S06 E13 Cliff Hazell on Lessons from working at Spotify

1h03 | 01/08/2024

Description

SummaryThe conversation covers topics such as dealing with remote teams, clear communication in remote work, the future of remote work, managing information overload, maintaining structure in communication tools, the importance of facilitation in meetings, balancing autonomy and alignment, the danger of focusing on shiny new tools, the shift from output to outcome, optimizing what we build, measuring output, outcomes, and impacts, finding the balance between autonomy and constraints, funding and budgeting agile work, and balancing autonomy and constraints in product design. In this conversation, Cliff Hazell shares insights on Spotify's product development approach and the challenges of implementing change in organizations. He emphasizes the importance of empowering product owners and managers to make decisions and secure the necessary budget. Cliff also discusses the need to treat investments differently, depending on the desired outcomes. He highlights the cultural challenges of working in diverse teams and the importance of open communication and understanding. The conversation also touches on budgeting in government organizations and offers advice on how to increase the chances of getting hired at Spotify.

Takeaways

Invest in good, clear, written communication in remote teams.
Focus on outcomes rather than just output.
Balance autonomy and alignment in organizations.
Avoid over-focusing on shiny new tools and frameworks.
Regularly review and measure the impact of the work being done.
Create a balance between autonomy and constraints in product design.
Consider a rolling window approach to funding and budgeting work.

If you like our podcast, please leave us a review. This helps us to grow the show and bring in even bigger guests.

Sponsors:
ScrumMatch: https://scrummatch.com/en
Xebia Academy: https://xebia.com/academy/nl/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mastering Agility

Why is it that products are so hard to develop and deliver?

How can we truly deliver value with so many different variables that can affect the outcome?

We are Sander Dur and Jim Sammons, professional consultants and trainers who support organizations in their pursuit of creating valuable products. Passionate about helping the community and practitioners apply the theory many authors and thought leaders bring to the industry, we started this podcast to make these concepts more accessible.

This podcast will change your career and organization. You’ll be entertained while learning about the industry’s leaders and other practitioners, and you’ll feel familiar with the situations discussed as we invite guests over and discuss tools, concepts, models, metrics, leadership, frameworks, and many more elements that help you deliver amazing products.

Both of us understand the many struggles, challenges, antipatterns, and dysfunctions many of us face in our daily working lives. We are here to provide actionable advice and strategies for you to create continuous improvement. You will find things that actually work for many organizations, as we and our guests have tried and tested them.

You will find a goldmine of actionable information from many fields, including the space industry, Formula 1, psychology, and Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurs. We break down these complex topics into easily digestible insights that you can start applying in your careers right away. The best part is that you can even join our live recordings to ask your most burning questions and get them answered based on your needs!

We dive deep into the world of business agility, product discovery, delivery, validation, product management, and product frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and many more. We’ll explore the benefits of decentralized decision-making, autonomous empowered teams, leadership, and much more. We empower you with the information you need to become the leaders your organization deserve.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mastering Agility

Why is it that products are so hard to develop and deliver?

How can we truly deliver value with so many different variables that can affect the outcome?

We are Sander Dur and Jim Sammons, professional consultants and trainers who support organizations in their pursuit of creating valuable products. Passionate about helping the community and practitioners apply the theory many authors and thought leaders bring to the industry, we started this podcast to make these concepts more accessible.

This podcast will change your career and organization. You’ll be entertained while learning about the industry’s leaders and other practitioners, and you’ll feel familiar with the situations discussed as we invite guests over and discuss tools, concepts, models, metrics, leadership, frameworks, and many more elements that help you deliver amazing products.

Both of us understand the many struggles, challenges, antipatterns, and dysfunctions many of us face in our daily working lives. We are here to provide actionable advice and strategies for you to create continuous improvement. You will find things that actually work for many organizations, as we and our guests have tried and tested them.

You will find a goldmine of actionable information from many fields, including the space industry, Formula 1, psychology, and Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurs. We break down these complex topics into easily digestible insights that you can start applying in your careers right away. The best part is that you can even join our live recordings to ask your most burning questions and get them answered based on your needs!

