I was in London last week for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was attending the wonderful Fast Flow Conf, meeting friends and colleagues, old and new. Then I also hosted a small, informal launch event for Human Software.
Fast Flow is my favourite conference and it just so happened to coincide with three other book launches and I’m lucky enough to have signed copies of them all! Firstly, Rich Allen’s User Needs Mapping, then Susanne Kaiser’s long-awaited “Architecture For Flow” and of course the 2nd Edition of Team Topologies. All three will be on my “to read” list for November.
Alongside the conference and its many wonderful talks, I also managed to catch up with lots of people and even sell a few copies of my book.
Launching the Book
On Wednesday evening, I was planning on having a little soiree in The Wheatsheaf pub in Fitzrovia, London. As it turned out, this usually sleepy little boozer was oversubscribed on the night, so we retreated to the equally wonderful Duke of York around the corner.
It was so lovely to see friends coming along to support the launch. I’ve received lots of lovely feedback from many wonderful people and couldn’t be more grateful for the support of family, friends and colleagues.
The Start of Something
Human Software tackles themes of psychological safety, burnout, Conway’s Law, globalisation, data centres and AI. Think “Local Hero” meets “The Unicorn Project” meets “1984”. Could it be any more relevant right now? So far, most seem to think not, and feedback has been very kind.
But despite the book being relevant and, I hope, accessible, it also has to spark something in people to make them want to read it. And so, I feel that rather than publication being the end of anything, it’s really the start of a long road to connect with my eventual reader. Human Software speaks to those like Beth and Dominic, who feel sidelined or overtaxed in their jobs. It is for those who feel beaten down by work and daily life, but perhaps then it has a broader appeal than just to IT folks?
I have had some excellent feedback for example from my sister, who isn’t in the slightest bit techie. I’ve had good feedback from others who don’t feel that the world I’ve created it that unfamiliar for them to grasp what is going on.
I imagine I will discover, over the coming weeks and months, more people who will connect with it in ways I’ve not even imagined. That is very exciting. For the moment, I will keep writing, keep posting and keep interacting with those who are kind enough to take a chance on a debut author.