Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten
 

Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

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Since publishing best-selling book, Project to Product, technology business leader, Dr. Mik Kersten, has introduced transformative frameworks and ideas for delivering software at scale. He has given numerous standing room only keynotes and presentations worldwide and is an internationally recognized thought-leader. In this podcast, Mik + One, nothing is off the record as Mik sits down with industry leading guests and delves into how they deliver value and drive digital transformations in their organizations. Tune in for a new episode every two weeks! Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode. Follow Mik on X: @mik_kersten #MikPlusOne www.projecttoproduct.org

Episodes

Episode 60: Robin Yeman and Dr. Suzette Johnson on Implementing Lean, Agile, and DevOps Principles

Tuesday Oct 15, 2024

Tuesday Oct 15, 2024

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One are industry luminaries Dr. Suzette Johnson and Robin Yeman. Suzette and Robin explore the integration of lean, agile, and digital methodologies into the increasingly complex realm of cyber-physical systems. They share compelling insights from their recently published book, "Industrial DevOps: Build Better Systems Faster." Suzette and Robin also stress the importance of integrating agile practices beyond software into hardware and the broader cyber-physical ecosystem, highlighting real-world examples and debunking common misconceptions. 

 

Listen as Mik, Suzette, and Robin reflect on the evolution from small team agility to expansive, multifunctional team cohesion.

 

 

Key discussions include:

  • Agile Beyond Software: Agile isn't limited to software; it can and should extend into hardware and cyber-physical systems for holistic efficiency.
  • Importance of a Multi-Horizon Planning: Implementing multiple horizons of planning bridges the gap between short-term agility and long-term strategy.
  • Role of Leadership: Leadership at all levels—especially in setting objectives and prioritizing work—plays a crucial role in the successful adoption of agile and DevOps practices.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Emphasizing the importance of using empirical data to constantly refine plans and reduce uncertainties.
  • Continuous Learning and Growth Mindset: A perpetual state of learning and adaptation is necessary to keep pace with technological advancement and project complexities.

 

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.



Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne



Additional Resources:

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Episode 59: McKinsey + Company’s Martin Harrysson & Megha Sinha on Maximizing Business Value Through Product Operating Models

Monday Sep 16, 2024

Monday Sep 16, 2024

Martin Harryson & Megha Sinha 

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One are Martin Harryson & Megha Sinha from McKinsey & Company. With a focus on their research which quantified the benefits of shifting from project to product models, Martin and Megha share insights on how these transformations can significantly enhance profitability and efficiency. As technology advances, the integration and upskilling necessary for these models are more critical than ever.

 

Listen as Mik, Martin, and Megha explore the importance of cross-functional collaboration, the challenges in aligning incentives, and the necessity of robust organizational design. 

 

 

Key discussions include:

  • The product operating model can significantly enhance return to shareholders and operating margins, with the top quartile companies outperforming others by substantial margins.
  • Crucial elements like psychological safety and cross-functional collaboration are essential for the success of product operating models.
  • Upskilling and capability building are vital, particularly in roles like product management, to ensure the effectiveness of these models.
  • Generative AI can accelerate product development and streamline processes, but its success depends on addressing foundational constraints in the product operating model.
  • Implementing these models requires a combination of high-level vision and detailed, specific actions demonstrated through smaller, focused initiatives.

 

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.



Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne



Additional Resources:

https://flowframework.org/ffc-podcast/martin-harrysson-and-megha-sinha/

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Episode 58: Steve Mayner on Implementing Pragmatic AI in the Enterprise

Tuesday Aug 06, 2024

Tuesday Aug 06, 2024

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Dr. Steve Mayner, a revered expert and coach in digital leadership, organizational change strategy, continuous learning culture, agile contracts, and SAFe practices within government contexts. Mik and Dr. Steve Mayner discuss the nuances of transformative leadership and its pivotal role in driving successful business agility and digital transformation efforts. They also examine the evolution and future of Lean-Agile practices tailored for the fast-evolving AI landscape.

 

Listen as Mik and Dr. Steve Mayner explore the intersections of digital leadership, Agile transformation, and the emerging impacts of artificial intelligence in the digital age.




Key discussions include:

  • Transformational leadership is essential for fostering an innovative and adaptive organizational culture.
  • AI's role in enhancing productivity and operational efficiency requires leaders to embrace these technologies and lead their integration effectively within their organizations.
  • Successful digital transformation hinges not only on adopting new technologies but significantly on leadership that creates an environment of trust and drives organizational change.
  • Continuous learning and leveraging AI tools can exponentially boost a leader's effectiveness, enabling informed decision-making in real-time.
  • Adaptive leadership, coupled with a strong foundation in business acumen, is crucial for navigating the complexities of leading organizations in the digital age.



Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.



Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne



Additional Resources:

For more information about Steve Mayner and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://flowframework.org/ffc-podcast/steve-mayner/

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Episode 57: Gene Kim on "Wiring the Winning Organization," Unlocking High-Performance Organizations

Tuesday Jul 02, 2024

Tuesday Jul 02, 2024

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is technology luminary Gene Kim. Gene Kim is an esteemed author and technology thought leader with over two decades of experience studying high-performing technology organizations. Mik and Gene look into the groundbreaking insights from Gene's latest book, "Wiring the Winning Organization," co-authored with Dr. Steven Spear. They navigate the pressing need for new organizational frameworks that bridge the gaps left by traditional models like Lean, Agile, and DevOps. They also analyze the core mechanisms vital to achieving optimal organizational performance, such as simplification and amplification.

 

Listen as Mik and Gene explore the concept of ‘slowification’—the strategic slowdown for long-term gains—and provide practical advice on how technology leaders can implement these changes. 



Key discussions include:

  • Understanding the critical layers involved in organizational performance: objects (code, patients), tools (IDEs, MRI machines), and social circuitry (team communication).
  • Learn about the essential mechanisms—slowification, simplification, and amplification—that form the backbone of successful organizational design.
  • Explore the impact of strong, clear feedback loops in optimizing organizational efficiency and uncovering hidden inefficiencies.
  • Discover how partitioning complex systems into modular components can facilitate faster development and deployment cycles.
  • Learn how Gene's book provides a framework that is understandable and actionable at all organizational levels, focusing on practical implementation.

 

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.



Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne



Additional Resources:

For more information about Gene Kim and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://flowframework.org/ffc-podcast/gene-kim-ep-57/

 

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Episode 56: GitHub’s Scott Densmore on the Copilot Revolution, Coding at the Speed of Thought

Thursday Dec 14, 2023

Thursday Dec 14, 2023

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Scott Densmore, VP of Engineering at GitHub, to discuss the future of connected work and the impact of GitHub Copilot on developer productivity.

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered tool that provides code completion and suggestions to developers, allowing them to write code faster and more efficiently. Scott shares the history of GitHub Copilot and how it has evolved to become a game-changer in the world of software development. He also talks about developer flow and happiness and explains how Copilot enhances these aspects by reducing toil and increasing productivity. 

Listen as Mik and Scott discuss the potential for customization and extensibility in Copilot, allowing developers to build their agents and their skills to further enhance their workflows.  

Key discussions include: 

  • GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered tool that provides code completion and suggestions to developers, increasing productivity and reducing toil. 
  • Copilot has been in development for several years, with a focus on fine-tuning the models and prompts to provide accurate and helpful suggestions across multiple programming languages. 
  • Studies have shown that developers using Copilot can complete tasks in significantly less time, leading to increased productivity and happiness. 
  • Customization is a key feature of Copilot, allowing developers to build models on top of their own code and improve the accuracy of suggestions. 
  • The introduction of chat functionality in Copilot allows developers to ask questions, get explanations of code, and even generate tests or refactorings. 
  • GitHub is working on an extensibility platform for Copilot to enhance their workflows and bring in expertise from various tools and services. 

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review. 

Follow Mik on X: 

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne 

Additional Resources: 

 

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Episode 55: Professor Mohan Sawhney: Rethinking Product Management with AI

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Professor Mohan Sawhney, Associate Dean of Digital Innovation and a Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University. ​

Sawhney discusses the evolution and importance of product management as a discipline. He emphasizes the need for formal training and frameworks in product management and highlights the role of product managers as mini CEOs and customer advocates. Sawhney also explores the challenges and opportunities in implementing product management in different industries, including technology companies, B2B industrial companies, and service-based organizations. 

Listen as Mik and Sawhney explore the impact of generative AI on product management, and highlight its potential to enhance day-to-day tasks and improve efficiency and effectiveness

Key discussions include:

  • Understanding customer problems and exceeding customer needs
  • The product manager’s crucial role as orchestrator, mini CEO, and customer advocate 
  • The discipline of product management 
  • The potential for growth and adoption in various industries
  • Executive sponsorship and implementing organizational structure 
  • Expansion of product management beyond tech companies to B2B and services industries
  • Rethinking structure, incentives, and process
  • Exploring how to implement product management in organizations
  • How Generative AI can improve persona development, wireframing, and roadmap optimization
  • AI Product management and how it is redefining efficiency for the future

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

Additional Resources:




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Episode 54: Dr. Pallab Chatterjee on Digital Transformation Waste

Tuesday Aug 08, 2023

Tuesday Aug 08, 2023

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Pallab Chatterjee, a visionary entrepreneur and technology expert. Pallab is currently the chairman of 3Lines VC, a boutique VC firm specializing in investments in AI-focused companies in the US and India. Pallab shares his journey from running a research lab at Texas Instruments to becoming the CEO of IT Technologies and Symphony Retail AI. Mik and Pallab discuss the TI-84 and TI-86 calculators, which Pallab helped bring to market, and how they revolutionized the industry. They discuss the importance of understanding waste and its impact on organizational capacity and the role of finance in driving digital transformation. 

Mik and Pallab also discuss the importance of actionable visibility and the challenges of implementing predictive and prescriptive models in organizations.

