Managing Projects with Half Double - Half the Time or Double the Impact with Mattias Petrén

I sat down with longtime friend and fellow PMI volunteer Mattias Georgson Petrén to get schooled on Half Double, the Danish hybrid framework that has been around for over ten years but I only just learned about. Mattias walks through where it came from (a frustrated group of practitioners, industrial funding, and research backing from Aarhus University), what it promises — half the time or double the impact — and how it blends Agile cadence with the discipline of traditional, stage-based product management. We get into co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and why he treats Half Double as a lens layered on top of existing frameworks rather than a replacement for any of them. We close out with a conversation about where project managers fit into an AI-driven future that left me probably less worried than I've been about this in months.

drunkenpmradio · Managing Projects with Half Double - Half the Time Double the Impact with Mattias Petrén

Key Themes

• How Dave and Mattias met at a PMI chapter event in Malta back in 2008, and how that network led to real client work together
• Mattias's path from engineering physics PhD to "accidental" project manager
• The early days of Agile inside PMI circles, and the influence of conferences like Øredev
• What Half Double actually is: a hybrid method built on impact, flow, and leadership
• The origin story — Danish practitioners, an industrial fund, and Aarhus University research
• Why Half Double performs best on complex projects, not predictable, fully-plannable ones
• Co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and designing cadence into distributed teams
• Why Mattias treats Half Double as a set of lenses layered on top of an existing framework (PMI, PRINCE2, Scrum) rather than a replacement for one
• The "chasing tasks vs. chasing impact" trap that both traditional and Agile PMs fall into
• Where project managers fit in an AI-driven future — and why Mattias isn't worried

Chapters

00:00 The Value of Networking in Project Management

02:47 Mattias Petrén's Journey into Project Management

05:11 The Evolution of Agile in Project Management

07:47 Introduction to Half Double Methodology

10:47 Understanding the Half Double Framework

13:15 Hybrid Approaches in Project Management

16:03 Leadership and Co-location in Half Double

18:47 Embracing Chaos in Project Management

19:51 The Role of Project Owners

21:41 Understanding Project Impact and Stakeholder Management

23:44 Integrating Agile with Traditional Project Management

26:01 The Half Double Methodology Explained

29:23 The Future of Project Management in an AI-Driven World

Links from the Podcast

• Half Double Institute - https://halfdoubleinstitute.org
• PMI Agile 2026 https://agilealliance.org/pmi-agile-2026/
• Dave and John Tanner’s session at Agile 2026 When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis https://tinyurl.com/23jc8uhs

Contact Mattias

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattiasgeorgsonpetren/

Email - mattias@georgson.com

The AI Engagement Lifecycle with Endava, Dava.X.AI, and Miro

Endava set out to reinvent how IT services get delivered in an AI-native world. Dava.X.AI is the group inside Endava driving that shift. Miro is the workspace they're building it on. Together they've shipped Davaflow — an AI engagement lifecycle that runs from signal to explore to govern to evolve, with humans and agents working alongside each other the whole way.

Takeaways

Reframe from value capture to value creation — don't use AI to make existing processes 10–15% better, reimagine the work entirely from an AI-first perspective.

IT services hit its "ChatGPT moment" two years ago when clients and analysts started asking Endava why they were needed if AI could just write the code.

AI is becoming a method, not a tool — just as Agile organized humans to do work, this new method organizes agents and the people working alongside them.

The technology question is largely settled; the change management question isn't — quality has hit the inflection point, and what remains is the human shift, much like Waterfall-to-Agile.

DavaFlow runs in four phases — Signal, Explore, Govern, and Evolve — moving from identifying the right problem, through virtual personas and prototypes, to governing agent output, to evolving in production.

Chat is the wrong interface for most of this work — humans are visual creatures, and tools like Miro give LLMs context that a chat box never could.

AI-driven work can produce better traceability than humans ever did — every decision and prototype connects back through the chain of thought, what Joe called "traceability on steroids."

Anyone can buy the tools — what separates enterprise work from vibe-coding chaos is policy-as-code, defined skills, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints.

