So would you say that streams are over-engineering and that I should use loops instead? I'm asking for a friend... who uses streams all the time ;)

Have you ever tried: “This meeting could have been an email. Since I can't contribute anyway, I'll just leave.” The reactions are priceless ;)

Agree. The best software architecture is the one you can easily change when change is needed.

Could it be that these 'symptoms' are caused by developers being squeezed into processes and buried in waste, rather than delivering the things they should and want to?

I guess this will be the same strategy that we have seen in many other areas. Now they hook us with low prices and later, when we are dependent, the prices are raised and revenue is generated. Few providers will survive.

I love that headline. I will use it from now on when developers ask me how often they should release. I would add: and make sure users test ridiculously often, too.

That's a great point. I agree - Scrum is excellent for getting started. But over time, as teams internalize agile principles, the need for strict adherence to a framework diminishes, allowing teams to adapt. In think mastery of agility is less about the framework and more about the mindset.