be broken down into three steps: capturing, connecting, and creating. Capture Capturing information can be done in one of two places: the Daily Note or by creating a dedicated page. I use each option for specific types of information, so let’s start by taking a look at the Daily Note. The gets used for capturing three types of information: free-form journaling, to-do lists, and general insights. Daily Note The Daily Note works perfectly for a daily journal since it’s tied to the date. I’ll typically spend 5–10 minutes in the morning just writing down whatever is on my mind using the first bullet point of the Daily Note. Free-form Journaling: I’ve also found the Daily Note useful for writing down what items need to get done that day. I’ll create a to-do list by turning a few bullet points into checkboxes by hitting slash (/) then Enter. To-Do List: General ideas or reminders that pop into my head throughout the day also get captured in the Daily Note. These could be ideas for a new article, notes from a meeting or phone call, or even a quote or mantra to remind me of the day’s focus.Hitting slash + Enter will turn your bullet point into a To-Do (noted by a checkbox). General Insights: are where the real knowledge capture happens. Every time I read a book, article, Twitter thread, or newsletter that has an interesting idea, I’ll create a new page in Roam by typing the piece’s name into the search bar and hitting Enter. Dedicated pages Once I’ve created the page, I’ll pull in some important metadata information that I have saved under my Shortcuts. To do so, I’ll open the Metadata page in the sidebar (Shift + click) and copy over the information I need onto the blank page. The page gets three sections copied over: Metadata, Notes, and Highlights. Unique to the type of content I consume (book, article, video, etc.) to keep my database organized. I always track some information like the author/creator of the piece, the date I read/watched it, and any relevant tags about the content. Metadata: Where I copy down any highlights I’ve taken. If the highlights are coming from a book, I’ll also add the page number where each highlight was taken. Highlights: This section is where I apply the Smart Notes method. Once I’ve copied all of my highlights over, I’ll read through them all to identify the key ideas and any interesting takeaways. I will then translate the key ideas and takeaways using my own words. Notes: I do this for two reasons: (1) it makes sure I understand the material and (2) makes rediscovery easier since I’ll quickly understand my thoughts on an idea instead of trying to remember what the author meant given the limited context. Connect As I add more information into Roam, I’ll start building connections between ideas from other pages using bi-directional links. Connections get made by using tags and adding page references. are reserved for the Metadata section and are used to link a page to general concepts and themes I’m interested in exploring, whether right now or in the future. Tags For example, the page for has the following tags: books, note-taking, Zettelkasten, Roam, and PKM. From reading my tags, you can see that I’m interested in exploring ideas around note-taking, Personal Knowledge Management, and Roam Research. How to Take Smart Notes are used for linking topics and ideas found in my Highlights and Notes sections. Items that receive a page reference would include the names of people, places, companies, or ideas. Page references For example, one of my highlights from mentions a quote from the creator of the Zettelkasten method, Niklas Luhmann, so his name gets encased in double brackets. How to Take Smart Notes Making connections between your notes is where the magic of Roam starts to happen. Instead of trying to pre-select which idea-bucket a note should go into, you just create it, and over time, it will naturally organize itself as you add more connections inside your database. No more having to randomly select where a note should live before you know it’s real value in your system. Create Collecting and organizing information is a great way to improve your thinking, but I’m most interested in using what I’ve learned to create. And Roam has been, without a doubt, the best tool for helping with the creative process. Not only does Roam serve as my long-term memory resource for keeping my ideas and resources unaltered, but it also shows me which ideas to pursue. Unlike other tools where I have to search for ideas inside folders and templates, Roam showcases your most important ideas as the largest nodes on the Graph Overview. Instead of spending time tracking down loose ideas and brainstorming what to write about, I just take a look at what nodes have grown and pick one that’s most interesting to me at the moment. Roam is like my idea garden where I plant a lot of idea seeds then wait patiently to pick out the ones that really start to blossom. Once I’ve picked out an idea to write about, I’ll create a new page inside of my Projects page. I use a hybrid version of Tiago Forte’s for tracking my Projects and Areas, which I also have saved under my Shortcuts. Every article idea and current newsletter lives on my Projects page. P.A.R.A Method Weekly Roundup Once I think I’ve collected enough notes for an article, I’ll start organizing and connecting the random bits of information. What started as a blank page for dumping notes will slowly morph into a rough outline. Once I have a working outline, I’ll switch over to Google Docs to write the actual draft. I still prefer using Google Docs for writing my drafts since I find the bullet point structure of Roam disruptive for the creative flow of long-form writing. Limitations of Roam Roam is a small startup, so you can expect some limitations as they experience growing pains. However, they do keep an active showing what progress has been made as they try to keep up with a growing user base. Still, I think there are a few limitations to address. changelog Case Sensitivity with Tagging A minor annoyance of mine is the case-sensitivity with regards to page creation. For example, a page named is not the same as one named . While you can clear up the confusion by merging the pages, it’s annoying to have to remember to do so when everything else about Roam feels intuitive. [[Productivity]] [[productivity]] No API Roam also doesn’t have a mobile app or API, at least not yet. While this isn’t a deal-breaker for me, it would be even better if I could easily capture notes on my phone and connect to other apps to improve my workflow. Roam says they’re working on this feature, so I expect change is coming soon. Price I’ll be blunt; Roam is expensive compared to other note-taking and productivity tools. You can