# Project Management Dysfunctions - Part 2

- Show: [The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast)
- Published: 2022-07-13
- Length: 44m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2
- Listen: https://agileembeddedpodcast.com/episodes/project-management-dysfunctions-part-2-km5esuu8

## Summary

Jeff Gable and Luca discuss project management dysfunctions in embedded product development, focusing on treating estimates as truths, introducing 'capital A Agile' without actual agility, and forgetting to iterate on processes. They highlight the danger of 'accidental agility' in large enterprises, where cross-functional task forces are disbanded after solving a crisis, and praise a client achieving 2-week hardware iteration cycles. The hosts argue that teams should prioritize high-value or high-risk items first and use mechanisms like story points or flow-based approaches to manage work effectively without rigid cargo-cult practices.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=0) Introduction: Project Management Dysfunctions Part 2
- [0:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=18) Treating Estimates as Truths and Prioritizing Value
- [11:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=714) Introducing Capital A Agile vs. Actual Agility
- [16:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=1009) Sprints, Story Points, and Work in Progress
- [25:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=1523) Forgetting to Iterate and Blameless Post-Mortems
- [35:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=2101) Accidental Agility in Large Enterprises
- [41:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-07-13-project-management-dysfunctions-part-2#t=2485) Fast Hardware Iteration Cycles

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Agile Embedded Podcast (other)
- Jeff Gable (other)
- Luca (other)
- Jonathan Hall (other)
- Scrum (other)
- Kanban (other)
- SAFe (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Agile + 20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-07-27-agile-20) (Oxide and Friends)
- [269: Ultra-Precise Death Ray](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray) (Embedded.fm)
- [440: Condemned to Being Perfect](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-01-13-440-condemned-to-being-perfect) (Embedded.fm)
- [#064 - To transform or not to transform your hardware company to an all agile one next year, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-11-21-064-to-transform-or-not-to-transform-your-hardware-company-to-an-all-agile-one-n) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Ep. 9 - Time Management](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-23-ep-9-time-management) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)

## Citing this page

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