Blog Posts
The better mousetrap fallacy
“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door” is a popular saying that emphasizes the importance of innovation and quality in business. It suggests that if you have a great idea or product, you will be successful because people will naturally gravitate towards the best option available. However, this belief is flawed and is known as the better mousetrap fallacy. In this article, we will explore the origins and history of the fallacy, examples of the fallacy in popular culture, why it is flawed, the dangers of the fallacy in business and innovation, alternatives to the better mousetrap fallacy, and how to avoid falling into the trap of the fallacy.
Cargo Cults
Cargo cults can offer a valuable lesson to businesses blindly following new frameworks and the latest business fads. The cults emerged during World War II when indigenous people in the Pacific Islands were exposed to new technologies and work practices. They believed that performing certain rituals would bring more material goods and technology to their communities, without understanding the underlying principles behind them. Similarly, in the business world, companies often adopt new frameworks and methodologies without fully understanding their underlying principles, benefits, and drawbacks.
Mental Models
As humans, we constantly make sense of the world around us by creating mental models. These models are our mental maps that help us understand and navigate complex situations. From simple tasks, like making a cup of coffee, to complex ones, like running a business, mental models play a crucial role in our everyday lives. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what mental models are, why they are important, their benefits and drawbacks, real-world examples of mental models in action, proponents of mental models, how to develop and improve your mental models, tools and resources for enhancing your mental models, how mental models can improve decision-making, common challenges with mental models, and the power of mental models in personal and professional growth.
Social Contracts for your Agile Teams
Team member cohesion is an important factor in building a high-performing team, however, achieving this cohesion is often easier said than done. Social Contracts are a tool I’ve used to build cohesion quickly and effectively within teams. If you have never heard of Social Contracts, don’t worry, you are not alone. Many people have not heard of them. In this post, I’m going to share with you a complete guide to Social Contracts covering the how, what and why of building a Social Contract. After reading this post you should be well prepared to go and build Social Contracts with your own teams.
Five Inconvenient Truths about Agile
Like many new tools and practices, Agile has been over-hyped and promoted as a “silver bullet”, particularly by the Agile zealots around, many of whom have a vested interest in fostering their version of Agile as they drive a substantial income from Agile consulting and training. I see myself as an Agile enthusiast rather than an Agile evangelist because I don’t believe that Agile is the solution to every problem. To balance-out this hype, I am going to present five of the most inconvenient truths about Agile.
The Agile Influencers
The ultimate list of the movers and shakers in Agile Software Development and Business Agility.