select between the Professional Plan ($15/month or $13.75/month for annual billing) or the Believer Plan, which costs $500 upfront for five years of access. But despite the high price, Roam does offer a 31-day free trial, so you can at least try it out before you buy. They also offer a 50% discount via its Scholars Program for students, users younger than 22, or for anyone experiencing financial distress. You can apply for their Scholars Program by . filling out their application While Roam certainly has it’s limitations; I can confidently say that it’s the best tool I’ve found for capturing ideas and insights and turning them into working knowledge and creative output. Their network-based approach to knowledge management has sold me as a customer and has also built them a rabid fan base willing to spread their gospel (and back them financially with the Believer Plan). I mean, just read some of the user’s testimonials: “The most exciting piece of software I’ve yet tried… A replacement for the essay… has the potential to be as profound a mental prosthetic as hypertext.” “Roam is amazing, note-writing on a totally new level — frictionless yet cohesive in a way that Evernote hasn’t quite reached for me.” “Roam has enabled me to stop segmenting and limiting my thoughts before I’ve even fleshed them out. This flexibility has freed me up to write 3x more daily content than ever before.” So if you’re ready to build out your very own PKM system or perhaps upgrade the one you have, here’s how you can get started with Roam by taking advantage of their 31-day free trial. Getting Started First, head over to and sign up with your email address. roamresearch.com You will then be asked to name your database. I used my name to name mine, but you can call yours whatever you want. After that’s done, click the “Create Database” button. Now it’s time to start adding your notes, ideas, and highlights into your database. It may feel overwhelming at first, but that’s because Roam is radically different from a lot of the other note-taking tools. Roam’s greatest feature is its inherent lack of structure trying to tell you what to do. Instead, it only serves as a blank canvas for mapping out your ideas. Curious to explore Roam’s full capabilities? I suggest you check out some of these additional resources: Nat Eliason’s course (paid) Effortless Output with Roam Shu Omi’s YouTube playlist (free) How to Use Roam Research Anonym.s’ YouTube playlist (free) From Beginner to Superuser: A Complete Guide to Roam Research The website Roam Brain Previously published at https://lawsonblake.com/roam-research-review/

Upgrade Your Note-taking With Roam Research

Productivity software is indispensable for all of us. Dedicated tools for creating spreadsheets, writing down notes, managing our to-dos etc. ensure that we are productive in our professions. Incumbent vendors (e.g. Microsoft, Google) have dominated this space for many years — yet, there is . New challengers such as the E-Mail client or the note-taking tool can compete by developing highly opinionated products which deliberately omit flexibility. Instead, the software is stringently crafted around a very particular way of approaching a process, which is inherently seen as superior by the firm. a chance for new players to enter the stage Superhuman Roam Research 1st and 2nd wave of differentiation Since the emergence of productivity software in the 1980s, it was sufficient for a long time to entirely focus on features ( ). This is not surprising as a large value could already be created by adding desired features to very rudimentary software products. Microsoft, with its office suite, has emerged clearly as the winner of this era. 1st wave of differentiation From the 2000s onwards, cloud computing, especially SaaS as the new delivery model had a significant impact on the productivity space (enabled by the explosion of internet speed). Advantages such as low setup & infrastructure costs, high scalability and automatic updates have been so revolutionary ( ) that on-premise software has become (almost) obsolete. The success of Salesforce or Google’s G Suite is attributed to leading the way in offering productivity software as a service. 2nd wave of differentiation It is very challenging for a young company to compete on features with the large incumbents of the productivity space. Furthermore, SaaS has established itself as the default. So how can startups successfully differentiate? 3rd wave of differentiation = opinionated software Your average e-mail client, browser software, spreadsheet software does not have an regarding how it should be used. Instead, it provides a maximum of flexibility which is appreciated by the average user, yet, not optimal for particular target groups. This enables an untapped potential for challenger firms which are capable of two things ( ): opinion 3rd wave of differentiation Break problems for a very specific target group of users down into core pieces (see ) first principles thinking Elaborate a firm opinion which UX represents the solution (optimize function rather than form) and rigorously execute on it. They say software should always be as flexible as possible. We think that’s bullshit. The best software has a vision. The best software takes sides. When someone uses software, they’re not just looking for features, they’re looking for an approach. Make Opinionated Software (Basecamp) Let’s focus on Superhuman and Roam Research. Two firms which have demonstrated what an outstanding opinionated productivity software product can look like. Superhuman is an e-mail client (mobile/desktop) for a target group of users who regularly receive a high number of e-mails. The company has received $33M in funding from prestigious investors such as a16z and First Round Capital. The firm has been able to create a willingness to pay of $30 per user per month for its premium e-mail client. Superhuman They need 300k users for accessing “unicorn area” (assuming a target of $100M ARR). Currently, there are almost . This trajectory (founded in 2014) becomes even more impressive after realizing that there are only 50 people working for the firm (according to ). 