In this episode, hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Nick Cawthon to explore how generative AI is revolutionizing the relationship between UX, design, and agile development.

Key Topics:

• Embedding UX research into agile sprints, balancing short-term feedback loops with long-term strategic insights
• The "electric bicycle" analogy: How AI gives teams superpowers but can also accelerate you in the wrong direction
• Why Nick believes he'll never use Figma again, shifting from design tools to code-native prototyping
• Building functional prototypes using company design systems and generative AI tools
• The evolution of team size: From 6-8 person cross-functional teams to powerful 2-3 person teams leveraging AI
• The architect's mindset: Understanding the technical foundation before designing the interface

Three Key Takeaways:

1. What an incredible opportunity we have; it feels like the year 2000 again, with the excitement and disruption ahead
2. Small teams (2-3 people) with diverse perspectives can now move incredibly fast using modern tools
3.  Speed is powerful, but you still need feedback loops to ensure you're building the right thing and not racing in the wrong direction

Connect with us: Website: https://definitelymaybeagile.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/definitely-maybe-agile-podcast Email: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Customer journey maps have been the standard for years. But what if they're built for a world that no longer exists?

Dave and Peter challenge the linear, step-by-step approach to understanding customer experience. From showers on Emirates flights to adaptive payment systems, they explore why our traditional mapping tools might be keeping us from seeing breakthrough opportunities.

What We Cover:

• Why traditional journey maps focus on the "critical path" and miss everything else
• The shift from cohorts and personas to individualized experiences
• The privacy paradox of hyper-personalization
• How decreasing costs make adaptive systems possible

Key Takeaways: 

✅ Traditional customer journey mapping optimizes a narrow, linear experience when customers want many different paths 

✅ Privacy and ethics matter more as experiences become hyper-personalized 

✅ What was too costly before is now feasible, changing the game for customer experience

Perfect for product managers, CX professionals, and digital transformation leaders.

Connect: definitelymaybeagile.com | feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Can AI really shrink your development teams from two pizzas to one? Peter and Dave explore the promise and reality of smaller teams in the age of AI agents. While AI can handle documentation, test automation, and other "hygiene" tasks teams often skip, the real question isn't whether you can reduce team size, it's whether you should. They dig into when one-person teams make sense (startups and greenfield projects), when they don't (complex legacy systems), and why the biggest gains might come from augmenting existing teams rather than downsizing them. Plus: why most AI initiatives fail and how to find the real business problems worth solving.

This week´s Takeaways

1. AI as Capacity Booster, Not Team Replacer: AI agents excel at handling the "hygiene" work that teams often skip: documentation, test automation, release notes. Rather than shrinking teams, this gives existing teams ephemeral capacity to tackle work that improves long-term system quality and maintainability.
2. Context Determines Team Size: One-person teams work brilliantly for startups and greenfield projects where you can build from scratch. But complex legacy systems in large organizations still need the diverse knowledge and experience that comes with larger teams to navigate technical debt and organizational complexity.
3. Solve Real Business Problems First: The biggest AI failures happen when teams focus on cool technology instead of actual business needs. Before experimenting with smaller teams or AI agents, identify genuine business problems that need solving; that's where you'll see real returns and organizational support.

In this episode, Dave and Peter sit down with Radhika Dutt, author of "Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter," to explore why iteration-obsessed product development is failing organizations.

Radhika shares hard-learned lessons from her 25-year career across diverse industries and five acquisitions, introducing the concept of "product diseases" like hero syndrome, pivotitis, and obsessive sales disorder that plague modern product teams. She challenges conventional wisdom around OKRs and goal-setting, explaining why they often create an illusion of performance while masking real problems.

The conversation explores why goals, targets, and OKRs backfire and what actually works instead. Radhika introduces her tried-and-tested alternative: a framework for puzzle-setting and puzzle-solving called OHLs (Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings). This approach helps companies develop a mindset that equips teams to experiment, learn, and adapt in a disciplined way, ultimately delivering far better results than traditional goal-setting methods.

