Daniel Walters
@greatcto.me
Experienced leader of technology organisations entrusted with creating and sustaining profitable products customers love.
It's important to reflect on both the value we create and the harm we do. In order to improve we must scrutinise what isn't working or what may reduce the safety in organisations.
Are we the baddies?
It's important to reflect on both the value we create and the harm we do. In order to improve we must scrutinise what isn't working or what may reduce the safety in organisations.
wioota.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It's important to reflect on both the value we create and the harm we do. In order to improve we must scrutinise what isn't working or what may reduce the safety in organisations.
In situations of change or stagnation it can be helpful to have a safe way to enter into discussions on the areas where there is ambiguity or disagreement. Here's a workshop which may help.
Using a game to foster safe and engaging conversations about responsibilities within teams.
In situations of change or stagnation it can be helpful to have a safe way to enter into discussions on the areas where there is ambiguity or disagreement. Here's a workshop which may help.
wioota.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:03 AM
In situations of change or stagnation it can be helpful to have a safe way to enter into discussions on the areas where there is ambiguity or disagreement. Here's a workshop which may help.
It's easy to unwittingly bias our choices towards our own convenience. It may be easier to do something one way but at the detriment to the intended outcome.
Are you optimising for your own convenience?
It's easy to unwittingly bias our choices towards our own convenience. It may be easier to do something one way but at the detriment to the intended outcome.
wioota.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It's easy to unwittingly bias our choices towards our own convenience. It may be easier to do something one way but at the detriment to the intended outcome.
There's a number of common ways leading practitioners of OKRs improve upon the most common form of OKRs
Improving OKRs
There's a number of common ways leading practitioners of OKRs improve upon the most common form of OKRs
wioota.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:03 AM
There's a number of common ways leading practitioners of OKRs improve upon the most common form of OKRs
To produce valuable software, you must address user needs and expectations. If you rely only on easily available information, you will get the balance wrong. Here's why.
Easily obtainable information can skew how you invest your time and effort.
To produce valuable software, you must address user needs and expectations. If you rely only on easily available information, you will get the balance wrong. Here's why.
wioota.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:04 AM
To produce valuable software, you must address user needs and expectations. If you rely only on easily available information, you will get the balance wrong. Here's why.
Leaders coach teams to focus on users and test ideas to achieve the intended effects. When strategic choices suggest some users needs are prioritised over others it can feel like dissonance.
Examples of strategic choices in product development
Leaders coach teams to focus on users and test ideas to achieve the intended effects. When strategic choices suggest some users needs are prioritised over others it can feel like dissonance.
wioota.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Leaders coach teams to focus on users and test ideas to achieve the intended effects. When strategic choices suggest some users needs are prioritised over others it can feel like dissonance.
It can be easy to worry about having enough work for your team and fall into the trap of trying to keep your team busy. This will likely reduce your impact.
Don't feed the beast
It can be easy to worry about having enough work for your team and fall into the trap of trying to keep your team busy. This will likely reduce your impact.
wioota.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:04 AM
It can be easy to worry about having enough work for your team and fall into the trap of trying to keep your team busy. This will likely reduce your impact.
Beginning with the end in mind' is not the aspect of outcome-thinking people struggle with. Here's where many go wrong and what to do instead.
Begin with the end in mind, act on your present
Beginning with the end in mind' is not the aspect of outcome-thinking people struggle with. Here's where many go wrong and what to do instead.
wioota.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Beginning with the end in mind' is not the aspect of outcome-thinking people struggle with. Here's where many go wrong and what to do instead.
Long-running agile teams continuously improve a service addressing user needs but what happens when the impact of each improvement starts to diminish?
When the impact a team can make diminishes
Long-running agile teams continuously improve a service addressing user needs but what happens when the impact of each improvement starts to diminish?
wioota.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Long-running agile teams continuously improve a service addressing user needs but what happens when the impact of each improvement starts to diminish?
Without a feedback loop teams are less effective. Some roles have a natural feedback loop, technical roles often don't. Here's how to establish a loop that keeps your efforts relevant.
Technical teams must be more disciplined to be as effective as others
Without a feedback loop teams are less effective. Some roles have a natural feedback loop, technical roles often don't. Here's how to establish a loop that keeps your efforts relevant.
wioota.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Without a feedback loop teams are less effective. Some roles have a natural feedback loop, technical roles often don't. Here's how to establish a loop that keeps your efforts relevant.
A shortcut organisations use to show why it is doing something is to categorise work under 'pillars' with a supposed relationship to a positive outcome. This sets up organisations to underachieve.
Strategic pillars are a goal-setting antipattern
A shortcut organisations use to show why it is doing something is to categorise work under 'pillars' with a supposed relationship to a positive outcome. This sets up organisations to underachieve.
wioota.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM
A shortcut organisations use to show why it is doing something is to categorise work under 'pillars' with a supposed relationship to a positive outcome. This sets up organisations to underachieve.
Leaders can unwittingly create situations where their teams feel like they have no control. Are you supporting an environment they can thrive in or are they hanging on for dear life?
Does your team feel like they are 'in control'?
Leaders can unwittingly create situations where their teams feel like they have no control. Are you supporting an environment they can thrive in or are they hanging on for dear life?
wioota.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Leaders can unwittingly create situations where their teams feel like they have no control. Are you supporting an environment they can thrive in or are they hanging on for dear life?
