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You Can't Assess AI-assisted Development Through Theory Or Tyre-kicking Alone

I see people forming views about the impact of AI-assisted development with a primarily theoretical lens or from early experiences using AI development tools. This is not enough for an informed view.
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Improving OKRs
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How leaders should invest their time: Walters' Lever of Improvement
 • Daniel Walters
A CTO's Guide to Time Management
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OKRs vs. KPIs: How CTOs Can Leverage Both for Lasting Improvement
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Recent posts

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What Principles Might Change In AI-assisted Software Development?
Some firmly held notions in software development may break as the automation promises of AI take hold. Let's explore some of these and take some…
 • 
Daniel Walters
A response to 'By what means? Management without objectives'
Readers may have noticed that I had been having a discussion with Martin Chesbrough about OKRs. You may have missed a long comment of mine on his blog…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Value-driven Technology Funding — Aligning Investment Mechanisms with Software Excellence
A misstep for new executives is sticking with the existing funding structure. What is the impact on software development when it's not fit for purpose…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Are Software Development Progressives Becoming the New Curmudgeons?
Knowing AI is hype-prone is one thing. It's another thing to deny the impact it's already having and risking becoming irrelevant. How can we miss the…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Attention CEOs! How You Fund and Manage Software Budgets May Be Damaging Your Investments
I’ve seen executives frustrated when software investments fall short. A key factor in success lies with them. Here’s how funding impacts development.
 • 
Daniel Walters
What Startups Should Consider When Shifting to be Product-led
A client recently asked some insightful questions as they prepared to transition from a services-led business to a product-led one. Many companies face…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: CEOs, Your Approach to Software Funding and Budgeting Could Be Damaging Your Investments
I’ve worked with executives who have great aspirations for their companies. They’re frustrated by software development not meeting those goals. What can…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Language Matters: Terminology in tech and its influence on behaviour
Does language follow behaviour or influence behaviour? My life experience leads me to believe it works both ways. Why is this relevant for technology…
 • 
Daniel Walters
A CTO Coach Directory
I've met many great CTO coaches. Wouldn't it be great if there was one place to find them? Here you go! ⤵️
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: CEOs, is your culture sabotaging software quality?
When I speak with CEOs, they often feel frustrated by their teams’ perceived lack of pace and urgency. But are their behaviours contributing to these…
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Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Quality vs speed in software development: insights for CEOs
We’ve long thought software dev a trade-off of quality vs speed. This has been said in many ways, e.g. ‘good, fast, cheap: pick any two’. On shallow…
 • 
Daniel Walters
3
On Business Leaders' Hypocritical Attitudes Towards AI and People
There's lots of excitement about the potential of AI and, of late, agentic AI and what it reveals about how AI is desired to be used is in contradiction…
 • 
Daniel Walters
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Daniel Walters
You Can't Assess AI-assisted Development Through Theory Or Tyre-kicking Alone
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Great CTO - Dedicated to helping CTOs thrive.
Great CTO - Dedicated to helping CTOs thrive.
A resource for tech leaders: Be a more helpful leader by giving teams the context they need to do their best work: practical advice and proven practices for CTOs by an experienced CTO and CTO Coach.

Leadership

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You Can't Assess AI-assisted Development Through Theory Or Tyre-kicking Alone
I see people forming views about the impact of AI-assisted development with a primarily theoretical lens or from early experiences using AI development…
 • 
Daniel Walters
What Principles Might Change In AI-assisted Software Development?
Some firmly held notions in software development may break as the automation promises of AI take hold. Let's explore some of these and take some…
 • 
Daniel Walters
A response to 'By what means? Management without objectives'
Readers may have noticed that I had been having a discussion with Martin Chesbrough about OKRs. You may have missed a long comment of mine on his blog…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Value-driven Technology Funding — Aligning Investment Mechanisms with Software Excellence
A misstep for new executives is sticking with the existing funding structure. What is the impact on software development when it's not fit for purpose…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Are Software Development Progressives Becoming the New Curmudgeons?
Knowing AI is hype-prone is one thing. It's another thing to deny the impact it's already having and risking becoming irrelevant. How can we miss the…
 • 
Daniel Walters

Focus with goals (OKR etc.)