Adoption happens in baby steps, not the full vision — showing people the end of the journey overwhelms them, so start at signal and layer in each next step.

The hardest part is the identity question — engineers liked writing code and designers liked crafting prototypes, and the shift is a growth-mindset problem, not a skills problem.

Links from the Podcast

• 
  Endava: https://www.endava.com/
• Dava.X.AI https://www.endava.com/dava-x/dava-x-ai
• Miro: https://miro.com/index/

Upcoming Miro Canvas Events

• Main Canvas 2026 landing page: https://canvas.miro.com/
• Register for the streaming event on May 19 where Joe will be speaking:  https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco/virtual-keynote
• Register for the in-person event on May 19th in San Francisco where Joe is speaking live:  https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco
• Register for the in-person event on June 2nd in London where Matt will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/london
• Register for the in-person event on June 16th in Sydney where Wesley Fagan the APAC SVP for Strategy and Chief Design Officer at Endava will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/sydney

Contacting the Guests

• Matt Cloke https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcloke/
• Joe Dunleavy https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedunleavy/
• Dave Ross https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmross/
• Dave Prior https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Endava and AI Transformation

08:54 Navigating the AI Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

17:52 The Evolution of Miro and AI Integration

24:00 Dava Flow: The AI Engagement Lifecycle

25:49 The Power of Visual Context in AI

27:03 Enhancing Contextual Understanding with AI

29:12 Temporal Dimensions in Decision Making

31:27 Navigating Change in Organizational Mindsets

35:40 Demonstrating Value to the C-Suite

38:13 Embracing the Future of Work

41:09 Amplifying Human Creativity with AI

Mastering Troubled Projects: Strategies from Richard Broo

In this insightful interview, Richard Broo shares his expertise on managing troubled projects, the importance of scope and risk management, and how traditional and agile methodologies can be effectively integrated. Learn practical strategies to improve project success and navigate the complexities of modern project management.

Click here to watch the video version

Click here to listen to the audio version

Navigating Uncertainty: Preparing for Success in 2026 with Johanna Rothman and Mark Kilby

In this episode of the Reluctant Agilist, host Dave Prior welcomes Mark Kilby and Johanna Rothman to discuss their reflections and plans for the new year. The conversation begins with a candid admission from Dave about feeling lost in setting goals for 2026, prompting Johanna to suggest a shift in focus from preparing for risks to preparing for success. The trio explores the importance of collaboration and the need to let go of what hinders progress, particularly in the context of AI and its implications for project management. They emphasize the necessity of resilience and adaptability in a rapidly changing world, advocating for a more positive outlook on success rather than a fear-based approach to risk management.

As the discussion unfolds, they delve into the challenges posed by generative AI, the importance of trust in technology, and the need for personal and organizational resilience. The episode culminates in a reflection on the significance of collaboration and the value of learning from one another, highlighting the importance of community in navigating the complexities of modern work environments. Ultimately, the conversation serves as a reminder to focus on personal growth, inclusivity, and the pursuit of meaningful connections in both professional and personal spheres.

The video version of this podcast is here

The audio version of this podcast is here

Revolutionizing Team Coordination with Steady featuring Henry Poydar

In this conversation, Henry Poydar joins Dave on the podcast to discuss the innovative platform Steady, which aims to enhance team coordination and communication in the workplace. Henry shares his extensive background in engineering and web development, emphasizing the importance of context and intentions in project management. They explore the challenges of cross-team coordination, especially in the wake of the pandemic, and how Steady seeks to unburden teams from the coordination crisis. The discussion also highlights the concept of 'echoes' as a new way to provide contextual insights and the significance of celebrating individual contributions within teams. Overall, the conversation sheds light on the future of work and the role of technology in fostering collaboration and productivity.

You can find the podcast here.