We dive deep into the world of business agility, product discovery, delivery, validation, product management, and product frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and many more. We’ll explore the benefits of decentralized decision-making, autonomous empowered teams, leadership, and much more. We empower you with the information you need to become the leaders your organization deserve.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

SummaryThe conversation covers topics such as dealing with remote teams, clear communication in remote work, the future of remote work, managing information overload, maintaining structure in communication tools, the importance of facilitation in meetings, balancing autonomy and alignment, the danger of focusing on shiny new tools, the shift from output to outcome, optimizing what we build, measuring output, outcomes, and impacts, finding the balance between autonomy and constraints, funding and budgeting agile work, and balancing autonomy and constraints in product design. In this conversation, Cliff Hazell shares insights on Spotify's product development approach and the challenges of implementing change in organizations. He emphasizes the importance of empowering product owners and managers to make decisions and secure the necessary budget. Cliff also discusses the need to treat investments differently, depending on the desired outcomes. He highlights the cultural challenges of working in diverse teams and the importance of open communication and understanding. The conversation also touches on budgeting in government organizations and offers advice on how to increase the chances of getting hired at Spotify.

Takeaways

Invest in good, clear, written communication in remote teams.
Focus on outcomes rather than just output.
Balance autonomy and alignment in organizations.
Avoid over-focusing on shiny new tools and frameworks.
Regularly review and measure the impact of the work being done.
Create a balance between autonomy and constraints in product design.
Consider a rolling window approach to funding and budgeting work.

If you like our podcast, please leave us a review. This helps us to grow the show and bring in even bigger guests.

Sponsors:
ScrumMatch: https://scrummatch.com/en
Xebia Academy: https://xebia.com/academy/nl/

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mastering Agility

Why is it that products are so hard to develop and deliver?

How can we truly deliver value with so many different variables that can affect the outcome?

We are Sander Dur and Jim Sammons, professional consultants and trainers who support organizations in their pursuit of creating valuable products. Passionate about helping the community and practitioners apply the theory many authors and thought leaders bring to the industry, we started this podcast to make these concepts more accessible.

This podcast will change your career and organization. You’ll be entertained while learning about the industry’s leaders and other practitioners, and you’ll feel familiar with the situations discussed as we invite guests over and discuss tools, concepts, models, metrics, leadership, frameworks, and many more elements that help you deliver amazing products.

Both of us understand the many struggles, challenges, antipatterns, and dysfunctions many of us face in our daily working lives. We are here to provide actionable advice and strategies for you to create continuous improvement. You will find things that actually work for many organizations, as we and our guests have tried and tested them.

You will find a goldmine of actionable information from many fields, including the space industry, Formula 1, psychology, and Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurs. We break down these complex topics into easily digestible insights that you can start applying in your careers right away. The best part is that you can even join our live recordings to ask your most burning questions and get them answered based on your needs!

We dive deep into the world of business agility, product discovery, delivery, validation, product management, and product frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and many more. We’ll explore the benefits of decentralized decision-making, autonomous empowered teams, leadership, and much more. We empower you with the information you need to become the leaders your organization deserve.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mastering Agility

Why is it that products are so hard to develop and deliver?

How can we truly deliver value with so many different variables that can affect the outcome?

We are Sander Dur and Jim Sammons, professional consultants and trainers who support organizations in their pursuit of creating valuable products. Passionate about helping the community and practitioners apply the theory many authors and thought leaders bring to the industry, we started this podcast to make these concepts more accessible.

This podcast will change your career and organization. You’ll be entertained while learning about the industry’s leaders and other practitioners, and you’ll feel familiar with the situations discussed as we invite guests over and discuss tools, concepts, models, metrics, leadership, frameworks, and many more elements that help you deliver amazing products.

Both of us understand the many struggles, challenges, antipatterns, and dysfunctions many of us face in our daily working lives. We are here to provide actionable advice and strategies for you to create continuous improvement. You will find things that actually work for many organizations, as we and our guests have tried and tested them.

You will find a goldmine of actionable information from many fields, including the space industry, Formula 1, psychology, and Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurs. We break down these complex topics into easily digestible insights that you can start applying in your careers right away. The best part is that you can even join our live recordings to ask your most burning questions and get them answered based on your needs!

We dive deep into the world of business agility, product discovery, delivery, validation, product management, and product frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and many more. We’ll explore the benefits of decentralized decision-making, autonomous empowered teams, leadership, and much more. We empower you with the information you need to become the leaders your organization deserve.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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