Better Value Sooner Safer Happier • Simon Rohrer & Eduardo da Silva

GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech

This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.
http://gotopia.tech/bookclub

Read the full transcription of the interview here

Simon Rohrer - Co-Author of "Better Value Sooner Safer Happier" & Senior Director at Saxo Bank
Eduardo da Sliva - Independent Consultant on Organization, Architecture, and Leadership Modernization
RESOURCES
Simon
https://bsky.app/profile/simon.bvssh.com
https://mastodon.social/@simonr
https://x.com/sirohrer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonrohrer
https://github.com/sirohrer
https://www.soonersaferhappier.com

Eduardo
https://bsky.app/profile/esilva.net
https://mastodon.social/@eduardodasilva
https://x.com/emgsilva
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emgsilva
https://github.com/emgsilva
https://esilva.net

DESCRIPTION
Eduardo da Silva and Simon Rohrer discuss the core ideas of "Better Value Sooner Safer Happier" diving into the principles of organizational transformation.
Simon shares insights on the shift from output-driven to outcome-focused thinking, emphasizing value over productivity, and the need for continuous improvement in delivery speed, stakeholder satisfaction, and safety.
The conversation explores key concepts like technical excellence, integrating safety into development, and balancing incremental changes with occasional larger steps.
Simon Rohrer discusses organizational patterns and the importance of decentralizing decision-making, recommending a flexible, context-driven approach to transformation. The session concludes with practical advice on how to start implementing these ideas, using the book’s map to guide organizations toward the right transformation strategy based on their specific goals.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Jonathan Smart, Zsolt Berend, Myles Ogilvie & Simon Rohrer • Sooner Safer Happier
Stephen Fishman & Matt McLarty • Unbundling the Enterprise
Carliss Y. Baldwin • Design Rules, Vol. 2
Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team Topologies
Forsgren, Humble & Kim • Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps
Kim, Humble, Debois, Willis & Forsgren • The DevOps Handbook

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. The journey to "Better Value Sooner Safer Happier" (00:02:28)

3. Antipatterns & patterns for business agility (00:06:28)

4. Embracing continuous attention to technical excellence (00:13:38)

5. Embedding safety in continuous delivery (00:22:56)

6. Balancing incremental change & big leaps in transformation (00:31:16)

7. Exploring organizational patterns (00:37:36)

8. Outro (00:41:10)