6 Decades of Learning with Jim Highsmith, Agile Manifesto Co-Author

Podcasting with Jim Highsmith, co-author of Agile Manifesto, is an honor.

Jim is more than a legend to me, he’s a great person. Can you imagine that he helped me with my book without even knowing me? That’s what happened.

Some time ago I wrote something quite provocative, “Agile Manifesto Is Long Gone! We Need a Product Manifesto!” Jim dropped me a message and we chatted about it.

After some time, I decided to write a book. Then, I asked Jim to have a look at it. He shared his honest feedback, which helped me improve the structure, content, and flow. After that he gave me a generous foreword. I’m humbled.

You can learn more about my book, launched two months ago. The feedback has been awesome. Get the book if you’re up for defeating bullshit management.

Coming back to the podcast. It’s a 55 minutes of insights, history, and personal stories. In case you’re not up for that, here are 5 key takeaways directly from this talk:

1. Embrace Change

The future is uncertain. Nobody knows what and how will change for businesses and roles within the fast-paced advancement of AI and Biotech.
Being adaptable is crucial for future success.

2. Values First

If you want a new way of working, start with the values, then you can work out a process from that, not the other way around.
The agile movement's core strength lies in its values and principles, not methodologies. Stick to the basics for meaningful progress.

3. Communication is a Core Skill

Effective communication is what opens your doors and helps you grow.
Communication tops the list of desired skills, even above technical capabilities.

4. Leadership Evolution

Future leaders must create environments that foster innovation and autonomy. The way forward is to manage through intent rather than control.

5. Lifelong Learning

Continuous learning and adapting are vital. Do what boosts your energy, and don't be afraid of reinventing yourself, be afraid of becoming outdated.

Let's rock the product world together!

Here are a few ways I can help you even more:

1. Get my Book, Untrapping Product Teams

2. Upgrade your subscription to Premium and get one deeply thought newsletter per month (20+ minutes reading) plus access to 300+ episodes

3. Learn How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works

4. Develop the Necessary Skills to Beat Bullshit Management

5. Join my cohort, Product Discovery Done Right

Have a lovely day