Zeitgeisters, what I have to rage these days…

I had two primary funny discussions the last week. First, that cloud is the only solution we need in the future. I couldn’t hold my laugh. If cloud means matrix and we have a universal distributed cloud that doesn’t know provider-specific software-defined specifications, then yes. Otherwise, hell no.

Second, one was trying to convince me that having ca. seven months of “experience” as a Scrum Master makes one already a veteran in this field. We couldn’t find a joint agreement, but it's clear that with practically no experience, you haven’t even left the diapers stage of your new career.

Why we still do cloud like it’s 1999?

Calm down, I know cloud is not that old. But IT et al, and especially the way how we build, host and maintain software is - and even older. But I wonder why we still run it/IT like decades ago? Observing cloud migration projects failing, which then becomes a cloud transformation project, which fails; and then you establish a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE), who should do the cloud work for you. Bad news: in most cases, your organization still fails.

We have an actual shortage of new professionals on the market, while the old generation is looking for retirement and not motivated to learn something new. And many middle-aged people don’t enjoy using the cloud. However, the technologies also don’t get more complex; they just get more. And for each layer, you need another expert. We practically cut down our available pool of experts through the amount of layers we stack together. And yes, I’m with you; if everyone would try to build their own layers, we would even need more people. But that’s not the answer. We need a renaissance of IT throwing all mid layer tech out of the window, ideally together with the organizations saying, “We have done this always like this” and are not open to new concepts.

Web 3.0 (and later Web3) and distributed ledger technology were promising directions. Simple, safe ways to run software. Yes, your 2000’ windows software doesn’t run on it, the mainframe also has hard times to migrate and all that uselessly collected data, the new gold, would be to expensive to store on it. All of it is right, but you are looking at the public parts of that tech. Why not combine them? Why not make your software easier to run? And most likely safer…

A funny anecdote about the safety of your data. Many years ago I had the advisory to a publishing company. They defined their knowledge as a digital asset of high value and must be better accessible, so a cloud project it was. After some time, the company's owner received the list of potential security risks our favorite cloud provider might have, and the project was done… The beauty of family businesses. The reason? He believed that their own data center is better protected and has fewer risks. On the way out, I had to walk across the courtyard and passed by an old little rusty door that was half open. I was curious because, normally, any door on that property was closed, as some parts of the property were publicly accessible. So I took a look and called to see if someone was in. There was no answer, just the loud sounds of hundreds of cooling fences for the servers. Now I know where the data is resting, and now I know that protecting that data is just an old rusty door. I wasn’t even sure it was waterproof.

Back to business. Web 3.0 and its descendants were screwed by scams, its early adoption with a not yet ready-developed solution landscape, and many people who doubt that this tech is serious. ICP, Algorand and co might drive a new renaissance. I hope so.

What do you think? What needs to change?

Why are so many organizations doing Scrum, SAFe and co wrong?

It’s fascinating how wrong you can do a thing when you believe it’s simple and just because you want it you are able to do it. The best agile projects I was in are at least 5 or more years ago. But today, as it has become a commodity, the projects are just degrading in their quality, acceptance of the method and the overall education of the frame you are working in.