Recently I was lucky enough to speak with Mik Kersten, author of a new “must read” book, Project to Product, and CEO of Tasktop.
Last year, when I completed reading his work, I put this review on Amazon with the title, “A Book that Demands a Decision”:
DevOps guru Gene Kim rightly introduced this book with, “Every decade there are a couple of books that genuinely change my worldview. … This is one such book.”
Mik Kersten provides ample evidence that the project and cost center orientation of so many software producing companies doesn’t fit the Age of Software, and suggests a way becoming product-centric via a focus on value flow. The book is a an appealing combination of real-world examples of those who got it right (and who didn’t) and practical explanations of what needs to be done to build measurable value networks.
Net effect for me? A mind that is racing on how best to distill it into something I can evangelize in my workplace. This isn’t a “single read” type of work, and extra kudos to Kersten for the useful glossary and extensive index.
Get the book. Your company’s future may depend on what it’ll bring to light.
I stand by those words.
You should definitely read the book, but whether you have already, will, or won’t…please take time to listen to my interview with him:
By the way, Mik and I did not realize that Zoom was recording video. I only had him record it so I wouldn’t be dependent on my notes. So, what you see is the real Mik, not a stage-prepped presenter. I think you’ll agree it reflects well on him.
Oh, if you want to get the Project to Product, here is a link to it on Amazon. I make nothing if you use it to purchase (it isn’t an affiliate link):
Here are a couple of additional handy, related URLs:
Finally, if you appreciate this article or the video, please share them (and subscribe to my new YouTube channel)! I am hoping to interview more folks in the Agile, DevOps, and Data Science areas and your support would be invaluable. Regardless, please leave a comment below. I’m all ears even if it is constructive criticism!
Leave a Reply