How to write a talk about Team Topologies

Posted on by Matthew Skelton (@matthewskelton)

I was recently asked by someone at a customer organization for some tips on how to write a talk about Team Topologies [TT] (she was Head of Information Security, but this article applies to almost any role). This post summarizes my suggestions for how to write a talk about TT for your own organization and/or for public events like meetups or conferences.

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Expert consultation sessions now available online

Posted on by Matthew Skelton (@matthewskelton)

I am now available again for 1-hour online consultation sessions. Use ONLINE20 for a 20% discount.

We can shape a consulting session to explore any topic relevant to your organization’s current context and future goals. Typical topics include:

Consulting sessions are particularly beneficial when used as part of a larger learning program.

➡️ https://confluxhq.com/p662a

Why are deployment pipelines important?

Posted on by Matthew Skelton (@matthewskelton)

I’ve been using deployment pipelines since 2011 starting with GoCD and then other tools. A few months ago, I joined DevOps experts Helen Beal of Ranger4, and Sam Fell & Anders Wallgren of Electric Cloud to discuss deployment pipelines for modern software delivery as part of the Continuous Discussions (#c9d9) series (episode 88).

(YouTube video segments below)

Key takeaways:

  1. The concept of the deployment pipeline was defined and popularised by the 2010 book Continuous Delivery by Jez Humble and Dave Farley.
  2. Deployment pipelines are a really key concept for modern software delivery – all changes flow through the deployment pipeline.
  3. The fast feedback from deployment pipelines can and should completely change the way we approach software. We can expect rapid feedback on changes which encourages us to make smaller, more frequent code check-ins.
  4. Value Stream Mapping can be a powerful way to uncover large wait times in the delivery flow.
  5. A “walking skeleton” deployment pipelines – essentially modelling the current approval/change flow but with empty stages in a tool – helps us to sense-check the current state: “do we really need an approval gate at this point?”

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Tips for facilitating round-table discussions

Posted on by Matthew Skelton (@matthewskelton)

Round-table discussions can be a really useful way to discover and share direct experience with peers and colleagues. A good round-table discussion is quietly facilitated by someone who knows the subject matter enough to include interesting questions and can ensure that everyone has a voice.

Here is what I have learnt from facilitating round-table discussions and watching others, too.

  1. understand the participants
  2. understand and prepare the topic under discussion
  3. remember: this is not your platform
  4. encourage quieter people
  5. nudge the discussion to ensure all points are covered

The rest of this post goes into more detail on these points.

table with cakes

Continue reading Tips for facilitating round-table discussions

Moving towards Continuous Delivery at Home Office Digital Data and Technology

Posted on by Matthew Skelton (@matthewskelton)

During 2018 I was Engineering Lead for Immigration Technology, part of the UK Home Office Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) area (contract). I helped to introduce practices from Continuous Delivery:

“As part of a drive with DDaT to adopt proven nimble approaches to software delivery, the Immigration Technology portfolio has moved towards Continuous Delivery practices for building and releasing software systems.“

Read the full article on the GOV.UK website: Moving towards Continuous Delivery at DDaT

Dave Farley – author of Continuous Delivery – giving a lunchtime talk at Immigration Technology.