My latest riff: how organisations feast on short term shiny solutions, at the expense of actually doing things that matter. Because too often "action" is seen as more important than outcome.... Enjoy! #businessanalysis
www.adrianreed.co.uk/2026/02/19/t...
Thanks to everyone who came to the closing keynote at #BBCconf in Phoenix, it was my absolute pleasure to deliver it!
I've just sent out an invite to three upcoming webinars:
➡️Think You Know Jira? Smarter Ways BAs Can Use Atlassian Tools
➡️Beyond the Hype: AI’s Real Impact on Business Analysis
➡️The Value Proposition for Business Analysis
If you're interested, here's the link..
🔗https://lnkd.in/eJHN73bq
For those of you into BA/change/product related stuff, check out BA Digest, a free quarterly PDF magazine.
The Q2 version is out today. No registration required, free to view/download at:
www.blackmetric.com/ba-digest-q2...
#businessanalysis #businessanalyst
My latest riff on dishonest harmony, and metaphorical elephants in rooms. Enjoy 😊
www.linkedin.com/posts/adrian...
Oh, and on OS/2, I have memories of installing OS/2 Warp on a 286 via a stack of 3.5" floppies. Now THAT took dedication!
In many ways OS/2 Warp seemed kinda ahead of it's time.. I guess Win 95 won out.
Was never a SysOp but have fond memories of dialing up BBSs at 2.4k, and later 14k4. FidoNet echomail seemed so futuristic at the time, and the discussion groups were really interesting.
Also used CompuServe, which was really expensive. Local dial ins via X.25, which seems pretty retro now.
Strikes me merch stands at gigs would be more efficient if they attached large numbers to the merch.
Rather than pointing and saying "Have you got the kinda yellowis one in small? No, short sleeves. No, the other one", you could just say "#3 in small?" 🤣
Intrigued by my new book? Catch this Q&A with @ukadrianreed.bsky.social of Blackmetric. #BusinessAnalysis
www.blackmetric.com/2025/02/13/w...
So it appears I haven't posted here for years. Doh! For those of you that follow me for BA related stuff, you might be interested in BA Digest (60+ page PDF magazine, free, quarterly).
Q1 edition is just out.
Here's the URL in case you missed it:
www.blackmetric.com/ba-digest-q1...
E.g. "Your T&Cs are 17,000 words--longer than some Shakespeare plays. The average reader reads at 238 wpm, so it would take over 60min to read. A customer won't remember all of it.
I believe material clauses that are detrimental to the customer ought to be prominent, and this clause is not"
Sorry to hear this, but glad to hear you're pressing forward with the complaint. That's the kind of thing I do.
One tip I picked up with the "It's in the T&Cs" is to paste the T&Cs into Word and do a wordcount, then compare that against a Shakespeare play (one is only 15,000 words IIRC)...
Interesting point. I've also thought it interesting that working age benefits tend to be called "benefits", even if they are contribution-basef but things like state pensions are called "entitlements".
Maybe both the language of input (tax Vs service bill) and output needs adjusting...
I feel this, and observed the same. I've also seen folks cite stuff from Facebook pages as if they are credible sources. It's really hard (or at least I found it that way), because saying "I think we should fact-check that" is sometimes seen as somewhat disrespectful...
Nothing shows contempt for customers like a "no-reply" email, forcing you to login to a portal to get the message, but having no reply option (so you have to literally reply by post, or queue for 47 minutes on the phone).
"Hey, we want to streamline our comms. OUR comms that is, not yours!"
Wow, now that's a busy combination! But sometimes it's the serendipitously best way, isn't it...? It sounds crazy through a retrospective logical lens, but made total sense at the time...
New blog on coherence of product vision, understand "why" and avoiding becoming a user story factory.
Enjoy 😊
www.adrianreed.co.uk/2023/11/17/n...
Eleven BAs on the stairs of a stately home holding drinks
Twelve BAs on the outside steps of a stately home in the sunshine
A fountain in the garden of a sunny stately home
Spent an inspirational few days with 12 BAs on a leaders retreat l. The vision was to create a space for deep thinking, the kind that often gets lost in the day to day.
It was a year in the planning, and was awesome. A really fun thing to co-organise and co-facilitate!
The error codes will include:
404: You messed up.
500: We messed up, but we're going to say it's your fault anyway.
808: Listen to these cool drum sequencer sounds (* not strictly necessary, but the CEO is a fab of 90s music, so it became an "essential feature")
Rather than hyperlinks it will have "knowledge asset associative connections"
To create one, twenty five managers must sign off.
Rather than using TCP/IP, it will communicate via layers of endless synchronous meetings.
If you want to view a website, you'll have to "book a slot" in advance.
It'll almost certainly involve using Calendly.
7.5 hours is long enough to be a really uncomfortable delay. Glad you managed to get to your destination eventually!
There was a period of my life when I was working full time, doing an MSc and managing the finances of a family member (power of attorney)as they transitioned into full time care.
I look back and wonder how on earth I didn't crack.
Maybe being busy means you can't stop and think?
I am the same! I *used* to be able to be productive in airports, pre-Covid, but that was largely because (a) I travelled a lot more than I do now (b) I had a card that got me into business lounges (long since expired!).
I always plan stuff to do when traveling, but rarely do it!
Time always seems to pass more slowly in airports.
If only we could use "airport time" in other spheres of our lives.
10 minutes airport time feels like about 30-60 minutes normal time (depending on the airport and location of course...)
One of my "side projects" is editor of a free (open-access) quarterly PDF magazine about business analysis related stuff (BA Digest).
If you're into #BusinessAnalysis, #ProductManagement or stuff like that you might be interested.
No registration required...
www.blackmetric.com/ba-digest-q4...
Thanks!
Record. In a black sleeve. White label, with low fidelity printing saying "4DJs "Superstar". A: Extended remix. B: Digital natives remix"
FANTASTIC charity shop finds this weekend including this obscure white label remix of Love Inc "You're a Superstar", probably from the 2002 re-release.
Also a white label Ferry Corsten remix single which is pressed on one side only. (Back slide is unpressed vinyl...)