The discussion dives deep into crafting detailed, hypothesis-driven vision statements that actually help teams make decisions, rather than fluffy corporate speak that sounds inspiring but provides no guidance. Radhika explains how to balance vision debt against short-term survival needs using her three-question puzzle-solving framework.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of writing good hypotheses and understanding customer pain points deeply before defining experiments and measurements
• Organizations need to get much closer to their target customers to truly understand their behaviors and pain points, enabling better vision statements and hypotheses that resonate
• Effective vision statements must enable decision-making; if you can't make yes/no decisions based on your vision, and understand the trade-offs between short-term survival and long-term vision, it's not valuable enough

Free Resource: Download the OHLs template and toolkit: https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit

When should you let AI agents loose on your processes, and when should you keep them on a tight leash? Peter and Dave explore the messy reality of using agentic AI for process improvement.

They dig into why the processes you can easily map might not be the ones where AI agents add the most value. From recruitment pipelines that need human intuition to DevOps workflows that demand zero variation, not every process is created equal when it comes to AI intervention.

This week's takeaways:

• Categorize your processes first. Look at your processes and start sorting them. Some need to eliminate variation (like DevOps deployment pipelines), while others benefit from exploring the edges and finding creative solutions.
• Not all processes are equal when it comes to AI. There are many ways AI can help improve processes, but you need to think about whether you want to reduce variability or increase intelligent flexibility in each specific case.
• Train AI to know when to hand off. What you want AI to do is recognize when it can't handle something and pass it to the right system - whether that's a math library for calculations or a human for complex decisions.
• Understand the difference between consistency and exploration. DevOps spent years eliminating variation to create stable, repeatable deployments. Other processes might actually want that variation because it gives you something unusual and valuable.

If you're wrestling with where to apply AI in your organization without breaking what already works, this episode offers a practical framework for thinking through the trade-offs.

Resource:

• Ethan Mollick's "The Bitter Lesson versus The Garbage Can": https://substack.com/home/post/p-169199293

Questions or thoughts? Reach us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

What happens when you look beyond survey data to understand what's really driving your organizational culture? James Warren, founder of Share More Stories, reveals how analyzing employee and customer stories at scale uncovers the hidden "how" and "why" that traditional data misses.

His most surprising discovery? Trust has become the single most predictive emotion across all industries. Companies with high trust create lasting loyalty, while low-trust organizations remain vulnerable no matter how well they're currently performing.

Warren shares a compelling healthcare case where well-intentioned technology actually destroyed employee experience by preventing human connections, plus insights on why leadership becomes more critical during agile transformations.

Key Takeaways:

• Trust beats everything: Trust is now the most predictive emotion across industries. High-trust cultures create sustainable advantage while low-trust organizations stay vulnerable to competitors
• Leaders must change too: In agile transformations, leadership becomes more important, not less. Leaders need to model vulnerability and change alongside their teams
• Stories reveal hidden patterns: Traditional data tells you "what" happened but stories tell you "why" it happened, uncovering emotional drivers surveys completely miss

Is the Lean Startup methodology dead? Peter and Dave tackle the growing criticism around MVP approaches and explore why this foundational model still has its place in modern product development.

Drawing from George Box's famous insight that "all models are wrong, but some are useful," they discuss how tools evolve but don't necessarily become obsolete. With AI making prototyping faster and cheaper than ever, the conversation explores what's changed about experimentation and what hasn't.

The hosts dig into common misapplications of Lean Startup principles, from "MVPs" that take months to build to organizations that skip the crucial feedback loops. They also explore when incremental learning isn't enough and you need those bigger strategic pivots.

Plus, they make the case for Wardley mapping as an underutilized tool for spotting step-change opportunities that incremental approaches might miss.

Key Takeaways:

• Lean thinking remains relevant: Lean Startup is still a valuable operational tool for continuous learning and incremental improvement, but it works best when properly implemented with complete feedback loops
• You need multiple models: Organizations need both incremental change capabilities (like Lean Startup) and strategic step-change tools (like Wardley mapping) to navigate complexity effectively
• AI commoditizes development, not strategy: While AI tools make prototyping easier and faster, they don't replace the need for good product thinking, user experience design, or asking the right strategic questions

Whether you're questioning your current approach to product development or looking for ways to balance tactical execution with strategic vision, this episode offers a pragmatic perspective on using the right tools for the right challenges.

Can agile teams really move fast without breaking stuff? In this episode, Dave and Peter dig into one of the biggest tensions in modern software delivery: the push for speed versus the need to manage risk.

They unpack the idea that when agile is done right, it actually helps reduce risk, not amplify it. You’ll hear stories and analogies (yep, including a messy kitchen and airplane cockpits) that bring this idea to life. Along the way, they highlight why teams that obsess over "faster delivery" often end up with systems that are, well, kind of fragile.

