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Stop Starting, Start Finishing with Agile – ReadWrite

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agile model for projects


The competitive, oversaturated market pushes companies to seek better ways to manage workload and optimize the working process to strive for continuous improvement and client satisfaction. At the same time, leaders are also looking towards acquiring that entrepreneur Agility. Thus, many have been fostering Agile thinking and mindset within their teams.

Agile mindset is a system of beliefs characterized by a customer-centric approach, emphasizing communication and consistent collaboration with the customer and inside the team. It is executed through practices of Kanban, Scrum, XP. The four Agile values, defined in the Agile Manifesto, deliver value to the customer, responsiveness to change, effective communication, and people centricity.

What is Agile Thinking?

Agile thinking is about embracing the philosophy of continuous change and growth over time. It’s more than just working by the Agile principles. It’s about achieving excellence: delivering maximum value and creating the best product possible based on the customer’s needs, responding to changes as the project progresses to achieve the final result envisioned by the client.

The primary objective of any project is client satisfaction. This can be achieved through relentless work and hundreds of hours put in by the team. But at some point, you have to look back and make sure that you not only work hard but work smart.

You can put in double the hours to complete a huge chunk of work, or you can optimize your process and deliver results faster.

You may work on a big project from start to finish and present it to the client, work in iterations, show some usable functionality at each step of the process, take in feedback, and adjust on the go.

In this day and age, when everything is moving fast, and change is inevitable, the latter is the preferable choice. More and more companies lean toward adopting agile culture into their team through its principles and behaviors.

Stop Starting, Start Finishing with Agile

The whole Agile culture might be clearly explained by the statement “Stop starting, start finishing” that lies in the methodology basis.

This notorious quote has been attributed to many individuals, but, originally it was used at a stand-up meeting in February of 2004 by David J. Anderson, the thought leader and the pioneer of the Kanban movement and CEO of Kanban University. The meaning behind it comes from one of the key ideas of Kanban, which is limiting the number of items in progress, preferably working on one task at a time.

Productivity may be a concern if you are working on multiple tasks simultaneously. That is why the focus should be on finishing tasks, one way of accomplishing which may be having fewer tasks “in progress.” You want to deliver tangible results, instead of piling up unfinished tasks and becoming overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work that needs to be completed, all within deadlines.

What are the Actionable Tips for “Stop Starting, Start Finishing?”

Or maybe you are a hardcore multitasker and cannot begin to imagine how this could be feasible? Here are some tips on how you can do this.

  • Try not to have unfinished tasks migrate from Sprint to Sprint. Maximize the effectiveness of your Sprint planning and be realistic about your capacity.
  • Don’t pile up WIP items. Having too many tasks in progress creates an elusiveness of being too busy and reduces overall productivity.
  • Know how you spend your time. How much time it takes you to complete a task. This will help you improve planning and manage your time better. That way, you can achieve balance and maximum efficiency, reduce stress, and be a better version of yourself.
  • Know your dependencies. If you can’t effectively finish tasks within a given time frame, this bears a burden on the entire team and even cross-team. Be mindful of the people who rely on you having finished the task on time.
  • Be committed to finishing the tasks that you take up. Know what you can manage, and don’t bite off more than you can chew.
  • Don’t bounce between unfinished tasks. This may mean that you are inefficient and not completing any tasks. Instead, it would be better to focus on one task at a time.
  • Keep a zero inbox. Keep up effective communication with your team and the customer.
  • Deliver acceptable results. Favor value over output. Your main objective is to deliver a useable product to the customer. Know what is expected and deliver results.
  • Teamwork and collaboration. It’s not only about working on individual tasks but what’s important is to assess if, as a team, we can collaborate towards completing a user story and how to improve this teamwork.

The point being, you should manage your time and workload better, improve prioritization of tasks, know what’s expected, and work as a team.

How to think “Agile.”

Applying Agile basics to your work routine may be an easy adjustment, but what presents a real challenge is to change the way you think, adjust your entire mindset. You may try to achieve this by creating appropriate conditions for improvement in your working environment.

