Lori Lamkin, Microsoft's Director of PM on Shifting to Azure DevOps - Episode 007

In this episode, Jeffrey speaks with Lori Lamkin, Microsoft's Director of Program Management. She has been leading the Visual Studio Team Services program management since the conception of Team Foundation Server in 2002 — that's 16 years in the space of better shipping software using Microsoft technologies! She led the transition of the team to Agile methodologies, to open source reuse, to Cloud services, and Azure.

Lori and Jeffrey discuss what's next for Lori in and of her role as Director of PM, her strategy behind leading the big shift from VSTS to Azure DevOps, the current roles and duties within Microsoft Azure DevOps, what she sees as the biggest shift in progressing from Agile and adopting DevOps, and how DevOps has become more and more efficient.

Topics of Discussion:

[:51] About today's guest, Lori Lamkin!

[1:18] Jeffrey welcomes Lori to the podcast.

[3:22] Lori speaks about the strategy behind leading the big shift from VSTS to Azure DevOps.

[5:42] What's next for Lori in and out of her role as Director of PM? What has she been up to?

[8:18] Lori gives some background on Azure DevOps history.

[15:37] Lori talks about the current roles and duties within Microsoft Azure DevOps.

[18:08] A word from Azure DevOps sponsor: Clear Measure.

[18:34] How the organization for Azure DevOps is structured much differently than many other organizations.

[20:38] What Lori thinks is the biggest shift in progressing from Agile and adopting DevOps.

[23:34] Why everyone in Lori's team is a Software Development Engineer.

[25:08] Did Lori's team used to have Systems Engineers (otherwise known as IT Pros)?

[27:18] The broad set of skills that is required of the developers to operate the components of Azure DevOps that the Azure Data Center is running on.

[28:55] The change in business with DevOps and how it has become more efficient.

[31:21] Lori's take on the culture change CEO Satya Nadella is driving as well as his 1ES (one engineering system) plan.

[35:26] Is there no software Git can't handle?

[36:18] Where Lori suggests you further your learning after listening to this episode.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps Services
Azure Cloud

Clear Measure (Sponsor)

Microsoft Secrets: How the World's Most Powerful Software Company Creates Technology, Shapes Markets, and Manages People, by Michael A. Cusumano

Satya Nadella on transforming Microsoft's culture

More about Satya's One Engineering System initiative
TFVS

AKA.MS/DevOps

GitHub

Want to Learn More?

Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

Follow Up with Our Guest:

Lori Lamkin's LinkedIn