# Ideas I Keep Coming Back To

> **Use this when:** you want to understand how I think about teams, delivery and growing organisations, or you're preparing a discussion with me.

*Last updated: 2026-10-12*

## Outcomes over output

Agree on the outcome and let the team find the route. People who own the "how" make better decisions than people who get handed a list of tasks.

## Connect strategy to execution

Most problems in organisations don't sit inside teams, they sit between levels: between strategy, coordination and the team doing the work. That's the core of Flight Levels thinking. Fix the connections and a lot of local problems go away.

## Flow over busyness

Being busy isn't the same as making progress. Limit work in progress, make the flow of work visible, and measure throughput and cycle time instead of utilisation.

## Forecast, don't estimate

Story-point estimates are guesses. Probabilistic forecasting based on historical flow data gives better answers with less effort. It's also why I talk to customers in quarters, not dates.

## Match the approach to the problem

Complicated problems need experts and analysis. Complex problems need experiments and fast feedback (Cynefin). Using the wrong approach is a common reason good teams struggle.

## Data first, small experiments, then lock it in

Start from what the data says. Test the hypothesis in small, cheap experiments. When something works, write it down and make it the standard way of working.

## Builders who make room

My background is in building things. These days I use that knowledge to make room for experts, not to do their work. Knowing the craft is what lets me have the right conversation with them.

## Grow sustainably

Scale your processes before they break, not after. Sustainable growth means the organisation can take on more without wearing people out.

## Teams are the unit of performance

High-performing teams are grown, not assembled. They go through life cycles, and they need good team leads, mentorship, and leaders who can show vulnerability.

## One team, no blame

Customers, product and engineering are on the same side. Blame slows everything down; honesty speeds it up.

## Further reading

I wrote about these ideas on my Substack, [The Agile Mindset](https://theagilemindset.substack.com/) (archive, 2022–2024).