Hanser, my publisher, interviewed me about what drives me and the topics that matter to me, above all the agile mindset: an attitude that is open to change, thinks collaboratively and reacts quickly. The interview first appeared on Hanser’s blog “Hanser-Update”.
This interview is all about Richard Seidl, software testing expert and co-author of the book “Agile Testing: Der agile Weg zur Qualität” (The Agile Way to Quality). You may already know him from his articles “Tester vs. Technical Debt”, the interview about the “Agile Testing Days” and, most recently, “5 Questions, 5 Answers on Software Testing”. This time, look forward to a very personal piece from and with him.
Why I Write Books
What motivates you to write a book?
For me, books and articles are about sharing knowledge. Every day I see the successes, synergies and progress that get going when people share what they know. I see it in development teams, in companies and in society as a whole. And since I take in a lot of knowledge myself, passing mine on just makes sense. Another driver is the chance to focus deeply on one topic: looking at it again from different angles, questioning it, talking it through with others and debating opinions. That always moves me forward on the subject, too.
Agile Mindset: Why Methods Alone Aren’t Enough
Why is this topic close to your heart?
My last book was about testing in an agile environment. To me, the ideas behind agility are a key step toward a reorganization that many areas of life won’t be able to avoid. Why? Because we live in exciting times! The world around us is changing faster and faster, sometimes faster than we’d like, and technology is moving at a rapid pace. The catch is that in most areas this development is exponential rather than linear. That stretches our imagination, so we project the last ten years onto the next ten, and that calms us down a bit. The point is, we have no idea what the next ten years will bring, whether at work, in society, for the environment or anywhere else. But it looks as if change and unexpected impacts will only increase. I find that exciting, and I ask myself how I can deal with it. Freezing up or giving up wouldn’t do me any good. And this is where the agile mindset comes in. Being open to change, thinking collaboratively, staying flexible and able to react quickly: I currently see all of these as useful strategies for the future. So for me, agility is first and foremost a matter of mindset. If the attitude and inner stance aren’t there, I’ll struggle to succeed even with agile methods and good practices. (In my view, that’s also a reason why so many projects fail: nobody really wants it, but because the process says so, people still stand together for 15 minutes every day.)
The exciting part, though, is this: once I adopt that attitude, I can apply agile methods in every area of life and become more flexible, more resilient and more relaxed, whether in family life, in my hobbies or in how I shape my life. Changes around me stress me out less and may even plant the seed for something new.
Right now, agility is an important part of my toolbox and helps me in many contexts. But that is changing too, and I don’t believe in glorifying agile methods, whether in software projects or in everyday life. They’re an important step, but there’s more to come. Will we still call them that in a few years, or will we be following other concepts? Who knows.
All in all, that’s what’s close to my heart: helping people, teams and companies experience this mindset and inspiring them to keep growing. Agility is a good way in.
Writing in the Flow
What does your typical workflow on a manuscript look like?
I like working out in nature best. That’s where I get into a writing flow fastest, turning the first outline into paragraphs and the paragraphs into chapters. I write only on the computer; I use paper for sketches and mind maps. Focus is extremely important to me while writing, both at the computer and at my desk. Mail, phone and so on switched off, and ideally a plain text editor. I use Ulysses. I usually write for half an hour to an hour and a half at a stretch, then I’ve had enough and take a break.
What did you particularly enjoy about writing your last book, and what would you do differently next time?
For me, the best moment in the writing process is when I get into the flow and can simply write my thoughts down without interruption. And that’s also what I want to improve: I sometimes let spelling mistakes and the like interrupt my flow and start looking things up, which really isn’t necessary at that stage. Otherwise, I’m happy with my writing process as it is.
Are you already planning or writing a new book?
I’m always collecting ideas, paragraphs and thoughts. And the idea for a new book is taking shape out of them right now.
So there’s more to look forward to. Thank you for the insights, and good luck turning that idea into a book!