Agile rests upon the three pillars of People, Processes, and Tools. Thereby derive the main principles to achieve organizational Agility:

  • Define the purpose. Set your eyes on the goal and do whatever it takes to reach it. Team collaboration directed at completing a user-story takes priority over each individual to-do list, as it takes a team effort on all stages of the project cycle to create a useable product or piece of functionality.
  • Visualize the scope of work. To assist this, teams use a Kanban board available in many management tools like Jira and the like. With a Kanban board, you can see the entire scope of work for the planned period of time and the status of each task.
  • Embrace planning in all its forms. These are PI planning, sprint planning, daily stand-ups.
  • Seek continuous improvement. Measure your performance, set goals, and plan ahead. Have regular checkpoints to see how well you are doing.

The Agile process model, as depicted in the image below, shows a single cycle of a project which comprises gathering the requirements, design stage, development, testing, deployment, and review.

Agile Model for Project Requirements

Upon the completion of each cycle, the client might find that there are new requirements for the project. Thus, the iterative nature of the project allows remaining flexible to any changes that may arise and respond to the client’s feedback upon each step of the process. Embracing the change allows for the project to grow and improve over time.

Benefits of implementing Agile thinking

Implemented properly Agile approach brings substantial business values for companies who apply it comparing with those who don’t and with any other methodology. Among some of the essential Agile benefits that matter for businesses are:

Increased productivity

The team can deliver higher quality products fast. A minimum viable product is delivered at the end of every sprint.

Continuous growth and innovation

Agile is a “growth” mindset. Flexibility to immediate changes in requirements means that the project constantly improves. This is a great environment to embrace innovation in all its aspects. This applies both to the project, team performance and processes. Through regular reviews and feedback, each team member is encouraged to always learn and grow as a professional. The processes are consistently reviewed and adapted to the current needs to increase efficiency and productivity.

Customer satisfaction

Agile is characterized by increased customer engagement in the project. The customer has more of a say in what is being done and how. If any changes are required, they are accounted for and implemented in the next iteration of the project. The customers get exactly what they want.

Trust and transparency

Agile is all about trust in team and business operations generally. That’s why companies that are using this approach are considered to be more trusted to partner up with other businesses. A great deal of trust is built by transparency. The team and the client know exactly what’s going on at any given stage of the project. The team is committed to the cause, with everyone working towards reaching the final goal. Clarity helps avoid issues, delays, and costly errors.

Reduced risks

The Agile approach encourages the team to be flexible to changes and be responsive to new requirements that may arise. In fact, it’s encouraged to implement changes in the project as possible. This has proven to greatly reduce risks and associated costs.

Summing up

Having adopted Agile thinking as the primary foundation for the workplace philosophy allows companies to keep up with the demands of the market and stay on top of the competition.

Learning and applying the principles to everyday routines and activities makes up an Agile team that is goal-oriented and responsive to change with the sole focus on creating a high-quality product and bringing to life the idea envisioned by the client.

Top Image Credit: liza summer; pexels; thank you!



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Fintech Kennek raises $12.5M seed round to digitize lending

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Google eyed for $2 billion Anthropic deal after major Amazon play


London-based fintech startup Kennek has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to expand its lending operating system.

According to an Oct. 10 tech.eu report, the round was led by HV Capital and included participation from Dutch Founders Fund, AlbionVC, FFVC, Plug & Play Ventures, and Syndicate One. Kennek offers software-as-a-service tools to help non-bank lenders streamline their operations using open banking, open finance, and payments.

The platform aims to automate time-consuming manual tasks and consolidate fragmented data to simplify lending. Xavier De Pauw, founder of Kennek said:

“Until kennek, lenders had to devote countless hours to menial operational tasks and deal with jumbled and hard-coded data – which makes every other part of lending a headache. As former lenders ourselves, we lived and breathed these frustrations, and built kennek to make them a thing of the past.”

The company said the latest funding round was oversubscribed and closed quickly despite the challenging fundraising environment. The new capital will be used to expand Kennek’s engineering team and strengthen its market position in the UK while exploring expansion into other European markets. Barbod Namini, Partner at lead investor HV Capital, commented on the investment:

“Kennek has developed an ambitious and genuinely unique proposition which we think can be the foundation of the entire alternative lending space. […] It is a complicated market and a solution that brings together all information and stakeholders onto a single platform is highly compelling for both lenders & the ecosystem as a whole.”

The fintech lending space has grown rapidly in recent years, but many lenders still rely on legacy systems and manual processes that limit efficiency and scalability. Kennek aims to leverage open banking and data integration to provide lenders with a more streamlined, automated lending experience.

