"The Messy Middle (and why I’m emailing you again)"

A while ago, I said I was writing a book about management. I spent a lot of time trying and I didn’t finish it.

Turns out, writing a book is hard. And the drafts never felt like they were saying something new.

But the idea behind the book stuck with me.

It was about the place between planning and execution, the part where real change happens (or doesn’t). The messy, human part.

That’s what this email series is about. I’m calling it The Messy Middle.

It’s for anyone navigating the reality of software delivery, where perfect plans collide with team dynamics, shifting priorities, and the complexity of human systems.

My promise is simple:

If that sounds useful, stick around. If not, no hard feelings. Just hit unsubscribe.

Tomorrow: The perfect example of The Messy Middle, where a well-meaning suggestion for changing the process had no hope of solving the problem.

Speak soon,
Dermot