I empowered him to make design decisions, of course. With little to no guidance, he did a great job, and when the contract was over in December 2013, he told me the Tennessee engagement was the best engagement he ever had.
That was all I needed to know.
In agile software development, teams are supposed to self-organize to get work done. But self-organization was so foreign to corporate cultures that most teams floundered. It wasn't that they couldn't learn agile practices. They could; agile practices are simple. It was using them within their rigid environments that was hard. It was like pouring new wine into an old wineskin.
Agile coach consultants helped a little. They insulated teams long enough for them to learn the practices, but often, everything they learned fell to the wayside as soon as the consultant left.
Teams needed a cost-effective, long-term solution.
That was the motivation behind the People First Empowerment Platform. The platform included the People First assessment plus a feature that encouraged continued use of agile software development by putting team strengths to work. It was like having an agile coach advocating for them long after the consultant was gone.
I started developing the platform in January 2014. By March 11th, most of the high-value stories were done. They addressed the what: the roles and work products. The how: tasks where team members' strengths came into play. And the when: the process. There were quite a few stories to develop. I kept my head down coding through January, February, and March. Then in April 2014, I was sub-contracted as a requirements instructor with [Company] again to deliver twenty 4-day Boot Camps to business analysts to prepare them to work on upcoming strategic projects. Not optimal, but it was paying the bills.
On July 2, 2014, I wrote:
Good morning, Lord!"
I have been sitting with you this morning for an hour or so, reading your word and listening for your voice.
“My sheep hear my voice”
Monday, You told me to go to [My Consulting Partners] and 'lay down at the feet of Boaz on the threshing floor' I did. I left the house at the exact time, 11:55 am. And went in person to schedule a meeting with [Name]. Later in the day, I found out that he doesn't want to meet with me.
Not exactly how the story is supposed to go.
Can I actually hear from You? Or am I just making all this up as I go along?
— I just checked my email... I have a meeting set for August 1st.
Thank You, Lord."
On August 1, 2014, I put on one of my best suits. It was a gray sharkskin wonder that made me look like a million bucks, but even so, my stomach was in knots. I took a deep breath as he invited me into his office.
He gestured to the seat in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
I sat on the edge of my seat and leaned forward. After exchanging the required small talk, I told him I wanted their help to produce and distribute the People First Empowerment Platform and services to their clients. I proposed that his company and my company, Salt Productions, form a legal partnership.
I explained how I would lead the development of the product while training a select number of his employees in agile methodologies and People First. I had already instructed several of his employees in agile, so he knew I could do it.
Then, I explained how we could train and coach customers using short-term engagements, leaving them to use the platform on a yearly paid subscription.
The meeting ended. My time was up. What did he think?
Let’s say he was intrigued. He said he couldn’t make any promises; he wanted me to demonstrate the product to some other executives in the company first.
On August 22, 2014, I pitched the proposal during my lunch break. When I got back to my desk, I was on fire! I had delivered a near-perfect presentation. There was no way they would turn me down. I was finally going to get the overflow I had dreamed of for so long. It would be more than enough—enough to share with 100,000.
On Sept 28, 2014, I wrote:
"Thank you, Lord. I feel such a sense of relief. My contract with [Company] is finally over. Lord, forgive me for complaining. I know I complained almost every day since that contract began. I am grateful for the provision. Is there a 'but' here? Yes. I have to be open and honest with You as You already know. 1) The culture at [Company] is so oppressive. 2) the material I was teaching in most parts is so outdated and not useful. 3) I was helping to oppress these poor people even more so. 4) When I use my gifts, I want to free people and give them reasons to be joyous in their work endeavors. 5) 20+ weeks is much too long to deliver sub-par material to oppressed people in an oppressed environment.
But You put me there, Lord. Why?"
"YOU WILL DEVELOP OPTIMAL MATERIAL THAT YOU WILL DELIVER TO OPPRESSED PEOPLE IN OPPRESSED ENVIRONMENTS."
"Optimal material is People First!"
"What would you do if you knew that you would not fail in trying?"
"I would produce and market People First!"
"Remember, the success of your product is not in how much money it makes—it is in how many lives (and companies) are transformed. Start a People First revolution, joining others in their pursuit of happier (contented) workplaces."
The People First Empowerment Platform was going to radically change the way people developed software!
Sure, I knew it was going to hurt, but wasn't it worth it?
If you have just joined us and are wondering what this story is about, start from the beginning and use the next button at the bottom of the post to move forward through the story. I promise it will all make sense.