300k on the waitlist Linkedin Rahul Vohra, the CEO & Co-Founder, has a clear stance on the principles behind their software product. Superhuman’s value proposition of “creating the fastest e-mail experience in the world” can only be achieved by building the product . It is not about adding elements of gamification to a well-thought-out e-mail software. from the ground up on game design principles Instead, it is about crafting an entirely new e-mail experience based on game design principles (game design ≠ gamification). Based on these principles, Superhuman creates a user experience which stringently guides you through the path to inbox zero. For instance, after having replied to an e-mail, you are (without any distraction) directed to the next e-mail. There is no required “halt in-between” at your inbox (distraction) from where you manually select the next e-mail — highly opinionated on how you should go through your e-mails. My favorite example of the underlying game design principles is related to the . This is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. flow state The Experience Fluctuation Model (see below) reasons that flow is achieved when we Therefore, Superhuman deliberately increases the challenge level by nudging you to hit inbox zero without touching the mouse — keyboard shortcuts play a crucial role in the Superhuman-UX. balance high perceived skill with high perceived challenge. Interestingly, this has inspired already many other software startups leveraging “shortcuts to superpowers” such as , or . Linear Height Quill Roam Research Note-taking software is highly associated with Evernote. A company which became in 2012/2013 so hyped that and it started selling physical products (e.g. ) before it became known for going through . (funded by Global Village and Chapter One Ventures) puts note-taking back into the spotlight — this time from a different angle. applicants crafted songs over-priced business socks several crises Roam Research Conor White-Sullivan, the CEO & founder of Roam Research has a firm opinion. He is convinced that the common hierarchical approach (main element→ sub element→ note), an approach every popular note-taking solutions (incl. Evernote & Notion) is based on, is dysfunctional for many use cases because it does not support the way our brain works. We do not think in a structured and hierarchical manner. Instead, we think multi-dimensional and associate various pieces of information with each other. In Conor’s view, by storing knowledge in an interlinked manner. This is precisely how Roam Research’s powerful bi-directional linking feature works. the software should mimic how our brain works By merely adding double square brackets around a term “[[xxx]]”, a separate note is automatically created and conveniently linked both ways. The product is highly inspired by the , invented by the renowned German sociologist . His well-thought-out of 90,000 interlinked notes enabled him to build a web of knowledge, retrieve the right memory when needed, find meaningful connections among topics and develop ideas or arguments. Zettelkasten methodology Niklas Luhmann system The system becomes our 2nd brain and enables us to collaborate with our past and future self. Thanks to the Zettelkasten, Niklas Luhmann was able to establish himself as one of the most productive scientists — he published more than . 70(!) books and 500 scholarly articles Roam Research is a highly opinionated product in the sense that it takes a clear side for the Zettelkasten approach. And it works very well. Roam Research has inspired cult-like devotion from early users (#Roamcult). After going into public beta in October 2019, Twitter is full of users sharing their passion and how they are using it. The company is still in its early days, and it is hard to project if the team can expand beyond a particular niche (currently: people who think about how they think) and defend itself against copycats. Executing on their vision of enabling users to share their notes (=knowledge) with others might be the key to success as it creates defensibility through network effects. It seems that 2020 is the year a hype on note-taking is back — this time it might live up to its promises. Opinionated productivity software as a great chance Developing successful productivity software is hard. Incumbents with deep pockets and top-notch product/tech skills can rely on strong network effects as a mean of extensibility. This effect is stronger for some types of productivity software (e.g. collaboration/communication) than for others (e.g. note-taking). Despite these challenges, I’m optimistic that the 3rd wave of differentiation represents an excellent opportunity for businesses. This is mainly due to 4 reasons: 💰 By building opinionated software, you deliberately leave a large share of the market unexploited — it’s not a “lowest common denominator” approach. Fortunately, the overall category of productivity software represents a very large market (mainly because it’s industry-agnostic). Therefore, even a slice of the market is often sufficient. Large market size : 💳: Superhuman costs $30 per month. Roam plans to charge $15 per month — that’s an unprecedented willingness to pay. Will this scare people away? Definitely, but this is part of the plan (see above). A new willingness to pay The first product/solution a company is building shapes its culture as well as its product pipeline for a very long time — certain boundaries are set. Therefore, there’s ample space for startups/challengers to come up with novel opinionated software ideas that an incumbent won’t be able to tackle. Leapfrogging incumbents 🥇: 👨🏻‍🎤: Products such as Superhuman or Roam Research stand for something — they polarize. An E-Mail ending with “sent via Superhuman” signals professionalism. It’s more than the aura of a new product — it can become a sustainable branding advantage. Overall, I’m convinced that the importance of branding will increase in the software space. Opinionated = Strong character Further opportunities — what’s next? I’m excited to see which further companies will emerge in the productivity software space. Some examples coming into my head: The user experience hasn’t changed for many years. Products barely differ. is on it — who else? Web browsing: The Browser Company More distraction by more tools/media/etc. which constantly surround us. WFH blurs the lines between work & free time even further, thereby only aggravating the issue. An anti-procrastination/pro-flow tool: Excel/Google Sheets do not guide us effectively through processes around spreadsheets. Certain use cases represent interesting opportunities (e.g. for finance professionals) Software on top of spreadsheets: Layer There have been many examples in the consumer space demonstrating that highly opinionated products can lead to tremendous success (e.g. Twitter’s 280 character limit, Snapchat’s disappearing messages). It’s time to see more of this in the productivity software space. If you liked this article, I’m happy to connect and exchange thoughts ( / ). Twitter Linkedin Previously published at https://medium.com/@felixschmitt/the-era-of-opinionated-productivity-software-superhuman-roam-whats-next-3d454e28312f

The Era of Opinionated Productivity Software: Superhuman, Roam, What’s Next?