View all
A response to 'By what means? Management without objectives'
Readers may have noticed that I had been having a discussion with Martin Chesbrough about OKRs. You may have missed a long comment of mine on his blog…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Multiple Points of Coherence can Help People be More Confident They are Aligned
In performance measurement and goal setting, the pattern of separating the goal from the evidence of progress has another benefit: testing and…
 • 
Daniel Walters
'Are OKRs Management Malpractice?' Part 5: How practitioners and OKR experts recommend OKRs be practised is poorly understood outside those…
There's been an evolution of OKRs are recommended to be practiced over the last decade but this shift is more apparent within the OKR practitioner…
 • 
Daniel Walters
2
'Are OKRs Management Malpractice?' Part 4: It strongly depends on what you hire OKRs for—management vs alignment.
OKRs appear to present a solution for two distinct needs of executives. One enables the empowerment of their teams, and the other is something much more…
 • 
Daniel Walters
'Are OKRs Management Malpractice?' Part 3: The worst forms of OKRs may be the most popular.
The growth in OKR's popularity attracts the certification industrial complex and tool vendors keen to cash in on the interest. Bad managers reach for…
 • 
Daniel Walters

Temperate AI - posts that cut past the hype through to practical application of AI

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You Can't Assess AI-assisted Development Through Theory Or Tyre-kicking Alone
I see people forming views about the impact of AI-assisted development with a primarily theoretical lens or from early experiences using AI development…
 • 
Daniel Walters
What Principles Might Change In AI-assisted Software Development?
Some firmly held notions in software development may break as the automation promises of AI take hold. Let's explore some of these and take some…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Are Software Development Progressives Becoming the New Curmudgeons?
Knowing AI is hype-prone is one thing. It's another thing to deny the impact it's already having and risking becoming irrelevant. How can we miss the…
 • 
Daniel Walters
On Business Leaders' Hypocritical Attitudes Towards AI and People
There's lots of excitement about the potential of AI and, of late, agentic AI and what it reveals about how AI is desired to be used is in contradiction…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Atlassian’s release of AI features might lack strategy.
Atlassian made a major release announcement of a range of AI capabilities integrated into products across their development tool suite. It's…
 • 
Daniel Walters

CTO

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You Can't Assess AI-assisted Development Through Theory Or Tyre-kicking Alone
I see people forming views about the impact of AI-assisted development with a primarily theoretical lens or from early experiences using AI development…
 • 
Daniel Walters
What Principles Might Change In AI-assisted Software Development?
Some firmly held notions in software development may break as the automation promises of AI take hold. Let's explore some of these and take some…
 • 
Daniel Walters
A response to 'By what means? Management without objectives'
Readers may have noticed that I had been having a discussion with Martin Chesbrough about OKRs. You may have missed a long comment of mine on his blog…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Value-driven Technology Funding — Aligning Investment Mechanisms with Software Excellence
A misstep for new executives is sticking with the existing funding structure. What is the impact on software development when it's not fit for purpose…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Are Software Development Progressives Becoming the New Curmudgeons?
Knowing AI is hype-prone is one thing. It's another thing to deny the impact it's already having and risking becoming irrelevant. How can we miss the…
 • 
Daniel Walters
Paid Subscribers Only: Attention CEOs! How You Fund and Manage Software Budgets May Be Damaging Your Investments
I’ve seen executives frustrated when software investments fall short. A key factor in success lies with them. Here’s how funding impacts development.
 • 
Daniel Walters
What Startups Should Consider When Shifting to be Product-led
A client recently asked some insightful questions as they prepared to transition from a services-led business to a product-led one. Many companies face…
 • 
Daniel Walters
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