Key discussions include: 

  • The story behind the Ti 84 and Ti 86 calculators
  • Understanding waste and its impact on organizational capacity 
  • The role of finance in driving digital transformation
  • The role of AI and digital disruption in shaping the future of work
  • Advice for organizations looking to embrace digital transformation
  • The PDCA cycle and the importance of actionable visibility
  • The challenges of implementing predictive and prescriptive models in organizations
  • Understanding waste and rework cycles in software organizations
  • The need for a metadata layer to operate on an enterprise relational database
  • How organizations can avoid stagnation or falling behind
  • The importance of customer-centricity and quantifying pain levels

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

Additional Resources:

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Episode 53: George Kadifa on Generative AI

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is technology visionary George Kadifa to discuss generative AI and its potential impact on the tech industry.

George discusses how generative AI has changed the conversation with machines, allowing them to generate new content, code, images, and videos in a multi-modal fashion. This development is expected to be even bigger than all the previous tech transformations combined. George Kadifa has a long history of predicting tech trends and capitalizing on them. He believes that generative AI is set to revolutionize the scientific method by being able to comprehend complex situations with billions of parameters, which could have huge implications for medicine and other areas of science. 

Mik and George also discuss how the development of deep learning has led to a shift from workflow-based software to information-based software, with the ability to create predictive and generative capabilities.

Key discussions include: 

  • The Impact of Generative AI on the Technology and Enterprise Landscape
  • Generative AI and its Implications for the Creative Industry
  • The Impact of AI on the Future of Technology and Workflows
  • The Potential of AI to Transform Software Development
  • The Benefits of Value Stream Management and AI for Improved Productivity
  • The Power of Data in Generative AI
  • Workflow Automation and Insight-Driven Analytics on Business Processes
  • The Increase in Complexity of Software Development 
  • Interplay Between Cloud Vendors and AI Model Development
  • The Future of Language Modeling and Information Protection

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode: https://www.planview.com/lp/mik-plus-one/ 

Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

Additional Resources:

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Episode 52: Mik Kersten on the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report

Tuesday Mar 21, 2023

Tuesday Mar 21, 2023

In this episode of Mik + One, we’re flipping the script!

Debbie Konrad, an early Value Stream Management advocate, interviews Mik. The two discuss a new report, the 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report, that analyzed anonymized data from 2022 of 3600+ software delivery teams representing over 38,000 business product owners and engineers combined with 326 targeted survey respondents in 34 of the world’s leading enterprises. It revealed that five years into the shift from project to product, following the publication of Mik's seminal book on the subject, only 8 percent of sample have operationalized the product model.

Debbie and Mik discuss how the report’s findings are timely and relevant, as technology leaders are under increasing pressure to match tech giants and unicorns on digital innovation and wrestle the competitive advantage from the hands of a few companies. In this episode, Mik shares how to shift the management approach in digital portfolios from a project to a product-based model.

Debbie and Mik also address the importance of combining systems data with survey data in order to provide additional insights into the adoption curve of value stream management.

Key discussions include: 

  • The 2023 Project to Product State of the Industry Report
  • The seven dimensions of change required for a product operating model
  • Product Management Maturity
  • Insights from the 2021 State of Value Stream Management Report
  • The Journey from Product Experimentation to Operationalization
  • Survey Responses and System Data on Product Operating Model Transformations
  • Autonomy and Dependencies for High Performance Teams
  • The Benefits of Value Management for Software Development Teams
  • Implementing Build and Run Teams for Software at Scale
  • The Importance of Backlog Management and Prioritization in Product Management
  • Creating an Effective Product Management Function: Strategies for Success
  • Exploring the Benefits of Flow Metrics for Improved Efficiency and Time to Market

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review.

Follow Mik on Twitter:

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne

www.planview.com

Additional Resources:

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Episode 51: Carol Houle on Strategic Digital Transformations

Tuesday Jan 24, 2023

Tuesday Jan 24, 2023

Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is Carol Houle, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Financial Services and Insurance at Atos. With over two decades of experience in building and renovating businesses seeking to focus on strategic digital transformations, Carol shares success stories and challenging lessons she has learned in her professional journey. Carol and Mik talk about the complexities of agile transformation, and the role that education can play in optimizing value streams.  

Mik and Carol also have a transformative discussion about how the shift from project to product is actually a shift of mindset, and for a shift of mindset to occur acknowledgment from a higher place within individuals, and fundamentally within the organization, is crucial. 

Key discussions include:  

  • Carol’s background and history in the industry 
  • Improving technology in the last decade 
  • What is agile transformation? 
  • How to measure improvement and maintain autonomy  
  • The need for shifting mindsets and education 
  • Special focus sessions for executives and how they can be utilized 
  • The value of servant leadership and empowerment  
  • Setting up systems that include feedback loops to create a sense of control 
  • Instrumentation of business value to connect to your business strategy 
  • Why digital transformation is the vehicle for building relationships

Subscribe to the Mik + One podcast today so you never miss an episode and don’t forget to leave your review. 

Follow Mik on Twitter: 

@mik_kersten #MikPlusOne 

www.tasktop.com 

Additional Resources: 

For more information on Carol Houle, please visit: https://projecttoproduct.org/podcast/carol-houle/

 

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