I have a deeply insightful conversation with Dr. Bill Bellows in this episode of the Profound Podcast. We dive into the heart of what it means to think about thinking—a concept that lies at the core of the In2:InThinking Network, a community Dr. Bellows co-founded to carry forward the transformational work of W. Edwards Deming and other systems pioneers.

At the center of our discussion is the 2025 In2:InThinking Forum, happening this June 20–22 in Santa Clarita, California, and also available virtually for free via live stream. It's a gathering of minds, where humility, curiosity, and collaboration take center stage. If you're in DevOps, digital transformation, or operations—and especially if you're exploring how Deming's ideas apply in modern contexts—this is the event for you.

Dr. Bellows takes us on a journey through the origins and evolution of the In2:InThinking Network, which emerged in the early 2000s as a response to the declining presence of Deming-centered conferences. Recognizing the need for a West Coast community of deep thinkers and doers, Dr. Bellows and his colleagues created a space where engineers, IT professionals, healthcare leaders, and educators could unite in their pursuit of better systems thinking and action.

We explore how systems thinking applies far beyond manufacturing, touching software delivery, digital infrastructure, education, and even AI. Dr. Bellows shares why this kind of egoless, psychologically safe environment is essential for innovation, allowing both newcomers and veterans to engage deeply without pretension.

We also touch on the Red Bead Experiment, Deming’s ideas on variation, and the costs of overlooking systemic thinking in today’s organizations. Dr. Bellows reminds us that better systems start with better conversations—and that starts with communities like In2:InThinking.

You can sign up for the event on In2:InThinking Network’s website: https://www.in2in.org

In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Jim Highsmith. We dive into Jim’s six-decade career in software development, his role in the Agile movement, and how his early influences continue to shape his thinking on digital transformation today. Jim shares stories from the punch card era to the Agile Manifesto, offering insight into the evolution of our industry.

We begin by exploring Jim's early work at Exxon, debugging code with hexadecimal printouts, and his eventual pivot into structured methods and adaptive development showing a career built on embracing risk, fostering change, and learning through experience.

Jim recounts the serendipitous path that led him to the Agile Manifesto in 2001, where he collaborated with figures like Kent Beck and Martin Fowler. He shares how his early thinking around adaptive methodologies aligned with what became known as Agile, even before the term existed. Throughout, Jim highlights how technological shifts, especially the rise of the internet, fundamentally altered software's purpose requiring new development paradigms.

In reflecting on Agile’s legacy, Jim contrasts optimization (à la Deming’s statistical process control) with adaptation (rooted in people, learning, and responsiveness). He emphasizes the importance of context in applying any methodology, whether Agile, Lean, or DevOps, and cautions against rigid orthodoxy in favor of flexible thinking. The conversation also touches on Deming’s influence, the missed opportunity for Agile and DevOps convergence, and Jim’s role in fostering integration between the Agile Alliance and the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Looking to the future, Jim sees AI as a transformation on the scale of the internet, requiring organizations to adopt adaptive mindsets or risk irrelevance. He warns that those who fail at Agile will likely fail at AI if they don’t build adaptive learning into their culture. He advocates for reimagining agility not as a fixed set of practices, but as a living, philosophical approach responsive to continual change.

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Graban, a leading voice in Lean and continuous improvement, to explore the enduring relevance of W. Edwards Deming’s principles in modern industries. Mark shares his decades of work in healthcare, manufacturing, and leadership consulting.

We dive into key themes from Mark’s career and writing, particularly his latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. He emphasizes how Deming’s ideas, such as eliminating fear and focusing on systemic improvement, remain critical today—especially in healthcare, where Lean and quality management have taken root in pockets but struggle to become the prevailing management philosophy.

A major focus of our discussion is the power of learning from mistakes. Mark explains how organizations like Toyota have embedded problem-solving into their culture, emphasizing that true improvement starts with surfacing problems, not hiding them. We also touch on psychological safety—how creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up is foundational for innovation and systemic learning.

Mark shares insights from running Deming’s famous Red Bead Experiment and why it still resonates today, illustrating how poor management practices persist despite decades of evidence against them. We also discuss corporate scandals like Wells Fargo’s account fraud scandal, where systemic pressures—not individual failings—led to widespread unethical behavior.

From his experiences in Japan studying Lean firsthand to the importance of small-scale experimentation in driving innovation, Mark offers a compelling argument for why organizations must rethink their approach to mistakes. Instead of punishing failures, companies should view them as opportunities to refine their systems and foster real innovation.