The concept of Epics and Stories in delivery planning is great. Stories are too detailed for the business to track. Epics are too vague to deliver on. Having both is the perfect way to ensure you know what’s valuable AND how complex a system is. If you have only stories or only epics, loop back.

This ad! The semiotics! (I can only assume their ad agency has done its audience research)

I made a thing. 'What's Wrong' is a prototype lovable.dev app that allows children to explain why they're feeling sad, worried or angry without having to say it out loud. I'd love to hear what you think. Everything in there is very 'first draft'. Enjoy. whats-wrong.lovable.app

If you're on a Mac and use a screenshot tool — like Shottr, Monosnap — I wrote a guide which allows you to drag and drop images straight to Shottr. harrybailey.com/2026/02/open...

Clients remember who helped them navigate uncertainty, not who sent the most updates.

UK fuel prices are now an open source Gov UK data set. Anybody can access and publish the data. Here’s the API… www.gov.uk/guidance/acc...

Do you put the same amount of energy into sending a client's weekly status report spreadsheet as you do into inviting them for an annual partnership review? Do they notice?

It’s amazing how many iOS apps have shifted to this nav. X items then search on the right. Search as a primary nav element. All guided by Apple’s own direction.

I just added em dashes — because I'm wild — into some content manually. I find stuff like "not because it's the only sign, but because it's the one most people talk about" or 'not X, but Y' to be more likely AI generated.

I built a prototype last night that monitors several sources and keeps pages on a site updated via auto deploy. Clear data leads to immediate change. Major updates trigger a PR and notification. And I’m really pleased because I built it to be generic to similar needs.

It's not the ideal response to a technical challenge from ChatGPT... "Fix options (pick the trade off you can live with):"

You can now hide an advert from your LinkedIn feed without having to give a reason. 🎉 It's the small things sometimes.

A graph which shows developer hours spent googling and on stackoverflow vs. time spent waiting for AI change suggestions would be interesting. I also wonder if there would be a cross over of lines as they adapt and transition.

I took a website from 4 reds to 4 greens in Chrome lighthouse yesterday. Now 4 greens isn’t a specific finish line, but it is a good benchmark for - fast vs slow - accessible vs inaccessible - seo friendly vs seo hostile It was fun to work with back end, javascript and html/css to get there too.

As @cassidoo.co says… a lot of the work right now is communicating where AI is an enabler, and where it’s… well… going to create slop, and without fear or shame.

> Mario Kart’s “The closer to 1st place you are, the less useful power-ups you get” system is an ideal model for how our economy should work. - Reddit user @Falcon007_rb

‘Sweat the small stuff’ is a UI mantra I’ve lived by since I learned to code 25 years ago. This is the LinkedIn App when you leave a new comment. The flow lines should update but they don’t. They didn’t sweat the small stuff.

Went to trim my beard. Guard wasn’t aligned properly. Took a massive strip out on a zero. No saving it. I’m back to stubble.

I haven't stared at a realtime Google Analytics map like I am today since I supported the Telegraph Clearing app 10 years ago.

I imagine that if two people playing music loudly on their phones without headphones both get on the same bus or tram, they’d be drawn towards each other like a strong gravitational pull and explode in a shower of musical note emojis.

Related: futurism.com/artificial-i...

I updated my 'Predictable Projects Checklist' this morning. The change was small but important. From only referencing roles and responsibilties, to also assigning the right people. Also shifted it to an earlier stage. If you do click then feedback very welcome. harrybailey.com/predictable-...

Tension can make or break delivery in an agency. It's not generally how much tension there is, but who ends up carrying it. I wrote a thing about it...

Is anybody taking breaking world news and sharing it for a young audience? But a regularly updated website or app. Ideally keeping up with the news cycle. Not slow news like the great work The Week Junior do.

Can people focused on accounting spot challenges in delivery? Absolutely. A Quick Guide: Spotting delivery problems in the numbers agency-tactics.ghost.io/a-quick-guid...

'The Honest Estimation Problem: Why Software Forecasting Fails and What Actually Helps' - Andrea Laforgia a4al6a.substack.com/p/the-honest... It's long, but worth every word if you want to understand estimation better.