Whether you're navigating compliance hurdles, trying to foster psychological safety, or just figuring out how to move fast without chaos, this conversation brings a grounded, practical take on how agile and risk can work together, not against each other.

This week’s takeaways:

• Learning continuously is more powerful than just moving quickly
• Teams should feel safe to say “something doesn’t feel right”
• Focus on what’s working, not just what’s broken

Former HSBC Canada CISO Peter Buckley shares practical cybersecurity advice for small and medium enterprises. Despite having fewer resources, SMEs face the same cyber threats as large corporations, ransomware and data breaches.

Peter breaks down how organizations can manage 80% of their cyber risk through smart planning and leveraging existing tools, without requiring massive budgets or dedicated security teams. We explore how cybersecurity extends beyond technology into HR practices, organizational culture, and the power of community collaboration.

Three Key Takeaways:

1. Have a Plan: Create and regularly test an incident response plan that outlines what to do when things go wrong, who to call, and how to communicate with stakeholders.
2. Make It Collaborative: Use tabletop exercises and casual team conversations about "what if" scenarios to build risk awareness while fostering team building.
3. Build Community: Connect with industry peers to create a network of contacts you can call during a crisis and share resources with non-competing organizations.

In this episode, Dave and Peter explore why "safe bets" in business can be the riskiest moves today. They unpack the shift from long-term plans to fast, testable experiments, and why companies must embrace uncertainty to stay competitive. Topics include digital transformation pitfalls, cultural resistance to change, and the importance of alignment over tech.

Key takeaways:

• Shorter cycles are essential
• There are no safe bets anymore
• Alignment matters more than technology

For more insights, visit definitelymaybeagile.com, subscribe, and follow us on social media. Questions or feedback? Reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock are joined by Derek Crager, a seasoned engineer turned AI entrepreneur who shares his journey from blue-collar work to building AI-powered knowledge management solutions. Derek discusses how AI is transforming workplace onboarding, knowledge transfer, and personal productivity, drawing parallels between today's AI revolution and the early days of the internet.

Derek brings a practical perspective on implementing AI in enterprise environments, focusing on his company's voice-powered AI assistant "Pocket Mentor" that helps organizations capture tribal knowledge and streamline employee onboarding. The conversation explores the challenges of extracting expertise from subject matter experts, the importance of having clear business outcomes when adopting AI, and advice for students navigating career choices in an AI-driven world.

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on Business Outcomes Over Buzzwords - Don't implement AI just to check a box or follow trends. Instead, identify specific business problems (like inefficient onboarding or knowledge retention) and then explore how AI can provide practical solutions to those challenges.
• AI Excels at Knowledge Augmentation and Accessibility - AI's greatest strength lies in making organizational knowledge instantly accessible 24/7, without judgment, and at a consistent quality level. This is particularly valuable for onboarding new employees and capturing tribal knowledge from subject matter experts before it walks out the door.
• Take Time to Learn and Evaluate Before Jumping In - The AI wave mirrors the early internet adoption curve and will continue evolving over the next 10-15 years. Organizations and individuals have time to thoughtfully evaluate AI solutions rather than rushing to adopt the first available option, emphasizing the importance of learning practical applications before implementation.

Talent acquisition remains stuck in the past while organizations have drastically evolved. "We still hire like it's 1999," explains Leandro Cartelli, CEO of Lana Talent, highlighting a critical disconnect between modern business needs and outdated hiring practices.

In this episode,  Dave and Peter explore with Leandro how successful teams are built through strategic cultural assessment rather than simple skill matching. The conversation reveals the difference between "cultural fit" and "cultural add," and how one retail company reduced their 80% turnover rate by half, saving millions through targeted assessment questions.

Leandro breaks down why remote team success hinges on comprehensive onboarding (which drives 80% better retention) and intentional connection building beyond work tasks. Without deliberate efforts like virtual team activities and structured check-ins, remote work becomes "just a slogan" rather than a successful strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture encompasses both fit and add - assess how candidates navigate existing dynamics while bringing fresh perspectives
• Remote work requires intentional investment - comprehensive onboarding and dedicated connection-building are non-negotiable
• Treat talent acquisition strategically - connect hiring with development plans and performance expectations for real business impact

Getting executive buy-in for transformation requires more than vision – it demands clarity about what will actually change and how success will be measured. Leaders need concrete details about what will look different in their organization, not just high-level strategy.