One guy on Reddit asked if ‘being a software engineer feels like being a prisoner.‘ It got me thinking. Let’s get philosophical here for a sec. Being a prisoner is more a state of mind than just being confined to four walls. When you compare the life of a typical prisoner to that of a Buddhist monk, you’ll notice that prisoners usually have more privileges than a typical monk. Ajahn Brahm famously explained this after he visited a prison: “Any place you don’t want to be is a prison.” Now, let’s talk about coding. Picture this: you’re at your keyboard, building an entirely new world in your mind. Your work is this incredibly abstract, almost magical process. You start to live in that work, your fingers dancing over the keys like a maestro conducting a symphony. For hours, most of your mind stops reacting to input from the physical world. Your mind roams free in the new virtual world you’ve created. It’s like being the architect of the Matrix, but with less leather and more coffee. So, yeah, coding might feel a bit like being a prisoner sometimes, especially when the bugs are relentless, and deadlines loom. But really, it’s more like being a prisoner with a key to your own cell, where the cell happens to be an epic fantasy world of your own making. It’s a mental adventure with the occasional dragon (or, you know, a really stubborn line of code). In the end, whether you feel trapped or free as a bird is all in your head. And if you’re ever feeling too confined, just remember: you can always turn off your computer, step outside for a walk, and maybe even sit in meditation for a while. Trust me, your virtual world will still be there when you get back. Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP66WNvzrY8&embedable=true “The Monk who went to prison - Ajahn Brahm“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWj59-3uyM&embedable=true One guy on Reddit asked if ‘ being a software engineer feels like being a prisoner. ‘ It got me thinking. being a software engineer feels like being a prisoner. Let’s get philosophical here for a sec. Being a prisoner is more a state of mind than just being confined to four walls. When you compare the life of a typical prisoner to that of a Buddhist monk, you’ll notice that prisoners usually have more privileges than a typical monk. Ajahn Brahm famously explained this after he visited a prison: “Any place you don’t want to be is a prison.” Now, let’s talk about coding. Picture this: you’re at your keyboard, building an entirely new world in your mind. Your work is this incredibly abstract, almost magical process. You start to live in that work, your fingers dancing over the keys like a maestro conducting a symphony. For hours, most of your mind stops reacting to input from the physical world. Your mind roams free in the new virtual world you’ve created. It’s like being the architect of the Matrix, but with less leather and more coffee. So, yeah, coding might feel a bit like being a prisoner sometimes, especially when the bugs are relentless, and deadlines loom. But really, it’s more like being a prisoner with a key to your own cell, where the cell happens to be an epic fantasy world of your own making. It’s a mental adventure with the occasional dragon (or, you know, a really stubborn line of code). In the end, whether you feel trapped or free as a bird is all in your head. And if you’re ever feeling too confined, just remember: you can always turn off your computer, step outside for a walk, and maybe even sit in meditation for a while. Trust me, your virtual world will still be there when you get back. Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP66WNvzrY8&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP66WNvzrY8&embedable=true “The Monk who went to prison - Ajahn Brahm“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWj59-3uyM&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWj59-3uyM&embedable=true

Are Programmers Prisoners or Architects?

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Dreamforce 2024 pushed the boundaries of what a tech conference can be. The annual event from Salesforce, which had more than 45,000 in attendance this year, showcased cutting-edge AI technology, with the debut of Agentforce as its centerpiece. While tech innovations took center stage, the event also featured some familiar faces. Attendees might have spotted Simone Biles, Kate Hudson, and Matthew McConaughey among the crowd, adding a touch of star power to the venue. On top of that, autonomous robots roamed the conference floors, providing a glimpse into a more automated future. From AI breakthroughs to futuristic demonstrations, these highlights reveal how the conference from Salesforce is shaping the future of business and technology. 1. The introduction of Agentforce: AI Agents are here Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff set the tone for the conference by introducing Agentforce, a platform that enables companies to deploy autonomous AI agents capable of analyzing data, making decisions, and taking action without human intervention. These agents can respond to customer service inquiries, qualify sales opportunities, and optimize marketing campaigns autonomously. Along with the platform, Salesforce also introduced Agent Builder, a low-code tool that allows customers to quickly create and customize their own agents. A successful example is the Sophie agent, created by Saks Fifth Avenue department store, which could be deployed in just one week and is able to perform actions such as arranging product changes without human intervention. “Autonomous AI agents are about to make an impact in the retail world, especially as we head into the holiday season. These smart-systems can tackle tough jobs like automating customer service and streamlining supply chains. This could completely change the way we shop, making it faster, more tailored to our needs, and safer,” said Blake Ellis, Founding Partner at CommerceV3. In Benioff’s words, AI is not just a trending technology, but a crucial solution for the future. “This is our most important Dreamforce yet, you’re going to see technology like you’ve never seen before,” he assured attendees during the inaugural Dreamforce 2024 keynote. In addition, Salesforce launched the Agentforce Partner Network, an ecosystem that provides third-party extensions for use in complex action chains. Launch partners include Amazon Web Services, IBM and Google Cloud, among others. 2. A new era of Slack and AI The tech goliath also announced it has infused AI into Slack, with the integration enabling direct access to Salesforce information without the need for another application. The new Slack interface not only communicates with Agentforce agents, it also interacts with third parties such as Adobe, Anthropic, Cohere, and Perplexity. “We’ve moved beyond collaboration; every day, millions of teams are leveraging purpose-built AI, with customer data, automation, and now agents seamlessly integrated into the flow of work. In today’s increasingly complex work environment, true productivity requires a work operating system built for the future of work, and that is Slack,” said Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack. Other new features include meeting notes, simplified automation, enhanced search, and collections of templates for channels, canvases, lists, and automated workflows. These updates aim to turn Slack into a comprehensive work operating system with accessible data and seamless integrations with other systems. The goal is to improve collaboration and productivity, as studies show that poor collaboration results in the loss of 25 billion hours each year, and AI can save around 12% of that time. 3. Data cloud as the “heartbeat” Salesforce has highlighted the importance of its Data Cloud, calling it the “heartbeat” of its platform and the foundation of its Agentforce. The Data Cloud is capable of processing a staggering 767 billion records per month, and all Salesforce Customer 360 applications, as well as Tableau, have been rewritten to run on it. At the conference, Salesforce announced several new features, including support for unstructured data like audio and video content, a standardized semantic data model for consistent interpretation and use of data, enhanced search capabilities, real-time data triggers to respond to changing customer needs, and improved security and data governance features. “When we encouraged you to use Data Cloud, what we didn’t realize is we were preparing you very well for AI,” Benioff added. 