Shifting from Product to People: A New Agile Perspective with Pete Oliver-Krueger and Michael Dougherty

Shift: From Product To People: A Novel About Product Development, and Shifting to People To Achieve a Holistic Agile Transformation is a new book written by Michael Dougherty and Pete Oliver-Krueger that focuses on shifting the Agile mindset away from a product-centric approach and towards a more a people-centric one. This interview centers around the need for collaboration, the impact of AI on Agile practices, and the significance of creating a humane work environment. The authors also highlight the role of mentorship in personal growth and the future of work in an AI-driven landscape. They also share some of the challenges they faced during the four and a half years of writing the book, the narrative style that allows for multiple perspectives, and the importance of real-life experiences in connecting with readers. 

You can find the interview here

How to update Jira without using Jira

I did an interview with Preston Hunter from Lucid about using the Lucid tools with Jira. It has bidirectional sync, which I am sure is very helpful for those who struggle with Jira. The best part though is that in Lucidl you can look at the data any way you like - in a Kanban board OR a Gantt chart. This could make it so much easier to report to the people upstairs.

You can watch the podcast here:

https://www.projectmanagement.com/blog-post/78177/using-lucid-to-update-jira-with-preston-hunter

An interview with Jimi Fosdick of Fearless Agility

Fearless Agility's Jimi Fosdick is back! 

If you don't know Jimi, you should definitely listen to this. 

If you do know Jimi, and are curious about why he wants to cause physical harm to Henry Gantt, you should listen to this. 

There are very few people who can truly exist in both traditional and agile spaces with the same degree of ease.

And even in that small crowd, there is no one like Jimi Fosdick.

You can find the interview here

How to Read a Cumulative Flow Diagram with Colleen Johnson

Despite working in this field for over 20 years, I am embarrassed to say that I still can't make sense of a Cumulative Flow Diagram. Fortunately, ProKanban CEO Colleen Johnson is very patient and in this interview she gets me all sorted out on how to look at a CFD and understand what it is trying to say. 

You can find the video version here

You can find the audio version here

You can sign up for my new course The Art of War for Collaboration here

Did Coaching Kill Agile? with Sandra Cain and Jeff Leach

Is Agile dead? If so, whodunnit? 

Jeff Leach and Sandra Cain join me for a conversation about how "coaching" has impacted Agile and whether its actually dead or it really just needs a hug and a stern talking to and maybe a time-out.

You can find the interview here.

Links from the intro

Certified Scrum Product Owner July 1-2, 2024 (Use PRIOR50 to get $50 off the list price) https://tinyurl.com/2r8af3uk

Dave's upcoming classes: https://tinyurl.com/u2vh9zh8

The Art of War for Collaboration: https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration

Contacting Dave: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

Fixing PI Planning with Alan Dayley

 SAFe Program Consultant, Alan Dayley, is back to join me for a conversation about how PI Planning (or quarterly planning) is supposed to work, why so many organizations keep sabotaging their ability to make it work, and how they can fix it. 

Developers are not batteries.

You can find the interview here https://tinyurl.com/2eu5yucw

5 Things You Can Do To Fix Your Sprint Planning

If you are on one of those teams that has made a habit of dragging unfinished work from one Sprint to the next... YOU NEED TO STOP! 

When you get to the end of a Sprint and have work that isn't done, you can't show it to the stakeholders in the Sprint Review. If you don't show it to Stakeholders in the Sprint Review, you can't get feedback. And if you can't get feedback, you can't inspect and adapt, and you negate the entire point of working in a Sprint. 

This video offers five things that you and your team can do right now to stop carrying over unfinished work and start enabling Scrum to provide you with the results you and your organization were hoping for when you headed down the path to agility. 

If you liked this video, please subscribe and let me know so I keep adding more. 

If you are interested in attending one of my upcoming CSM or CSPO classes, just follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/yc5k84z5

If you'd like to subscribe to the drunkenpmradio podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/drunkenpmradio

And if you'd like to contact me, you can find all my links

right here: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

Successful Distributed Teams with Jim Benson and Mark Kilby

Jim Benson and Mark Kilby join me to discuss their new Successful Distributed Teams offering. This new course focuses on how to build strong remote teams, how to create a humane, healthy balance of productivity and accountability, and what tools you can use to make it all work. During the interview we cover how the idea of remote work has changed over the past few years, what makes it so challenging, and things you can start doing to foster a thriving collaborative remote team. 