This episode explores balancing directive consulting with coaching. Modern transformations benefit from proven frameworks combined with coaching conversations that help leaders navigate challenges personally. We also examine measuring system change rather than just activity, understanding that progress is non-linear and involves experimentation cycles.

Key Takeaways

• Close the Vision-Reality Gap - Executives need concrete details about organizational changes, not just strategic concepts
• Blend Consulting with Coaching - Combine proven frameworks with personal coaching conversations
• Measure System Change - Focus on meaningful indicators rather than activity metrics

In this insightful episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Shobhit, CEO and founder of Intentional Product Manager, shares his journey from engineer to McKinsey consultant to Google product manager, and now to coaching others in building fulfilling product careers. The conversation explores the challenges of breaking into product management, the critical differences between product managers and product owners, and how to demonstrate true value in an increasingly competitive field.

This week´s takeaways:

• Master the "What if I wasn't here?" question - The most powerful way for product managers to stand out is by clearly articulating what wouldn't have happened without their involvement, moving beyond just keeping engineers busy
• Prioritize product-market fit above all else - If you don't have at least 40% of customers who would "crawl to you" if you took the product away, that should be your only focus until achieved
• Balance execution with strategic thinking - Use the three horizons framework and deliberately make important long-term work urgent by creating commitments and deadlines, while leveraging AI to handle routine tasks faster

Why do so many organizational strategies end up as posters on walls rather than driving real change? In this episode, Dave and Peter dive deep with Mark Reich, who spent 23 years at Toyota before joining the Lean Enterprise Institute, to examine how Toyota's legendary Hoshin Kanri system transforms strategic thinking into coordinated action.

This week´s takeaways:

• Systems Over Silos: Toyota's integrated management system creates both vertical alignment (connecting corporate objectives to frontline work) and horizontal alignment (ensuring cross-functional collaboration).
• Value-Creating Managers: Middle management layers should be redefined as value creators and people developers rather than eliminated or reduced.
• Improvement at the Gemba: Real progress happens by focusing improvements at the "gemba" (where work actually happens) with leadership's primary role being to remove burdens from frontline workers.

Mark explains the fundamental difference between most companies' approach to strategy and Toyota's integrated management system. Unlike conventional top-down cascading goals, Hoshin Kanri creates alignment throughout the organization. The discussion explores practical aspects of strategy execution: separating strategic initiatives from daily management, structuring cross-departmental collaboration, and developing people at all levels. Whether you're struggling with siloed departments, disconnected leadership, or strategies that never fully materialize, this episode offers a blueprint for creating systems that align vision with execution while developing organizational capability.

Resources: 

• The Machine That Changed the World - by James P. Womack- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93903.The_Machine_That_Changed_the_World_ 
• Managing Our Purpose - by Mark Reich- https://www.lean.org/store/book/managing-on-purpose/ 
• Our Least Important Asset - by Peter Capelli- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75492283-our-least-important-asset?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=IGIsI50s8q&rank=1

In this episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock welcome Steven Puri, Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company. Drawing from his unique background spanning Hollywood film production and tech startups, Steven shares fascinating insights about achieving flow states in remote and hybrid work environments.

Steven's journey from IBM software engineer to Hollywood executive (where he helped manage franchises like Die Hard and Wolverine at studios including DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox) provides a refreshing perspective on team productivity and creative collaboration. He explains how the film industry has long mastered the transitions between remote, hybrid, and in-person work—knowledge that proved invaluable when the pandemic forced tech teams into distributed environments.

 The conversation explores the neuroscience of creativity, practical leadership approaches to foster flow states, and how Steven's experiences led him to create a platform specifically designed to help remote workers overcome procrastination while maintaining wellbeing. This is one not to miss! 

 Key Takeaways: 

• Leaders can create environments where flow happens - Establishing boundaries like protected focus time (e.g., 9 AM to noon) allows team members to accomplish meaningful work before daily meetings begin.
• The "two-problem" approach to creativity - Having more than one challenge to work on simultaneously can unlock creative solutions, as your subconscious mind works on one problem while you actively engage with another.
• Remote work requires different "colors on your palette" - Different work modes (remote, hybrid, in-office) excel at different tasks, with in-person collaboration being particularly valuable for creative ideation and whiteboarding sessions.

