David will talk about his time in the software industry. On the lessons he learned through XP, via his founding of the extreme programming club (that later became Agile Yorkshire) to setting up a company that is passionate about delivery rather than simply the process used to deliver. David will talk about what parts of Agile are important to him and what parts of Agile he believes have been misunderstood, mis-represented or just plain abused. Based on his experience, he will talk about what he has learned of delivery in large organisations and how this compares and contrasts with delivery in smaller set-ups (such as start ups).

Tests. Gotta have em. They give you a warm and fuzzy feeling as you refactor, make iterative change to your functionality or upgrade your platform. The problem with having them is that they need to be tended, pruned, encouragingly whispered to and, at times, just shouted at. Each test you create is an investment. And investments can depreciate as well as appreciate. So, what happens when your tests become golden handcuffs? I have a tale to tell which is unfortunately not all that tall. Being at a startup and finding the right level and intensity of testing is quite a tough ask, as we discovered. Testing became a contentious talking point which was revisited in conversation and in ceremonies repeatedly, never quite reaching a point where we could all move on and get stuff done. Do not lose heart though. Perhaps you can hear what I've learned and save yourself from drowning in a sea of meaningless checks. Experience has taught me a few lessons in the last year, so I'm going to share. I'm good like that. Lets turn those tests into joyful creatures of freedom, helping you get on with what we are here for, generating value.