At the core to any agile approach is the ability to manage for uncertainty. This is only possible through a process of continuous learning which requires active feedback loops. Linear approaches are doomed to fail in a world of uncertainty. Feedback incorporates new knowledge which enables learning. The key is maintaining healthy feedback loops which will enable success. An iterative approach with broken feedback loops is similarly doomed.

Not only is this the foundation of business agility, empiricism is the foundation of the scientific method, Shewart-Deming process improvement cycles, and the Lean Startup model. Healthy agile approaches incorporate multivariate closed loop process control.

In the original book on Scrum, Ken Schwaber talks about his discovery of empiricism by trying to sell waterfall solutions to Chemical Engineers at DuPont Chemical. Todd’s background is as a Chemical and Petroleum engineer, so his journey was different. Empiricism was natural for him, so when people started talking about agility it fit nicely with the model he was already using. It was even better when the conversation became about “Business Agility.”

If your team uses velocity for planning but you don't find it very useful, this session is for you.

If your manager or scrum master or other pseudo-authority figure keeps obsessing over your velocity, this session is for you.

If you want to know about better ways to forecast when a piece of work will be done or how to gather data that actually helps your team, this session is for you.

Doc Norton briefly addresses some issues with velocity, looks at root causes for said issues, and then dives into other, better metrics. You'll be able to better forecast when work will be done and you'll be better able to diagnose issues with your process and work toward correcting them.

India and the ability of Indian teams has matured significantly. Many organizations have not adapted to the pace of growth or aspirations of their people, as was the case for IHS Markit. We will share our journey, which we call Updraft – an initiative founded on support, trust and autonomy which has enabled us to truly recognize the huge potential of highly intelligent and motivated individuals. It has guided us to make changes to team structures, intent-based local leadership, local facilities, hiring, Agile mindset, local office culture and much more.

The outcome is delivering sustainable, long-term change, building a strong culture and creating growth for our colleagues; all while building great products and capitalizing on the growth in value that India has to offer.

In this talk you will learn about the 3 simple ingredients that have made Updraft successful for us and something that could work for you.