The strongest articles on engineering excellence and technical leadership — ranked by substance, not recency. How this is ranked
Engineering as a Leadership System: Moving Beyond Frameworks
Delivery outcomes are shaped less by frameworks and practices than by the operating model leaders have designed. How an organisation's …
Why Most Companies Operating Models Fail in Dynamic Markets
A concise comparison of Predictive and Adaptive Operating Models, explaining why traditional structures fail in dynamic markets and how …
One Azure DevOps Project for 1,500 People Is Not the Risky Option
Compare the coordination costs of separate Azure DevOps Projects with the governance a shared Project requires, using actual dependencies …
Telling People What to Do Is Not Leadership. It’s a Failure of System Design
Explores why real leadership means designing systems that enable team autonomy, flow, and accountability, rather than relying on …
The AI Decided Is Not an Explanation
When an AI says it got bored or we say it lied, we give a machine feelings and intentions. The false output needs an explanation, not an …
AI Agents Lie About Being Done
My agent reported every task complete when half the tests were missing. Call that a lie if you like. The engineering problem is that the …
Don’t Manage Dependencies, Remove Them
Explains why dependencies are a sign of poor system design and outlines steps to eliminate them by aligning teams, clarifying ownership, and …
The Estimation Trap: How Tracking Accuracy Undermines Trust, Flow, and Value in Software Delivery
Tracking estimation accuracy in software delivery leads to mistrust, fear, and distorted behaviours. Focus on customer value, flow, and …
Is Agile Really Just a Mindset?
Explores Agile as a disciplined system of delivery, emphasizing engineering excellence, CI/CD, observability, and system design over mindset …
597 resources, newest first
Metrics that matter with evidence-based management
Explains how evidence-based management uses reliable metrics and KPIs at team and organisational levels to drive better decisions, value …
Team Foundation server 2013 Update 2 RC is coming, are you ready?
Learn about the free Microsoft-supported TFS 2013 Update 2 RC upgrade event, key new features like tag management, and how to register …
Building a release pipeline with Release Management with Visual Studio 2013
Explains how to set up a scalable release pipeline using Release Management in Visual Studio 2013, covering continuous release, feedback …
Install Release Management 2013
Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Release Management 2013, including Server, Client, and Deployment Agent for Visual Studio …
Installing Release Management Server for TFS 2013
Step-by-step guide to downloading, installing, and configuring Release Management Server for Team Foundation Server 2013, including offline …
Execute Tests with Release Management for Visual Studio 2013
Learn how to automate test execution during deployments using Release Management for Visual Studio 2013, including setup steps, environment …
Move your Active Directory domain to another server
Learn how to transfer an Active Directory domain to a new server, including moving FSMO roles and the Global Catalogue, to ensure domain …
Change the Release Management Server that your Client connects to
Learn how to change the Release Management Server URL in the client, including manual config file edits and using a utility tool when the …
Installing Release Management Client for Visual Studio 2013
Step-by-step guide to downloading, installing, and configuring the Release Management Client for Visual Studio 2013, including setup tips …
Error adding Active Directory Group to Release Management Client in Visual Studio 2013
Explains how to resolve unhandled exceptions when adding Active Directory groups in Release Management Client for Visual Studio 2013 by …
Professional Scrum in Immingham, UK
Summary of a multi-team Professional Scrum training at DFDS Seaways in Immingham, UK, highlighting co-located learning, cross-team …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] Value cannot be null. Parameter name: key
Explains how a missing required Team Field in customised TFS 2013 work item templates causes "Value cannot be null" errors, and how to …
Visual Studio 2013 and TFS 2013 are released, get yours now! Oh and Windows 8.1…
Visual Studio 2013, Team Foundation Server 2013, and Windows 8.1 are now available, offering new ALM features, upgrade options, and …
PowerShell TFS 2013 API #2 - Adding to a GlobalList
Learn how to use PowerShell and the TFS 2013 API to automate adding items to a GlobalList by exporting, editing, and re-importing global …
PowerShell TFS 2013 API #1 - Get TfsCollection and TFS Services
Learn how to use PowerShell to connect to TFS 2013, import required assemblies, and access core TFS services like Work Item Store, Version …
Granting access to Team Foundation Server 2012 for diagnostic troubleshooting
Learn how to grant users or groups access to TFS 2012 diagnostic activity logs for troubleshooting without full admin rights, using …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] TF255466 A previous update or installation requires a restart
Explains how to resolve the persistent TF255466 error when installing TFS 2013 after SQL Server 2012 SP1, caused by pending reboots and …
Unable to install Visual Studio 2013 RC on Windows 8.1 Preview
Explains why Visual Studio 2013 RC and Team Foundation Server 2013 RC cannot be installed on Windows 8.1 Preview due to .NET version issues, …
Upgrading from the TFS 2013 Preview to TFS 2013 RC
Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2013 Preview to TFS 2013 RC, covering prerequisites, trial upgrades, installation, configuration, …
What's new in Visual Studio 2013 and TFS 2013 RC
Overview of new features in Visual Studio 2013 and TFS 2013 RC, including Team Explorer updates, agile tools, test management, charting, and …
There is no "do agile" there is only "be agile"
