Embedding DevOps in Large Organizations, with Barry Matheney

Published: March 15, 2019, noon

Repeat guest Barry Matheney joins Dan Neumann for this week\u2019s episode of the Agile Coaches\u2019 Corner podcast!

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Barry is an agile thinker, an expert in the DevOps space, and a colleague of Dan\u2019s at AgileThought \u2014 serving as a Senior DevOps Consultant. Prior to his role at AgileThought, he was the Director of Enterprise Applications at Kforce Inc.

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Last time Barry was on the podcast, they discussed embedding DevOps into Scrum teams with Eric Landes. This week, they\u2019re taking it up a notch and discussing even bigger projects: They talk about what everyone on an agile team should do; how teams can practice agility even in a non-agile company; how teams can plan with a legacy system in mind when going about new development efforts; and many more concepts around embedding DevOps in large organizations.

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Key Takeaways

What everyone on an agile team should do:

  • Challenge each other to make the product the best it can be (and not just worry about the individual components)
  • Look at team formation and set standards to adhere to
  • Practice personal accountability
  • Challenge all of the technical resources to make sure they\u2019re protecting the team
  • Consult team and make sure rules and policies still apply
  • Take a grassroots approach

How teams can be agile in a non-agile company:

  • Punch holes in the silos rather than tear down the silos (AKA create a conduit between the teams and learn how to integrate their thoughts and processes)
  • Have a team/working agreement in place (especially to challenge each other with new ideas)
  • Diversify the teams so you do not repeat limiting patterns
  • Build some of the software and test it instead of arguing over a whiteboard

How to create safety around new development efforts (especially when integrating with a legacy system):

  • Plan with the legacy system in mind (while looking for ways to eliminate parts of it gradually)
  • Migrate a legacy system incrementally by using the strangler pattern
  • Remember that it\u2019s not just a technology challenge; it\u2019s a business challenge (engage with the business side about the value of taking a different approach vs. a big-bang replacement effort of the old system)

Other concepts for embedding DevOps in large organizations:

  • Minimize interdependencies on any upstream or downstream system
  • Ensure teams are challenging the technical resources (through the working agreement)
  • Include the development team in the entire lifecycle
  • Have empathy for all involved
  • Continuously improve and learn over time (instead of delving into a much larger, riskier change)

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Mentioned in this Episode:

Barry Matheney (LinkedIn)

Podcast Ep. 12: \u201cThe Importance of Embedding a DevOps Skill Set into Your Team\u201d

Greenfield Project

Podcast Ep. 4: \u201cSetting Up Working Agreements with Christy Erbeck\u201d
Strangler Pattern

Podcast Ep. 2: \u201cWhat is a Full-Cycle Developer?\u201d

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Barry Matheney\u2019s Book Picks

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life, by John G. Miller

American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, by Bryce G. Hoffman

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