4. The blend of technology, entertainment, and science The conference utilized iconic San Francisco locations like the Salesforce Tower and Oracle Park as venues. It featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including actress Kerry Washington, actor Matthew McConaughey, and primatologist Jane Goodall. In addition to the speaker sessions, the conference included entertainment and celebrity appearances. Musical acts such as Pink, Imagine Dragons, and Japanese pop star Yoshiki performed. Comedian John Mulaney replaced Seth Meyers, who had roasted the conference the previous year. Salesforce also highlighted its technological capabilities by hosting talks from tech industry leaders. This included conversations between Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as well as presentations by AMD CEO Lisa Su, Anthropic president Daniela Amodei, and former Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg. 5. Salesforce’s Ventures $500M AI fund Salesforce Ventures has announced the creation of a new AI Fund, which will add another $500 million to its existing AI investment fund. This brings the company’s total commitment to AI innovators to $1 billion in the past 18 months. Salesforce Ventures has already invested in over two dozen AI companies, including Anthropic, Cohere, Runway, TogetherAI, Mistral AI, and Hugging Face. The company aims to support dynamic and expansive innovators in winning the market by accelerating their growth through its customer network. “Our expanded investment deepens our commitment to helping the most dynamic and expansive innovators win the market by accelerating their growth through our customer network and delivering trusted AI that earns the confidence of the biggest companies in the world,” added Paul Drews, managing partner of Salesforce Ventures. 6. Lots of autonomous robots This year’s event marked the human-AI collaboration as the core of an exciting era in our daily lives. The integration of autonomous robots throughout the event, demonstrated the potential of AI to work alongside humans, not just as tools, but as partners. When coffee ran out at the park’s main refreshment stand, attendees were directed to another where beverages were served by a robot. Another great example that captured a lot of attention was the presence of autonomous delivery robots. The small and adorable machines navigated the event grounds, disturbing special editions of TIME Magazine’s*“Most Influential People in AI”* to attendees, offering a tangible demonstration of advertising and robotics in action. The robots’ presence highlighted the growing importance of autonomous systems in our daily lives, offering a glimpse into a future where delivery robotics seamlessly integrate into urban environments, potentially revolutionizing everything from local deliveries to advertising. Last Thursday, while participating at the conference, Kiwibot, the company behind the delivery robots, announced its acquisition of Nickelytics in a $25 million deal. This move is effectively turning their fleet of delivery robots into mobile, interactive billboards that hint at innovative new ways brands might engage with consumers in the future. Dreamforce 2024 pushed the boundaries of what a tech conference can be. The annual event from Salesforce, which had more than 45,000 in attendance this year, showcased cutting-edge AI technology, with the debut of Agentforce as its centerpiece. While tech innovations took center stage, the event also featured some familiar faces. Attendees might have spotted Simone Biles, Kate Hudson, and Matthew McConaughey among the crowd, adding a touch of star power to the venue. On top of that, autonomous robots roamed the conference floors, providing a glimpse into a more automated future. From AI breakthroughs to futuristic demonstrations, these highlights reveal how the conference from Salesforce is shaping the future of business and technology. 1. The introduction of Agentforce: AI Agents are here The introduction of Agentforce: AI Agents are here Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff set the tone for the conference by introducing Agentforce , a platform that enables companies to deploy autonomous AI agents capable of analyzing data, making decisions, and taking action without human intervention. These agents can respond to customer service inquiries, qualify sales opportunities, and optimize marketing campaigns autonomously. Agentforce Along with the platform, Salesforce also introduced Agent Builder , a low-code tool that allows customers to quickly create and customize their own agents. introduced Agent Builder A successful example is the Sophie agent, created by Saks Fifth Avenue department store, which could be deployed in just one week and is able to perform actions such as arranging product changes without human intervention. “Autonomous AI agents are about to make an impact in the retail world, especially as we head into the holiday season. These smart-systems can tackle tough jobs like automating customer service and streamlining supply chains. This could completely change the way we shop, making it faster, more tailored to our needs, and safer,” said Blake Ellis, Founding Partner at CommerceV3. In Benioff’s words, AI is not just a trending technology, but a crucial solution for the future. “This is our most important Dreamforce yet, you’re going to see technology like you’ve never seen before,” he assured attendees during the inaugural Dreamforce 2024 keynote. In addition, Salesforce launched the Agentforce Partner Network, an ecosystem that provides third-party extensions for use in complex action chains. Launch partners include Amazon Web Services, IBM and Google Cloud, among others. 2. A new era of Slack and AI A new era of Slack and AI The tech goliath also announced it has infused AI into Slack, with the integration enabling direct access to Salesforce information without the need for another application. The new Slack interface not only communicates with Agentforce agents, it also interacts with third parties such as Adobe, Anthropic, Cohere, and Perplexity. “We’ve moved beyond collaboration; every day, millions of teams are leveraging purpose-built AI, with customer data, automation, and now agents seamlessly integrated into the flow of work. In today’s increasingly complex work environment, true productivity requires a work operating system built for the future of work, and that is Slack,” said Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack. Other new features include meeting notes, simplified automation, enhanced search, and collections of templates for channels, canvases, lists, and automated workflows. These updates aim to turn Slack into a comprehensive work operating system with accessible data and seamless integrations with other systems. The goal is to improve collaboration and productivity, as studies show that poor collaboration results in the loss of 25 billion hours each year , and AI can save around 12% of that time. 25 billion hours each year 3. Data cloud as the “heartbeat” Data cloud as the “heartbeat” Salesforce has highlighted the importance of its Data Cloud, calling it the “heartbeat” of its platform and the foundation of its Agentforce. The Data Cloud is capable of processing a staggering 767 billion records per month, and all Salesforce Customer 360 applications, as well as Tableau, have been rewritten to run on it. At the conference, Salesforce announced several new features , including support for unstructured data like audio and video content, a standardized semantic data model for consistent interpretation and use of data, enhanced search capabilities, real-time data triggers to respond to changing customer needs, and improved security and data governance features. Salesforce announced several new features “When we encouraged you to use Data Cloud, what we didn’t realize is we were preparing you very well for AI,” Benioff added. 