The seed funding will allow the London-based startup to continue developing its platform and expanding its team to meet demand from non-bank lenders looking to digitize operations. Kennek’s focus on the UK and Europe also comes amid rising adoption of open banking and open finance in the regions.

Featured Image Credit: Photo from Kennek.io; Thank you!

Radek Zielinski

Radek Zielinski is an experienced technology and financial journalist with a passion for cybersecurity and futurology.

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Fortune 500’s race for generative AI breakthroughs

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Deanna Ritchie


As excitement around generative AI grows, Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, are carefully examining the possible applications of this technology. A recent survey of U.S. executives indicated that 60% believe generative AI will substantially impact their businesses in the long term. However, they anticipate a one to two-year timeframe before implementing their initial solutions. This optimism stems from the potential of generative AI to revolutionize various aspects of businesses, from enhancing customer experiences to optimizing internal processes. In the short term, companies will likely focus on pilot projects and experimentation, gradually integrating generative AI into their operations as they witness its positive influence on efficiency and profitability.

Goldman Sachs’ Cautious Approach to Implementing Generative AI

In a recent interview, Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti revealed that the firm has not yet implemented any generative AI use cases. Instead, the company focuses on experimentation and setting high standards before adopting the technology. Argenti recognized the desire for outcomes in areas like developer and operational efficiency but emphasized ensuring precision before putting experimental AI use cases into production.

According to Argenti, striking the right balance between driving innovation and maintaining accuracy is crucial for successfully integrating generative AI within the firm. Goldman Sachs intends to continue exploring this emerging technology’s potential benefits and applications while diligently assessing risks to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.

One possible application for Goldman Sachs is in software development, where the company has observed a 20-40% productivity increase during its trials. The goal is for 1,000 developers to utilize generative AI tools by year’s end. However, Argenti emphasized that a well-defined expectation of return on investment is necessary before fully integrating generative AI into production.

To achieve this, the company plans to implement a systematic and strategic approach to adopting generative AI, ensuring that it complements and enhances the skills of its developers. Additionally, Goldman Sachs intends to evaluate the long-term impact of generative AI on their software development processes and the overall quality of the applications being developed.

Goldman Sachs’ approach to AI implementation goes beyond merely executing models. The firm has created a platform encompassing technical, legal, and compliance assessments to filter out improper content and keep track of all interactions. This comprehensive system ensures seamless integration of artificial intelligence in operations while adhering to regulatory standards and maintaining client confidentiality. Moreover, the platform continuously improves and adapts its algorithms, allowing Goldman Sachs to stay at the forefront of technology and offer its clients the most efficient and secure services.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Google DeepMind; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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UK seizes web3 opportunity simplifying crypto regulations

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Deanna Ritchie


As Web3 companies increasingly consider leaving the United States due to regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom must simplify its cryptocurrency regulations to attract these businesses. The conservative think tank Policy Exchange recently released a report detailing ten suggestions for improving Web3 regulation in the country. Among the recommendations are reducing liability for token holders in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and encouraging the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to adopt alternative Know Your Customer (KYC) methodologies, such as digital identities and blockchain analytics tools. These suggestions aim to position the UK as a hub for Web3 innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses looking for a more conducive regulatory environment.

Streamlining Cryptocurrency Regulations for Innovation

To make it easier for emerging Web3 companies to navigate existing legal frameworks and contribute to the UK’s digital economy growth, the government must streamline cryptocurrency regulations and adopt forward-looking approaches. By making the regulatory landscape clear and straightforward, the UK can create an environment that fosters innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the global fintech industry.

The Policy Exchange report also recommends not weakening self-hosted wallets or treating proof-of-stake (PoS) services as financial services. This approach aims to protect the fundamental principles of decentralization and user autonomy while strongly emphasizing security and regulatory compliance. By doing so, the UK can nurture an environment that encourages innovation and the continued growth of blockchain technology.

Despite recent strict measures by UK authorities, such as His Majesty’s Treasury and the FCA, toward the digital assets sector, the proposed changes in the Policy Exchange report strive to make the UK a more attractive location for Web3 enterprises. By adopting these suggestions, the UK can demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency industries while ensuring a robust and transparent regulatory environment.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in various countries has prompted Web3 companies to explore alternative jurisdictions with more precise legal frameworks. As the United States grapples with regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom can position itself as a hub for Web3 innovation by simplifying and streamlining its cryptocurrency regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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