Bangalore rain and Traffic

That was ... last Tuesday when it rained heavily and I was on my way back to home from office. Bathing roads, heavy traffic, signal failures, signal disputes ... all you can guarantee if you are in Bangalore.

So on the 3 inch of water on the road, I missed on stone underneath it and that did the trick to me. Bike 60 degree on the right and I am few inch away from it head to head. Very first reaction was to jump out for few inch cause I knew traffic was behind and a alto behind me.

So I jumped back, stand up and tried to find out what I hit -- there i sense a big stone on the road (big enough to do for anyone if he misses). Got the reason and went toward the bike to pick up and as soon as I bend down heard a huge honk from behind. The same alto person was honking continuously as if I am making some drama or something on the road on my own to steel their time. On any of my other day, I might have stopped on there for few minutes probably and feed few words in his mind. But just to see heavy traffic behind and not to hurt others behind, I simply moved out.

That incident give me a sense of selfish Bangalore breed yet again. Not to change you mind - I faced that quite frequently but always on the road.

I know there are some problem with neighbor state people, but to the best of me I never faced it personally. The way everyone else treats me - be it neighbor - close shops, local peoples out there - every one is good. Even I see a change in them. Call it my effort to influence people with my language or best of them -- but they are better. Point is they are trying and its so satisfying. Its so good. Not to point some one -but I been in Chennai and Cochin - but none of them can stand with Bangalore.

But as soon as its out of neighbor, friends, colleagues to road-traffic, its all different. Its a different people. Every one is on run, don't mind to hit you, driving on the wrong side speedily and look at you badly if you tend to block them. Its all together different people out there. Totally inhuman.

May I bring it to their knowledge, its doesn't help. May feel I am few meters ahead but that just till the next traffic jam. Only way to improve is to bring some traffic sense among us. Follow the rules. Today you might be helping others, tomorrow all of them to you.

Major problems, I guess, are blinding headlight, three(or may be four sometime) way traffic, no turn signal, sudden lane change, no dipper signal, disallowing overtake (I have faced it many times - when I send a dipper signal and speeds close - they increase speed and turns in your lane to avoid overtake), breaking traffic light, and importantly pedestrians who just don't want to wait for signal to go red as if dare to hit me.

Unless this change, it would be the same sweet but souring Bangalore.

Three reason why scrum sucks!

"No process is best. You need to find the lesser devil."

Actually there are many. (Title fits that well to pass on ...)

1. Stand up meetings

1. Doesn't work out. Those who don't want to do, will never do it. Those who will, will always.
2. More wasted time. One person each day for 15 min (however I didn't see anyone of them end in 15 min) for 7 people is more than one man day. Take average case of 30 min = 2 productive days lost.
   
3. Breaks work flow. We already have so many obstacles which breaks work flow. Why another ?
   

2. Three questions

Doesn't help. I can bluff them all along. Take me down to hell, but you would never be able to prove me wrong ....... that I'm bluffing.
"Yesterday I was investigating, today I will continue, if that works, will use it tomorrow"

3. More time in meeting & documents
Stand up meeting, scrum of scrum, follow up, impediments, version one, burn down chart .... keep adding.

At first they may sound useful, but we need to solve things than endless debatable topic. Many of above said ends up in that. Mean you catch any in India for a debate on Indian cricket future over a coffee. I can guarantee that you can drink all in the world but will never be able to end the debate. Apart from that, they makes us irresponsible. Take the example of impediments, you may solve many of them, but people just don't, they just report it.

Remember each meeting take more time than meeting time. Every meeting takes at least 10 more minutes than meeting.
Those who are working on scrum can answer this better: How time you actually spend on your task out of total time you spent scrumming !?!

4. Working at one thing at a time. (Independent sprint)
There are lot full of engineer who can do multiple at same time. Most of time you will find task which can better be executed in parallel. Take this one:
You have a task to write API for logging messages; & log messages for another module. You can do better in parallel. Anything can logically be divided as independent and vise versa.

5. Hierarchy
If you haven't use it wisely, you can end up screwing things more than it offer!
Scrum Master, Business analyst, Product manager, Project manager, manager, second line manager, tech leads -- & the engineer! So much to say.

6. No coach
Adopting any process without a coach is more harmful than a soccer team without a coach. At least team knowns how to play.

7. Last but not the least ..
Takes away your freedom to choose whom to answer!

'I don't mind if you don't agree with me, One day you will"

11'0 clock fever

"Why is the office time is 9 (+/- 30m) to 5. It would have been better if its 11 to 5"

Well okay, I would even settle for 11 to 7. Frankly; hope boss will not read this ;); I work from 11 - 4. To defend me I would say I does 9 hours work in that time !!!

When I moved to new company, I tried to change my time. Actually I even did that for some days. Then the same way wheel went slow and I am on (my) time. Off late I realized that it doesn't make much different. If I reach early (9 in too early, isn't it ;) ), I would be caught up with some damn meetings which aren't producing anything. I am cocksure we can survive without them. I mean, there are people looking for chairs in stand up meetings !!, they want them coz that earns their bread. Not for me, so better be late than on time.

Forget about me, tell me how much time your spent for company and how much of that is productive ? How many hours each day, you have given your blood to company and how many hours, your mind ??


"Let there be more responsible engineers than managers. That will make better things out and faster. "