4. The blend of technology, entertainment, and science The blend of technology, entertainment, and science The conference utilized iconic San Francisco locations like the Salesforce Tower and Oracle Park as venues. It featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including actress Kerry Washington, actor Matthew McConaughey, and primatologist Jane Goodall. In addition to the speaker sessions, the conference included entertainment and celebrity appearances. Musical acts such as Pink, Imagine Dragons, and Japanese pop star Yoshiki performed. Comedian John Mulaney replaced Seth Meyers, who had roasted the conference the previous year. Salesforce also highlighted its technological capabilities by hosting talks from tech industry leaders. This included conversations between Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as well as presentations by AMD CEO Lisa Su, Anthropic president Daniela Amodei, and former Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg. 5. Salesforce’s Ventures $500M AI fund Salesforce’s Ventures $500M AI fund Salesforce Ventures has announced the creation of a new AI Fund, which will add another $500 million to its existing AI investment fund. This brings the company’s total commitment to AI innovators to $1 billion in the past 18 months. Salesforce Ventures has already invested in over two dozen AI companies, including Anthropic, Cohere, Runway, TogetherAI, Mistral AI, and Hugging Face. The company aims to support dynamic and expansive innovators in winning the market by accelerating their growth through its customer network. “Our expanded investment deepens our commitment to helping the most dynamic and expansive innovators win the market by accelerating their growth through our customer network and delivering trusted AI that earns the confidence of the biggest companies in the world,” added Paul Drews, managing partner of Salesforce Ventures. 6. Lots of autonomous robots Lots of autonomous robots This year’s event marked the human-AI collaboration as the core of an exciting era in our daily lives. The integration of autonomous robots throughout the event, demonstrated the potential of AI to work alongside humans, not just as tools, but as partners. When coffee ran out at the park’s main refreshment stand, attendees were directed to another where beverages were served by a robot. Another great example that captured a lot of attention was the presence of autonomous delivery robots. The small and adorable machines navigated the event grounds, disturbing special editions of TIME Magazine’s* “Most Influential People in AI” * to attendees, offering a tangible demonstration of advertising and robotics in action. “Most Influential People in AI” The robots’ presence highlighted the growing importance of autonomous systems in our daily lives, offering a glimpse into a future where delivery robotics seamlessly integrate into urban environments, potentially revolutionizing everything from local deliveries to advertising. Last Thursday, while participating at the conference, Kiwibot , the company behind the delivery robots, announced its acquisition of Nickelytics in a $25 million deal . This move is effectively turning their fleet of delivery robots into mobile, interactive billboards that hint at innovative new ways brands might engage with consumers in the future. Kiwibot announced its acquisition of Nickelytics in a $25 million deal

6 Highlights That Stole the Show at Dreamforce 2024

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From Vietnamese Upbringing to Marketing to a Global Audience: a Candid Convo with Linh Dao Smooke

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Agile methodology, once hailed as the silver bullet for software development and project management, has undoubtedly revolutionized how teams work. It’s spread like wildfire, with more than half of all organizations jumping on the Agile bandwagon and over 80% undergoing some form of Agile transformation. The allure is undeniable: increased productivity, better team morale, faster time-to-market, improved customer satisfaction, and the ability to adapt to shifting priorities. On paper, it’s a utopia for managers and developers alike. But, as the saying goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” The reality of Agile implementation is often far from the glossy picture painted by consultants and textbooks. The adoption of Agile has become a steep uphill battle for many organizations, and the reasons for this struggle are as numerous as the promises Agile was supposed to deliver. The Agile Mirage: Where It All Goes Wrong Agile’s problems often start with a fundamental misunderstanding of what it truly means to be agile. When the Agile Manifesto was penned back in 2001, its authors intended it to be a flexible, adaptable approach to software development, free from the rigid structures and bureaucratic procedures of traditional methodologies. But fast forward to today, and Agile has become its own kind of bureaucratic monster in many organizations — a tyrant disguised as a liberator. Why does this happen? Let’s dissect the two main problems: the roles defined within Agile and the one-size-fits-all mentality that organizations apply to Agile methodology. Overrated Roles: Scrum Masters and Product Owners in the Hot Seat In the typical Agile setup, Scrum Masters and Product Owners are the stars of the show. Add to that an army of Agile coaches who roam the corridors preaching the gospel of Scrum, enforcing ground rules with the zeal of a medieval inquisitor. But is all this really necessary? Many organizations hire Agile experts as Scrum Masters, often without considering whether the team even needs an external guide to tell them how to function. The role of the Scrum Master is to facilitate, not dictate, yet in practice, it often becomes a position of unwarranted authority. Consider these common pitfalls: Scrum Masters lacking technical expertise: A Scrum Master who doesn’t understand the technical details of the project can’t ask the right questions or identify potential issues. They may plow through agendas and timelines without addressing critical problems, simply because they don’t recognize them.
Forced adoption: Teams that are not naturally inclined to Agile are often forced into the methodology, leading to resentment and resistance. In these scenarios, Scrum Masters tend to become even more rigid, exacerbating the problem. This power struggle can lead to a toxic work environment.
The admin chore: What was once a dynamic and iterative process becomes an administrative burden. Team members spend more time gaming their story points and breaking down tasks to fit the Sprint framework than actually working on meaningful development. Product Owners, meanwhile, often find themselves stuck between competing demands. If they fail to grasp the core business needs or struggle to prioritize effectively, the entire Agile process can fall apart. When Product Owners dilute their responsibilities or fail to communicate effectively with both stakeholders and development teams, the consequences are dire: Poor outcomes: Projects can be delayed, and the quality of the final product suffers.