As a new leader how do I know I am starting to successfully support my team? Here's something I noticed increasing as I became a more effective leader.
Edited: Leadership measure - The Rate of Pleasant Surprise
As a new leader how do I know I am starting to successfully support my team? Here's something I noticed increasing as I became a more effective leader.
wioota.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:03 AM
As a new leader how do I know I am starting to successfully support my team? Here's something I noticed increasing as I became a more effective leader.
It's a challenging economic time and some businesses have contracted in size to ensure they can continue to trade. What should leaders of product development teams do?
What to do when we've shrunk?
It's a challenging economic time and some businesses have contracted in size to ensure they can continue to trade. What should leaders of product development teams do?
wioota.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It's a challenging economic time and some businesses have contracted in size to ensure they can continue to trade. What should leaders of product development teams do?
When teams try to shift to focusing on outcomes, they may struggle to exchange old practices for new. Here's a key concept that may help where to apply effort.
Moving from Outputs to Outcomes means changing how you understand progress.
When teams try to shift to focusing on outcomes, they may struggle to exchange old practices for new. Here's a key concept that may help where to apply effort.
wioota.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 12:03 AM
When teams try to shift to focusing on outcomes, they may struggle to exchange old practices for new. Here's a key concept that may help where to apply effort.
When your users experience improves at home, what effect does that have on what they expect at work? Let's explore.
Hypothesis: improving quality of consumer Technology raises UX expectations of corporate software.
When your users experience improves at home, what effect does that have on what they expect at work? Let's explore.
wioota.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 12:03 AM
When your users experience improves at home, what effect does that have on what they expect at work? Let's explore.
For a long time, I have been critical of the book. After a recent second reading, I have softened. Here's why.
About the book 'Measure What Matters'...
For a long time, I have been critical of the book. After a recent second reading, I have softened. Here's why.
wioota.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:02 AM
For a long time, I have been critical of the book. After a recent second reading, I have softened. Here's why.
In previous decades, product development organisations focused on delivery efficiency optimisation seemed to outpace practices improving effectiveness. What is the trend now?
Are today's organisations more focused on delivering value?
In previous decades, product development organisations focused on delivery efficiency optimisation seemed to outpace practices improving effectiveness. What is the trend now?
wioota.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:03 AM
In previous decades, product development organisations focused on delivery efficiency optimisation seemed to outpace practices improving effectiveness. What is the trend now?
As Software-as-a-Service products evolve, how teams approach development is moving beyond agile. What can enterprise IT learn from this?
Has leading-edge Software as a Service (SaaS) development moved beyond agile?
As Software-as-a-Service products evolve, how teams approach development is moving beyond agile. What can enterprise IT learn from this?
wioota.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:02 AM
As Software-as-a-Service products evolve, how teams approach development is moving beyond agile. What can enterprise IT learn from this?
Organisations restructure too frequently, for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way. Here are some experiences that suggest a more humane way to evolve how you are organised.
Humane organisational change
Organisations restructure too frequently, for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way. Here are some experiences that suggest a more humane way to evolve how you are organised.
wioota.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Organisations restructure too frequently, for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way. Here are some experiences that suggest a more humane way to evolve how you are organised.
In organisations especially those that work 'big', the desire for faster results leads to searching for 'quick wins'. This is a strategic error. Here's why.
The 'quick wins' fallacy
In organisations especially those that work 'big', the desire for faster results leads to searching for 'quick wins'. This is a strategic error. Here's why.
wioota.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:03 AM
In organisations especially those that work 'big', the desire for faster results leads to searching for 'quick wins'. This is a strategic error. Here's why.
In most organisations, there's a contradiction. There's no time to provide clear direction but the time lack of direction wastes is tolerated. How can leaders break the cycle?
Instinctual time-saving wastes the most time.
In most organisations, there's a contradiction. There's no time to provide clear direction but the time lack of direction wastes is tolerated. How can leaders break the cycle?
wioota.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 12:03 AM
In most organisations, there's a contradiction. There's no time to provide clear direction but the time lack of direction wastes is tolerated. How can leaders break the cycle?
Outcome thinking gives big benefits. So much so it's easy to become dogmatic. It's important to acknowledge that sometimes a delivery focus can support fast learning, too.
Odd contradiction: Focusing only on delivery optimisation is sometimes enough
Outcome thinking gives big benefits. So much so it's easy to become dogmatic. It's important to acknowledge that sometimes a delivery focus can support fast learning, too.
wioota.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Outcome thinking gives big benefits. So much so it's easy to become dogmatic. It's important to acknowledge that sometimes a delivery focus can support fast learning, too.
There's plenty of pushback to OKRs and there are plenty of examples where OKRs have become yet another bureaucratic process step to getting something done.
Anti-pattern: OKRs as bureaucratic red-tape
There's plenty of pushback to OKRs and there are plenty of examples where OKRs have become yet another bureaucratic process step to getting something done.
wioota.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:03 AM
There's plenty of pushback to OKRs and there are plenty of examples where OKRs have become yet another bureaucratic process step to getting something done.
Technology appears to be progressing exponentially, users are more demanding and CTOs find themselves on the backfoot. CTOs need help, here's why.
CTO: The most demanding position in the modern enterprise
Technology appears to be progressing exponentially, users are more demanding and CTOs find themselves on the backfoot. CTOs need help, here's why.
wioota.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Technology appears to be progressing exponentially, users are more demanding and CTOs find themselves on the backfoot. CTOs need help, here's why.