In the UK this is going to be a s**t show. Here's how we define social media: - Users can upload, post, or share content - Other users can see, respond to, or interact with it - The service is accessible in the UK Any online service that lets users interact with each other through shared content.

My lesson for today. Not only will a microwave not revive an old scone, but given more than 30 seconds, it will turn it into what appears to be a biscuit.

"We accidentally put the trophies next to each other for the first time since 1997, and now everybody's noticed that we celebrate boys in sport more than girls. We're sorry and we won't put them next to each other again."

This button on NameCheap domains control panel never fails to make me laugh.

I'm drafting new Agency Tactics blog content. It's focused on teams who carry incompatible delivery expectations. "You cannot optimise for certainty and flexibility at the same time."

My well-thumbed and sticky-note-covered copy of Jeff Patton: User Story Mapping never came back from a loan a couple of years ago, and I've been mourning it ever since. Time to order a new copy and remake all the notes.

How do you keep a team honest about focus? Data. Always data. I created the concept of 3P (Priority Project Progress) for exactly this question. Pick the single most important project, and measure time spent on it vs not on it. harrybailey.com/framework/pr...

'Pacing-by-fragment' is apparently one name for social posts which split everything into short sentences and bullets. In theory it enables scanning and engagement. Simpler to digest. AI bloody loves creating them if guidance doesn't encourage more natural language and structure.

The breadcrumb trails of work take time to create, and the value is only occassionally realised. Like taking backups and actually practicing restoring them. Who does that? But I've seen documentation save hours, perhaps even days of investigation when the story of the work really is required.

Principles for managing knowledge. Not sure how I haven't come across these 7 principles before. They're in the Cynefin (Dave Snowden) wiki after all. Found them via @ames.world week notes. They're great though. Several I am mindful of, but have never externalised. cynefin.io/wiki/Princip...

*quietly whispers* AI isn’t actually taking all the jobs.

Digg is back. Buckle up Reddit. digg.com

In the last few days I’ve been offered my Tesco grocery and ChatGPT years in review. I didn’t accept the invites to view, because… I mean… WTF?

I was at the Kraken offices for an event this week. Things that stood out: They have little personal things hidden in plain sight all over. Even in a very modern clean office. Little decorations. Empty bottles on girders. Stickers. Stuff. Not mess, but little nods to humans.

Teams often do the sensible thing by reading the guides and putting the learning in. But months later, not much changes and outcomes still surprise people. I wrote about why that gap exists, and how many “complete” project management guides actually make delivery worse.

Human first vs Agentic first A very real potential future for agency structures.

Agencies already struggle with delivery at the best of times. These outdated ‘202x guide’ patchwork articles only muddy the water more. “Use Agile or Scrum” 🤦 “Scrum: Agile framework with sprints, roles, and **ceremonies**” … oh and “use our tool” to do it all. productive.io/blog/agency-...

🎤 Renault Manchester, what buying a car is all about. Renault Manchester, on Trinity Way. 🎤 Old advert jingles haunt me in my sleep sometimes. Today is brought to you by Renault Manchester.

ProductTank Manchester was great last night, kindly hosted by Kraken. Next one announced already. March 11th. (Yes that is the back of my head in the preview image) meetu.ps/e/PNc8L/1kkY...

Have you ever had an email back and forth with a collegue and felt like there was only a thin layer of human being involved? I can't decide if I'm impressed or disappointed.

I find encouraging more "here's where I'll be"" and less "here's where I am" in stand ups helps with accountability. Planning over status reporting.

One out of 12 rams is uninterested in females. Deemed “non-procreative" by farmers, they're typically sent to slaughter. German farmer Michael Stücke rescues the gay rams. His company Rainbow Wool, sells fabulous wool products from his flock of gay sheep. rainbow-wool.com

I read last night that quantum computers — once available outside massive tech companies — will make systems that are based on complex hashing vulnerable. So crypto, SSL certificates etc. will need big updates. Fun times ahead.

There’s a Goldilocks zone in project definition. It’s found in the space between clients arriving with answers, and developers having to ask for clarity ticket by ticket. The space where if the relationship or onboarding didn’t start well, it feels uncomfortable to change the plan.