Erosion of trust: Stakeholders lose confidence, and the development team becomes frustrated by unclear goals and shifting priorities.
Misaligned success metrics: Teams may not even know what success looks like, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction. The Tyranny of the Framework: When Common Sense Takes a Backseat Agile purists often forget that the methodology was designed to be flexible, not dogmatic. But over time, Agile practices have ossified into rigid frameworks with little room for deviation. For example: Stand-ups: The 15-minute stand-up meeting is a cornerstone of Agile, but what if a critical issue arises? Should the team cut off the discussion just because the clock has run out? Common sense says no, but strict adherence to Agile doctrine often says yes.
Retrospectives and Reviews: These are meant to be tools for continuous improvement, but they can become unreliable if the data is manipulated or misinterpreted by those leading the process.
Sprint Reporting: Reporting on stories that roll over between Sprints should be straightforward, yet it often becomes a convoluted process that adds unnecessary complexity. Executives and Agile: A Clash of Cultures One of the biggest hurdles to successful Agile adoption is the disconnect between the executive suite and the teams on the ground. Executives often see Agile as a magic bullet for faster delivery and higher productivity, without fully understanding the nuances of the methodology. This disconnect can lead to unrealistic demands and pressure on teams to deliver more with each Sprint, which in turn leads to burnout and decreased quality. Moreover, the Agile Manifesto’s disdain for comprehensive documentation can be problematic in complex projects. While the manifesto advocates for “just enough” documentation, many projects need a clear set of guidelines and requirements before they can begin. Skipping this step can lead to: Missed deadlines: Teams waste time on misaligned priorities and misunderstandings.
Repetition of mistakes: Without clear documentation, teams may not learn from past errors, leading to repeated failures. The Global Puzzle: Dispersed Teams and Agile In today’s globalized world, Agile teams are often spread across multiple time zones and cultures. This can be a challenge, as Agile thrives on close collaboration and communication. When teams are dispersed, maintaining a standard structure for implementations, requirements gathering, and user story definition becomes crucial. Yet, many organizations fail to adapt their Agile practices to account for these complexities, leading to disjointed efforts and poor results. The Hybrid Solution: A Way Forward Given these challenges, it’s clear that Agile alone is not the panacea it’s often made out to be. Instead, a hybrid approach that combines the best elements of Agile with other methodologies may be the most effective way forward. For instance, in projects with critical priorities, tight timelines, high costs, and predetermined outcomes, a hybrid model that incorporates Agile principles with more structured planning and documentation can lead to better results. This approach allows organizations to be flexible where it counts, while still maintaining the discipline needed to navigate complex challenges. In Conclusion: The Agile Reality Check Agile methodology has its merits, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Organizations need to be realistic about its limitations and willing to adapt the methodology to their specific needs. By embracing a more common-sense approach and considering a hybrid model where appropriate, companies can avoid the pitfalls of rigid Agile implementation and truly reap the benefits of a more dynamic, responsive way of working. In the end, it’s not about being Agile for Agile’s sake — it’s about being smart, adaptable, and always putting the project’s needs first. And that, ironically, is the true spirit of Agile. Agile methodology, once hailed as the silver bullet for software development and project management, has undoubtedly revolutionized how teams work. It’s spread like wildfire, with more than half of all organizations jumping on the Agile bandwagon and over 80% undergoing some form of Agile transformation. The allure is undeniable: increased productivity, better team morale, faster time-to-market, improved customer satisfaction, and the ability to adapt to shifting priorities. On paper, it’s a utopia for managers and developers alike. But, as the saying goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” The reality of Agile implementation is often far from the glossy picture painted by consultants and textbooks. The adoption of Agile has become a steep uphill battle for many organizations, and the reasons for this struggle are as numerous as the promises Agile was supposed to deliver. The Agile Mirage: Where It All Goes Wrong The Agile Mirage: Where It All Goes Wrong Agile’s problems often start with a fundamental misunderstanding of what it truly means to be agile. When the Agile Manifesto was penned back in 2001, its authors intended it to be a flexible, adaptable approach to software development, free from the rigid structures and bureaucratic procedures of traditional methodologies. But fast forward to today, and Agile has become its own kind of bureaucratic monster in many organizations — a tyrant disguised as a liberator. Why does this happen? Let’s dissect the two main problems: the roles defined within Agile and the one-size-fits-all mentality that organizations apply to Agile methodology. Overrated Roles: Scrum Masters and Product Owners in the Hot Seat Overrated Roles: Scrum Masters and Product Owners in the Hot Seat In the typical Agile setup, Scrum Masters and Product Owners are the stars of the show. Add to that an army of Agile coaches who roam the corridors preaching the gospel of Scrum, enforcing ground rules with the zeal of a medieval inquisitor. But is all this really necessary? Many organizations hire Agile experts as Scrum Masters, often without considering whether the team even needs an external guide to tell them how to function. The role of the Scrum Master is to facilitate, not dictate, yet in practice, it often becomes a position of unwarranted authority. Consider these common pitfalls: Consider these common pitfalls: Scrum Masters lacking technical expertise: A Scrum Master who doesn’t understand the technical details of the project can’t ask the right questions or identify potential issues. They may plow through agendas and timelines without addressing critical problems, simply because they don’t recognize them. Forced adoption: Teams that are not naturally inclined to Agile are often forced into the methodology, leading to resentment and resistance. In these scenarios, Scrum Masters tend to become even more rigid, exacerbating the problem. This power struggle can lead to a toxic work environment. The admin chore: What was once a dynamic and iterative process becomes an administrative burden. Team members spend more time gaming