Books Mentioned:

• "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - https://www.goodreads.com/es/book/show/66354.Flow
• "The Net and the Butterfly" by Olivia Fox - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30024684-the-net-and-the-butterfly
• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits

Quick fixes turning into permanent problems? You're not alone.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock tackle "longstanding risks" – those temporary solutions that somehow become permanent fixtures in our systems. From memory-leaking services to utility companies skipping maintenance, they explore how small shortcuts create massive long-term costs.

This Week's Takeaways:

• Document your band-aids with clear reasoning and next steps
• Protect team capacity to enable thoughtful decision-making
• Focus on system resilience rather than trying to prevent every failure

Perfect for engineering leaders, DevOps teams, and anyone managing complex technical systems. Subscribe for more insights on scaling agile practices and building maintainable systems.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the critical question: "How do we know when work is ready to start developing?" They discuss the challenges of translating business requirements into technical implementation, the importance of having the right people in collaborative discussions, and practical approaches to defining "ready" work. Peter shares recent experiences with organizations struggling with this exact problem, while Dave highlights how trust between business and technology teams impacts the handoff process. They explore visual collaboration techniques, the concept of "full kit," and practical ways to determine if work is truly ready to begin.

This week´s takeaways:

1. Revisit and reinforce your work definition process regularly, as changing roles and organizational shifts can erode even the most robust systems over time.
2. Use the "full kit" concept as part of your definition of ready, and be willing to say no to work that doesn't meet these criteria.
3. Work is ready to start when it's the team's top priority, has a clearly defined problem to solve, and the team can confidently estimate it within their typical delivery range.

In this insightful conversation with Suzanne El-Moursi, co-founder and CEO of BrightHive, Peter and Dave explore how organizations are addressing the growing gap between data volume and analytical capacity. Suzanne reveals that while 90% of the world's data was created in just the last two years, only about 3% of enterprise employees are data professionals, creating a massive bottleneck where business teams must wait in line for insights from central data teams.

BrightHive's solution is an "agentic data team in a box" – seven AI agents that work in unison to handle the entire data lifecycle from ingestion to governance to analytics. Unlike typical AI solutions, these agents operate at the metadata layer to ensure quality, compliance, and meaningful insights without replacing human expertise.

The conversation covers compelling use cases across industries – from helping resource-constrained organizations extend their analytical capacity to unifying fragmented data landscapes resulting from mergers and acquisitions. Perhaps most striking is Suzanne's vision for measuring AI's impact through what she calls the "delight KPI" – are employees finding their work more fulfilling when augmented by these tools?

Key Takeaways:

• Data fragmentation persists - Organizations struggle with siloed data across systems, especially after mergers, blocking comprehensive analysis.
• AI augments human intelligence - "A doctor with AI will displace a doctor without AI" - the goal is removing grunt work so humans tackle higher-value analysis.
• Measure the "delight KPI" - Track how AI improves job satisfaction by enabling more data-informed work without technical bottlenecks.
• Cultural shift needs technical solutions AND organizational buy-in to overcome skepticism about AI in the workplace.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore how increasing technological capabilities—particularly AI and modern development tools—are changing the landscape of organizational change management. They discuss the implications of newly created capacity, the value of team autonomy, and the importance of balancing efficiency with innovation.

This week´s takeaways:

• Creating capacity through new technologies doesn't mean downsizing teams—it means enabling organizations to address previously neglected but valuable work while maintaining knowledge pipelines.
• Team autonomy is crucial for effective change management—when teams have both direction and freedom to make decisions about their workspace, they can respond more effectively to urgent needs in the system.
• Organizations must recognize and protect "slack time" as a valuable resource rather than inefficiency—this time for maintenance, innovation, and thinking is essential for sustainable systems.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock tackle an often overlooked but critical topic: career progression for Scrum Masters and Product Owners. They explore how organizations initiate these crucial Agile roles but frequently fail to consider their long-term evolution within the company structure.

The discussion contrasts the divergent career trajectories of these two roles. For Product Owners, a clearer path exists from managing individual products to becoming Chief Product Owners and potentially Line of Business managers, though challenges arise when the role lacks proper autonomy or is treated as a part-time responsibility. Meanwhile, Scrum Masters face a more ambiguous journey, with traditional progression into Agile coaching roles becoming increasingly limited in many organizations despite the valuable skills they develop.

Peter and Dave highlight the critical importance of demonstrating value and making contributions visible, particularly for Scrum Masters whose impact often remains behind the scenes. They also discuss how understanding financial aspects of the business becomes increasingly crucial as professionals advance in either career path.