You can watch the video version of the interview here: https://tinyurl.com/y5387jma

You can listen to the audio version of the interview here: https://on.soundcloud.com/rpdiR

Developing Trust In Your Organization w/ Gil Broza

Gil Broza is back for a second interview about his new book "Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential". I asked Gil to come back for a second interview because I wanted to have a follow-up conversation about how to (re)build trust in an organization. So much of what Gil presents in his book is rooted in trust I wanted to get his take on how a potentially toxic org can create trust where they may be little or none.

You can find the podcast here.

Is this the Darkest Agile Timeline?

George Schlitz joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Agile, whether or not this is the darkest timeline, how we got here, how to make it better, and where to look for hope.

If you aren’t familiar with The Darkest Timeline, in the show Community there was a storyline where a random occurrence created multiple parallel timelines. A roll of the dice created six possible ways things could have gone… basically a six-sided multiverse. 

And one of the parallels created is THE DARKEST TIMELINE. It’s basically the Lemony Snicket timeline of worst case scenario where Captain Kirk is sporting his Van Dyke beard, Thomas Wayne is Batman instead of Bruce Wayne, it rains all the time, you miss every bus, never made that play in the big game, never asked that person to the prom, never got that promotion… you get the idea.

You can listen to the podcast here: http://tinyurl.com/ndkdkrxp

Fixing Your Quarterly Planning with Nigel Baker

Nigel Baker joins me in this podcast to explore why so many organizations that are doing quarter planning are making such a mess of it. (Hint, if your teams regularly carry work from Sprint to Sprint and quarter to quarter, then you definitely fall into the "making a mess of it" category.)

During the interview Nigel and I talk through some of the totally valid reasons to do quarterly planning, some risks that come with it, why so many are doing it so poorly and how to fix it. 

You can find the video version of the podcast here.

You can find the audio version of the podcast here.

The Future of AI with Mark Kilby

The Agile Alliance is hosting a MiniCon on the Future of Artificial Intelligence on 12/8/23. As part of the event,  Mark Kilby, co-author of From Chaos to Successfully Distributed Agile Teams,  will be hosting a roundtable discussion with the speakers at the event to explore the ways AI is poised to impact how we work and what it will take to utilize it in an ethical and responsible way.  

I asked Mark to join me to discuss how he is using AI, why he is taking the time to get schooled up on this emerging technology, and where he thinks it is leading as we head into the future. 

You can find the podcast here: https://tinyurl.com/nhhnbte8

Letting Go of Pure Agile with Andy Jordan

After seeing yet another verbal Agilista beat down on LinkedIn, my friend Andy Jordan wrote an article on Project Management.com called Letting Go of Pure Agile. I reached out to Andy and asked if he'd let me interview him about his post to try and dig a little deeper on what he sees happening in the Agile space, how it intersects with traditional project management, and the impact it is having in the job market.

It was also just great to catch up with Andy. He, Mark Price Perry and I used to do workshops for PMI on Redefining Your PMO. You can find links to more on that, Andy's original post, and our interview here: https://tinyurl.com/mr2u9jxv

The Agile Coach's Dilemma with Alan Dayley

With each new round of layoffs, the existential crisis facing the agile coaching community deepens. Alan Dayley joins me to discuss how the community is retrospecting on this moment and whether or not it is asking the right questions. 

You can find the interview here: https://tinyurl.com/4ttkd7nz

Using Personal Kanban to Start Agile Transformation with Michael Grill

Michael Grill is a Product Owner and Head of Process and Methods in the Agile Practice at Knorr-Bremse, and they have taken steps to address this challenge of helping individuals adopt an agile mindset and practices in managing their day-to-day work by adopting Personal Kanban before they put them together on agile teams. In this interview, Michael joins me to share how Knorr-Bremse came to make this choice and how it is deeply impacting their agile practice. First, you begin working with Personal Kanban, then you and your team members begin working together using PK, and then you adopt practices from Scrum, Kanban, or other forms of agile, to get the work done. 

You can find the podcast and links to learn more here.