their story points and breaking down tasks to fit the Sprint framework than actually working on meaningful development. Scrum Masters lacking technical expertise : A Scrum Master who doesn’t understand the technical details of the project can’t ask the right questions or identify potential issues. They may plow through agendas and timelines without addressing critical problems, simply because they don’t recognize them. Scrum Masters lacking technical expertise Forced adoption : Teams that are not naturally inclined to Agile are often forced into the methodology, leading to resentment and resistance. In these scenarios, Scrum Masters tend to become even more rigid, exacerbating the problem. This power struggle can lead to a toxic work environment. Forced adoption The admin chore : What was once a dynamic and iterative process becomes an administrative burden. Team members spend more time gaming their story points and breaking down tasks to fit the Sprint framework than actually working on meaningful development. The admin chore Product Owners, meanwhile, often find themselves stuck between competing demands. If they fail to grasp the core business needs or struggle to prioritize effectively, the entire Agile process can fall apart. When Product Owners dilute their responsibilities or fail to communicate effectively with both stakeholders and development teams, the consequences are dire: Poor outcomes: Projects can be delayed, and the quality of the final product suffers. Erosion of trust: Stakeholders lose confidence, and the development team becomes frustrated by unclear goals and shifting priorities. Misaligned success metrics: Teams may not even know what success looks like, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction. Poor outcomes : Projects can be delayed, and the quality of the final product suffers. Poor outcomes Erosion of trust : Stakeholders lose confidence, and the development team becomes frustrated by unclear goals and shifting priorities. Erosion of trust Misaligned success metrics : Teams may not even know what success looks like, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction. Misaligned success metrics The Tyranny of the Framework: When Common Sense Takes a Backseat The Tyranny of the Framework: When Common Sense Takes a Backseat Agile purists often forget that the methodology was designed to be flexible, not dogmatic. But over time, Agile practices have ossified into rigid frameworks with little room for deviation. For example: Stand-ups: The 15-minute stand-up meeting is a cornerstone of Agile, but what if a critical issue arises? Should the team cut off the discussion just because the clock has run out? Common sense says no, but strict adherence to Agile doctrine often says yes. Retrospectives and Reviews: These are meant to be tools for continuous improvement, but they can become unreliable if the data is manipulated or misinterpreted by those leading the process. Sprint Reporting: Reporting on stories that roll over between Sprints should be straightforward, yet it often becomes a convoluted process that adds unnecessary complexity. Stand-ups : The 15-minute stand-up meeting is a cornerstone of Agile, but what if a critical issue arises? Should the team cut off the discussion just because the clock has run out? Common sense says no, but strict adherence to Agile doctrine often says yes. Stand-ups Retrospectives and Reviews : These are meant to be tools for continuous improvement, but they can become unreliable if the data is manipulated or misinterpreted by those leading the process. Retrospectives and Reviews Sprint Reporting : Reporting on stories that roll over between Sprints should be straightforward, yet it often becomes a convoluted process that adds unnecessary complexity. Sprint Reporting Executives and Agile: A Clash of Cultures Executives and Agile: A Clash of Cultures One of the biggest hurdles to successful Agile adoption is the disconnect between the executive suite and the teams on the ground. Executives often see Agile as a magic bullet for faster delivery and higher productivity, without fully understanding the nuances of the methodology. This disconnect can lead to unrealistic demands and pressure on teams to deliver more with each Sprint, which in turn leads to burnout and decreased quality. Moreover, the Agile Manifesto’s disdain for comprehensive documentation can be problematic in complex projects. While the manifesto advocates for “just enough” documentation, many projects need a clear set of guidelines and requirements before they can begin. Skipping this step can lead to: Missed deadlines: Teams waste time on misaligned priorities and misunderstandings. Repetition of mistakes: Without clear documentation, teams may not learn from past errors, leading to repeated failures. Missed deadlines : Teams waste time on misaligned priorities and misunderstandings. Missed deadlines Repetition of mistakes : Without clear documentation, teams may not learn from past errors, leading to repeated failures. Repetition of mistakes The Global Puzzle: Dispersed Teams and Agile The Global Puzzle: Dispersed Teams and Agile In today’s globalized world, Agile teams are often spread across multiple time zones and cultures. This can be a challenge, as Agile thrives on close collaboration and communication. When teams are dispersed, maintaining a standard structure for implementations, requirements gathering, and user story definition becomes crucial. Yet, many organizations fail to adapt their Agile practices to account for these complexities, leading to disjointed efforts and poor results. The Hybrid Solution: A Way Forward The Hybrid Solution: A Way Forward Given these challenges, it’s clear that Agile alone is not the panacea it’s often made out to be. Instead, a hybrid approach that combines the best elements of Agile with other methodologies may be the most effective way forward. For instance, in projects with critical priorities, tight timelines, high costs, and predetermined outcomes, a hybrid model that incorporates Agile principles with more structured planning and documentation can lead to better results. This approach allows organizations to be flexible where it counts, while still maintaining the discipline needed to navigate complex challenges. In Conclusion: The Agile Reality Check In Conclusion: The Agile Reality Check Agile methodology has its merits, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Organizations need to be realistic about its limitations and willing to adapt the methodology to their specific needs. By embracing a more common-sense approach and considering a hybrid model where appropriate, companies can avoid the pitfalls of rigid Agile implementation and truly reap the benefits of a more dynamic, responsive way of working. In the end, it’s not about being Agile for Agile’s sake — it’s about being smart, adaptable, and always putting the project’s needs first. And that, ironically, is the true spirit of Agile.

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