Finishing the race

Just turned Product Owner and there by leaving the sweet safety of the scrum team, I've gotten a better view at what is the hard core challenge with agile development. So, what is the challenge? Well, seeing to that the right stuff gets installed on the user's working environment and seeing to that the wrong stuff don't end up there. Well, that's easy, isn't it? Well, it's not. And like with a Marathon, it's not the first 30k that makes you a Marathon runner, it's the 4,2+ k. Every centimeter counts. Every centimeter. It doesn't help if you're the best the first miles if you're not making it to the finish line. And the right finish line. For the right race.

So, how do you get there? Well, like with a Marathon, you have to prepare. Set a pace. It's no use that before starting to train setting up a full schedule a year in advance. You get sick, you change your plans. But you need to set up a pace, decide how you're going to accomplish the goals. Etc. And you have to decide on the right pace. If you've never run before going for the under 2 hours schedule is probably a very bad idea. You also need the right stuff. Good shoes, for one. You probably don't need the best shoes in the world. But they should work for your schedule.

And then you start running. Following the decided schedule. Evaluating and think if you're moving in the right direction. Changing the schedule can be a good thing but if you half through the schedule decide on doing a cycling race instead, you've probably invested time and money on things you won't need. If accidents happen, you adapt and learn. And so you build your strength.

Racing day. Time to deliver. First, you need to get to the start line. Be on time, be prepared. Preparation never makes you finish a race, but the lack of it results in failure. And you run, you learn and you adopt. And if all goes well, if there are no accidents and if you're fully prepared, you come to the finish line. That is the way it is. And standing there, on the right side of the finish line was what you wanted. They you just want to prepare for the next race.