Moss and Lichens – Page 3 – #AgileCoach #OutsourcingPartner #KeynoteSpeaker

Having Audacity helps with Audio podcasts

I recently came across two cool features on Audacity which helped me improve my podcast episodes.

FEATURE 1:

One is to amplify or normalize loudness of the recorded audio. If I have to reduce or increase my audio setting in my phone while listening to audio for songs or podcasts it irritates me. I wanted to not put my podcasts listeners through the same trouble and I came across LUFS.

LUFS!?! What?

“Loudness, K-weighted, relative to full scale (LKFS) is a standard loudness measurement unit used for audio normalization in broadcast television systems and other video and music streaming services“

I use Spotify for Podcasters to upload and put together audio episodes and they recommend a target LUFS of -14.

The nice thing is that Audacity supports Loudness Normalization as a standard feature. Just read the article on LUFS on the Audacity website and you have an audio normalized just right for Spotify (Loudness Normalization – Audacity Manual (audacityteam.org)).

FEATURE 2:

Second feature is to truncate silence when it is too long. I sometimes have a video episode that I convert to audio. A long pause in video works with visual input but does not in audio when the user is only listening and has no visual input.

The Audacity feature to truncate silence (Truncate Silence – Audacity Manual (audacityteam.org)) when it is too long really helps. I identified silent blocks longer that 1.5 seconds and reduced them to 1 second and you notice that it flows better for audio.

Links:

Ranjith Venkatesh Podcast on Google Podcasts: Ranjith Venkatesh @ Moss and Lichens (google.com)

Ranjith Venkatesh Podcast on Spotify Podcasts: Ranjith Venkatesh @ Moss and Lichens | Podcast on Spotify

Spotify for Podcasters: https://podcasters.spotify.com/

Mapping Scrum roles to Strategy and Execution

I like the way how Scrum can be mapped onto the Agility Loop and you see the value behind each role in the Scrum Team.

“Make sense – Develop a shared understanding of an ambiguous situation”

While the Scrum Master plays a facilitating role in promoting effective communication and removing impediments, and the Product Owner focuses on defining and prioritizing requirements, the actual sense-making process involves the collective intelligence and collaboration of the Developers. This ensures that the team benefits from the diverse skills, perspectives, and expertise of its members.

“Make choices – Choose what to do, not do and stop doing”

In Scrum, the responsibility of “making choices” and deciding what to do, not do, and stop doing is a collaborative effort led by the Product Owner. The Product Owner is responsible for prioritizing the backlog and making decisions about what features or items should be included in the product. They work closely with stakeholders to understand business needs and align the development efforts with organizational goals.

“Make it happen – Ensure people make good promises and deliver on their commitments”

In Scrum, the responsibility of “making it happen” and ensuring that people make good promises and deliver on their commitments primarily falls under the purview of the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master serves as a servant-leader, coaching and guiding the Scrum Team and the organization in adopting and implementing Scrum practices effectively.

“Make revisions – Compare initial assumptions with experience, explore gaps and correct mid-course”

In Scrum, the responsibility of “making revisions” by comparing initial assumptions with experience, exploring gaps, and correcting mid-course is a shared responsibility within the entire Scrum Team, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Links:

Closing the Gap Between Strategy and Execution (mit.edu)

Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides

The Scrum Framework Poster | Scrum.org