Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I had this realization during our daily standup today—all these "revolutionary" agile frameworks we're implementing aren't actually new ideas. The  SAFe, Scrum of Scrums—they're just fresh packaging of timeless human wisdom about collaboration and adaptation.

When our agile coach introduced that "innovative" approach to retrospectives last sprint, I smiled to myself. Ancient Romans had their own versions of looking back and learning from experience. Our fancy Kanban board? Just a digital version of how craftspeople have managed workflows for centuries.

But here's what makes our transformation special: it's happening with our unique team, in our specific company, right now. No one has ever implemented agile practices with exactly our mix of personalities, challenges, and goals before. The combination of our junior developer's enthusiasm, our product owner's vision, and our particular market pressures—that's never existed quite this way before.

I can't control whether the executive team will change priorities again or if a critical stakeholder will miss another demo. But I do have power over how I respond. When our last sprint got derailed by unexpected technical debt, I could have gone into blame mode. Instead, I helped facilitate a problem-solving session that got us back on track.

There's something comforting about knowing that humans have always faced change and needed to adapt. Our team struggles with WIP limits and capacity planning just like countless others before us. But we're applying these eternal principles to our specific challenges today.

I might not be revolutionizing project management with my standup updates or refinement suggestions, but I'm bringing my unique perspective to these timeless practices. Our transformation isn't groundbreaking in concept, but it's still our unique journey—trying, failing, learning, and ultimately moving forward together.

Today's sprint planning is my chance to embody these ancient principles of collaboration in a way that only I can, right here, right now.

I may not be reinventing the wheel with my thoughts, but I'm the only one who gets to think them exactly this way, right now. And that's pretty cool.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Today's gonna ask something specific from each of us. I can't expect to enjoy every single thing that happens, but I can count on learning something from each experience if I'm ready for it - like that saying about the teacher showing up when the student is ready.

It doesn't take much looking back to see that my toughest times actually led to my biggest growth. Whenever I've achieved something worthwhile, there's always been frustration along the way, times I felt lost, and moments where I felt like giving up because things weren't turning out like I hoped. But looking back, what actually happened usually benefited me way more than what I originally wanted.

My vision for my life is pretty limited - I really can't imagine all the possibilities ahead. The best I can do is trust that my experiences, even the difficult ones, are somehow working out for my benefit in ways I can't see yet.

I'm going to try to remember today that I'm the student and my experiences are teaching me something, even when the lessons aren't fun ones.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I've noticed how keeping secrets is basically the same as keeping myself stuck. All those stuffed-down feelings and thoughts I don't share? They actually limit who I can become. But when I let people really see me - the real, unfiltered version - that's when I find more opportunities to grow and be happy. Those secrets I keep are like carrying around extra weight that I don't need.

Sure, it's totally my choice whether to put up walls around my inner self. Being vulnerable is scary stuff - it takes guts and strength to open up. And yeah, there's always that risk that someone might betray my trust. But one thing's for certain: the words and thoughts I keep hidden end up haunting me way more than sharing them ever could.

I've experienced that amazing gift that comes with being totally honest and open - this deep connection with others that's almost impossible to describe. It's the kind of friendship that makes all my self-doubts fade away. There's this incredible feeling when that happens - suddenly everything, even the hard stuff, becomes an opportunity for finding more happiness.

I might feel tempted to keep some things to myself today. But I'm going to try to remember that sharing these secrets will actually free me from burdens that are weighing me down.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

You know what's funny? I've stopped being surprised when customers do a complete 180. Working with business teams, I've seen how yesterday's "absolutely must have" features can end up in the trash when a new wave of changes hits.

Yeah, it's rough on the teams who've been working their tails off, only to suddenly switch gears to the next "urgent" thing. But here's the deal - customers are like that. Their needs are always changing, and it feels like they're moving at light speed, throwing a million requests your way.

Sometimes it feels weird to keep grinding away at what seems like a great solution. Or even crazier - scrapping everything you've worked on and starting fresh because there might be something better out there. Sounds wild, right?

Look, those check-ins with customers aren't going anywhere. So here's how to stay sane and actually get stuff done:

First off - yeah, the customer's usually right. But (and this is a big but) - if something feels off, speak up! Maybe you're seeing wasted opportunities, or they're stuck overthinking, or moving way too fast. Lots of mixed signals there, but hey - keep your brain switched on.

Show them you're making progress, even if it's baby steps. Keep those demos coming - it's like leaving breadcrumbs to show you're headed in the right direction. Think ahead too - like a chess player. How's your customer gonna react? Always have a backup plan in your pocket.

As Warren Buffett put it (in a pretty intense way): "Focus on your customer and lead your people as though their lives depend on your success."

My big lightbulb moment? It came after falling flat on my face a few times. Every major change project hits some speed bumps - it's part of the deal. That's when it clicked: it's all about your customers. Trying to plan some big transformation without them at the table? That's like cooking dinner for someone without asking what they like to eat!

Sure, it seems obvious - show them what you're building, get their thoughts. But you'd be amazed how often people skip this and get caught up in massive upfront planning without thinking about taking it step by step. So here's your superpower: stick close to your customers and what they need. That's really all there is to it.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"The ability to learn when things are not going fine is an unspoken skill. Build it through self reflection. You will turn out to be an undisputed leader in any field of your choice. The bonus along with that is your peace of mind."