John Willis is another absolute legend in software delivery and DevOps, an industry veteran working at companies such as Docker and evangelizing good technical practices. He is the co-author of The DevOps Handbook, Beyond The Phoenix Project and Investments Unlimited, and lately, he published an incredible book on Dr. William Edwards Deming called "Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge."

I thought I knew everything there was to know about Dr. Deming - after all, what is there to know - watch out for seven data points in a row above or beyond the average and do something - and that's it! Except it's not! :)

Through his book and by hanging out with him in a weekly book club, John took me on the journey of exploring Deming, and at times, it felt like going through an escape room - just as I thought I understood everything, I'd find a new door and a whole new world. This episode is a glimpse into John's book and our ongoing conversations with the hope that we will also spark interest for Deming in others.

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Show notes:
John Willis' Ignite talk: "Devops and Dr Deming’s 14 Points" (Velocity NY 2014) - YouTube

This interview is featured in 0800-DEVOPS #57 - Deming’s Journey to Profound Knowledge with John Willis.

[Check out podcast chapters if available on your podcast platform or use links below]

(0:01)
Introduction

(1:32)
How John started exploring Dr. Deming

(11:17)
The System of Profound Knowledge

(21:25)
An example of PDSA working in an organization

(30:50)
Key experiences that shaped Dr. Deming's work

(42:14)
DevOps and Dr. Deming's 14 Points

(44:07)
Book recommendations

Text me what you think.