In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we talk with Fabrice Bernhard and Catherine Chabiron. Fabrice is the co-founder of Theodo, a fast-growing software company, and Catherine is the author of the new book, Learning to Scale at Theodo: Growing a Fast and Resilient Company.
Fabrice and Catherine share how Theodo has seamlessly integrated lean thinking into its management system enabling it to grow rapidly while maintaining a customer-first mindset and ship quality software.
During the conversation, we delve into:
- Lean vs. Agile: How Theodo found lean thinking and how it complements agile, while challenging traditional perspectives in the software industry.
- Quality vs. Speed: Navigating the delicate balance between producing high-quality code and meeting the demands for rapid delivery.
- Customer Focus: How lean has enhanced Theodo’s customer-centric approach, making it a hallmark of their operations.
- Learning Organizations: The role of continuous learning in building resilient teams that not only solve technical problems but contribute to organizational growth.
- People Development: How Theodo leverages problem-solving at the gemba to foster a culture of continuous improvement and employee development.
Special note: During the conversation, we mention the book The Toyota Way of Dantotsu Radical Quality Improvement, which Theodo has been using to transform its approach to improving quality.
Mathew,
Good to see something about software from LEI.
As an Agile Product Owner (certified), I’ve embraced Lean Philosophies and Methodologies for many years, and know the potential benefits. Unfortunately, many software teams are trying to use it for marketing hype “We’re Agile!” etc.
Training management – especially execs who heard about Agile and Lean, but don’t understand the investment in education, and a methodical adoption, are in for a surprise.
You might want to contact The Scrum Alliance about working together. That’s where most of us software people get our certification from.
Keep the stories coming!
FrancescoB
Thanks for listening, Francesco. Indeed, LEI needs to do more to engage with the software community. I appreciate the suggestion to contact the Scrum Alliance. If you know any software companies doing compelling work, let us know.