Explores the difference between adopting agile practices superficially and truly embracing agile values, highlighting the need for deep …
Review: The Professional Scrum Masters Handbook
A critical review of The Professional Scrum Masters Handbook, highlighting its practical tips for new Scrum Masters and common Scrum …
The evolution of naked ALM with Pagelines DMS for Wordpress
Explores migrating from Pagelines Framework to Pagelines DMS on WordPress, highlighting improved customisation, drag-and-drop editing, and …
A change for the better #4 - Homecoming
Details a move from the USA back to Scotland for family and education reasons, continuing ALM consulting, and plans to offer agile coaching …
Integrate reporting and analyses services with Team Foundation Server 2013
Learn how to add and configure SQL Server Reporting and Analysis Services for Team Foundation Server 2013, including integration steps and …
Searching for self-organisation
Explores the challenges and benefits of self-organising teams, highlighting key factors like team accountability, identity, size, and …
Integrate SharePoint 2013 with Team Foundation Server 2013
Step-by-step guide to integrating SharePoint 2013 with Team Foundation Server 2013, covering installation, configuration, and linking team …
Quality enablement to achieve predictable delivery
Explains how defining quality standards, acceptance criteria, and automation in software delivery leads to predictable outcomes, fewer bugs, …
Team Foundation Server 2013 is production ready
Team Foundation Server 2013 is stable for production use, addressing past update issues with improved agility, technical debt management, …
Creating a custom Activity for Team Foundation Build
Learn how to create and integrate custom activities in Team Foundation Build, including class library setup, workflow design, argument …
Video: New with Visual Studio 2013: Manage portfolio backlogs to understand the scope of work
Learn how Visual Studio 2013’s portfolio backlog management tools help teams organise work, track epics, and understand project scope for …
Modelling Teams in Team Foundation Server 2013
Guidance on structuring teams, areas, iterations, source control, and security in Team Foundation Server 2013 to support project management …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] InRelease account requires make requests on behalf of others
Explains how to resolve InRelease connection errors with TFS 2013 by granting the required "make requests on behalf of others" permission to …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] You get TF400324 when connecting InRelease to TFS
Explains how to resolve TF400324 errors when connecting InRelease 3 to TFS 2013, including correct URL usage and a supported PowerShell fix …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] You need elevated privileges to install InRelease
Learn how to resolve InRelease 3 installation failures on Team Foundation Server 2013 by running the installer with elevated privileges via …
Does your company culture resemble Survivor?
Explores how individualistic, competitive company cultures hinder collaboration and agility, and highlights the benefits of fostering …
Create a Portfolio Backlog hierarchy in Team Foundation Server 2013
Learn how to customise Team Foundation Server 2013 to add a multi-level Portfolio Backlog hierarchy by editing work item types, categories, …
Issue [ TFS 2013 ] TF50309 when configuring features in Team Foundation Server 2013
Explains how to resolve TF50309 permission errors when configuring features in Team Foundation Server 2012/2013 by assigning the 'Manage …
Engaging with complexity - Team Foundation Server Edition
Detailed walkthrough of a complex Team Foundation Server migration, covering remediation, hardware moves, upgrades, user management, and …
Windows 8.1 Preview Issue - The update is not applicable to your computer
Explains how to fix the "The update is not applicable to your computer" error when installing Windows 8.1 Preview, including region settings …
Customise the colours in Team Foundation Server 2013 Agile Planning Tools
Learn how to change work item colours in TFS 2013 Agile Planning Tools by editing the Process Configuration XML file and updating hex colour …
Issue [ TFS 2013 Preview ] TF400654: Unable to configure Planning Tools
Explains how to resolve TF400654 errors in TFS 2013 Preview by updating process templates to ensure custom fields exist in all required work …
Upgrading to Visual Studio Scrum 3.0 process template in TFS 2013
Learn how to fully upgrade your Team Foundation Server 2013 projects to the Visual Studio Scrum 3.0 process template, including steps for …
Configure features in Team Foundation Server 2013
Learn how to enable and configure new features in Team Foundation Server 2013 after upgrading, including using the built-in wizard and …
Upgrading to Team Foundation Server 2013
Step-by-step guide to upgrading to Team Foundation Server 2013, including backup, installation, configuration, validation, and estimated …
Installing Visual Studio 2013 on Server 2012
Step-by-step guide to installing Visual Studio 2013 alongside Visual Studio 2012 on Windows Server 2012, covering setup, disk space, login, …
What's new in Visual Studio 2013 Team Foundation Server Preview
Highlights new features in Visual Studio 2013 Team Foundation Server, including agile portfolio management, enhanced team collaboration, and …
Engaging with complexity - SharePoint Edition
Step-by-step guide to consolidating and upgrading multiple SharePoint 2010 sites to SharePoint 2013, including database migration, firewall …
Creating a Work Item with defaults in Team Foundation Server
Learn how to pre-populate Team Foundation Server work items with default values using template URLs, making it easier for users to create …
Issue [ TFS 2012.2 ] Detaching collection fails on SnapshotIdentities with object reference not set to an instance of an object
Explains how detaching a Team Project Collection in TFS 2012.x can fail due to orphaned identities, causing a NullReferenceException, and …