Key Takeaways:

• Product Owners have clearer progression paths toward leadership positions, but organizations must properly position and empower the role from the beginning to enable this growth.
• Scrum Masters develop highly valuable skills in facilitating delivery and optimizing organizational flow, but need to actively demonstrate their impact to create career advancement opportunities.
• Both roles require increasingly strategic thinking about business value and financial outcomes to progress into higher leadership positions within organizations.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the world of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). They explore how this increasingly popular framework helps organizations create alignment, measure progress, and foster autonomy while moving away from traditional KPIs. From the origins at Intel in the 70s to widespread adoption by tech giants like Google, Peter and David discuss the nuances of implementing OKRs effectively and why they're particularly well-suited for organizations operating in rapidly changing environments.

This week´s takeaways:

• Unlike KPIs which measure performance, OKRs measure progress and alignment to strategy. They should never be tied to individual performance metrics as this undermines their exploratory nature.
• Successful OKR implementation requires ongoing conversations, regular reviews, and a cultural shift. Many organizations underestimate the effort needed to maintain OKRs effectively.
• Effective OKRs should be limited in number (3-5 objectives with 3-5 key results each), represent stretch goals beyond business-as-usual, and serve as a prioritization mechanism for the organization.

When was the last time raising risk in your organization led to anything other than slowing down? Join hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock as they challenge conventional thinking about risk management in the age of rapid technological change. This episode reveals why traditional approaches might be putting your organization in greater danger.

Drawing from their battle-tested experience working with financial and technology organizations, Peter and David crack open the uncomfortable truth: many companies still treat risk management as a checkbox exercise rather than a competitive advantage. They reveal how the explosion of data analytics capabilities has rendered old "rule of thumb" approaches obsolete while simultaneously creating entirely new risk landscapes that most organizations are woefully unprepared to navigate.

This week's takeaways :

1. Risk management begins with identifying vulnerabilities, understanding potential impacts, and making informed decisions about how to handle them—whether through acceptance, avoidance, transfer, or reduction.
2. Effective risk management isn't just about frameworks and committees—it requires a cultural environment of psychological safety where risks can be openly discussed without fear.
3. The most effective approaches position oversight functions like architecture as service providers rather than gatekeepers, helping teams move forward safely rather than simply blocking progress.

Subscribe to "Definitely Maybe Agile" to transform how your organization approaches risk, digital transformation, and DevOps at scale.

In this insightful episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock welcome David Hirschfeld, founder and CEO of Tekyz Inc, to discuss the complexities of effective product management. A 35-year software development veteran and former physics student from UCLA, David brings a unique perspective shaped by leadership roles at tech giants like Computer Associates, Texas Instruments, Intel, and Motorola.

The conversation explores the critical balance between product market fit and product solution fit, with David emphasizing why focusing on customer problems rather than product features leads to greater success. Whether you're a startup founder, product manager, or development team leader, this episode with the host of the Scaling Smarter Podcast provides actionable insights for creating products that truly solve customer problems and generate sustainable revenue.

This week´s takeaways:

• The most valuable customer conversations happen when you ask about their problems, not your product features.
• Successful product management requires understanding both the perceived impact of a problem and its actual cost to customers.
• Successful founders and product managers are those who love understanding customer problems and spend their time learning about customer challenges.

In this engaging episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock welcome Marcelo Calbucci, author of "The PR FAQ Framework." Marcelo shares his expertise from 25+ years at companies like Amazon and Microsoft, plus his extensive startup experience.

The conversation explores the Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions (PR FAQ) framework developed at Amazon around 2004. This approach helps teams clarify vision and strategy before jumping into execution, addressing a common problem in software projects. Unlike PowerPoint presentations that can create an "illusion of clarity," the PR FAQ document promotes alignment and ownership through collaborative creation.

This week´s takeaways:

• Why most PR FAQs actually lead to "no" decisions (which is valuable)
• How the framework balances strategic thinking with practical considerations
• The importance of involving multiple stakeholders (sometimes 20+ people)
• How PR FAQs can be used at different product lifecycle stages

The hosts draw parallels to lean startup methodology, while Marcelo explains why PR FAQ encourages "thinking before shooting" rather than the "build first, learn later" approach. The discussion highlights how clear, collaborative documentation can prevent misalignment and create shared ownership of initiatives.

You can check out Marcelo's website and book here: The PRFAQ Framework