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The Delivery Manager Daily
mariodecristofano
82 episodes
1 week ago

Without doubt the worlds No1 ( :) ) podcast about delivering digital projects, Delivery Management, Agile & managing & coping as a Delivery Manager in 2025. Join me as I walk through weekly episodes of discussion, talk to guests, offer top tips, strategy & advice on how you can deliver digital projects better. Please head on over to @mariodc on X to follow me there, or @deliverynotts & @dm_daily to get links to the latest episodes & blog posts which you can find on mariosblog.co.uk. I replay all my talks, lectures & keynotes on the pod too, & would really appreciate a like, subscribe or review. I also now have SUBSCRIBER only content too where I do a 'here's how to do' series, giving you practical take aways, with no BS, all the tools & use live projects & people as examples. Very useful especially if you're new to the DM world so please consider subscribing to that too!


NEW: Join the TELEGRAM channel TODAY with lots of goodies, collateral & assets & possibly the best Agile & Digital Project chat ever! JOIN HERE


Please share with fellow folk in the Agile space & as always, thanks for listening x


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All content for The Delivery Manager Daily is the property of mariodecristofano and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Without doubt the worlds No1 ( :) ) podcast about delivering digital projects, Delivery Management, Agile & managing & coping as a Delivery Manager in 2025. Join me as I walk through weekly episodes of discussion, talk to guests, offer top tips, strategy & advice on how you can deliver digital projects better. Please head on over to @mariodc on X to follow me there, or @deliverynotts & @dm_daily to get links to the latest episodes & blog posts which you can find on mariosblog.co.uk. I replay all my talks, lectures & keynotes on the pod too, & would really appreciate a like, subscribe or review. I also now have SUBSCRIBER only content too where I do a 'here's how to do' series, giving you practical take aways, with no BS, all the tools & use live projects & people as examples. Very useful especially if you're new to the DM world so please consider subscribing to that too!


NEW: Join the TELEGRAM channel TODAY with lots of goodies, collateral & assets & possibly the best Agile & Digital Project chat ever! JOIN HERE


Please share with fellow folk in the Agile space & as always, thanks for listening x


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Technology
Business,
Management,
Entrepreneurship
Episodes (20/82)
The Delivery Manager Daily
AI in your delivery teams.

In this episode of The Delivery Manager Daily, Mario De’Cristofano explores how AI is reshaping the world of delivery — from digital transformation and software pipelines to logistics, forecasting, and real-time decision-making. We unpack what’s really changing, which skills delivery managers will need next, and how AI-driven delivery ecosystems are rewriting the rules of value, flow, and governance.


Expect clear, practical insight for Delivery Managers, CTOs, and digital leaders who want to stay ahead of the curve — with examples from enterprise, manufacturing, and tech.


This is the blog I refer to at the end of the episode >>>> here <<<<<<

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 week ago
30 minutes 24 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Episode 81:- Talking about Jira again,

I wanted to talk about how when organisations want to be truly Agile, it ain't about putting Jira in, mandating its use & bosch - you're Agile. A recent discussion in the pub with a buddy of mine found that he was going through some org challenges, & Jira was being penned as a panacea. Well we've talked about this before right? It's not. So let's find out why.


In this short podcast I refer to two great articles, & these are listed below.


As always, thanks for listening & see you on the next one.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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2 weeks ago
17 minutes 22 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Emotional Resiliency Part 2

🎙️ Episode: Emotional Resilience & The Myth of the Unbreakable Leader


In this episode of The Delivery Manager Daily, Mario De’Cristofano explores what emotional resilience really means for modern leaders — and why wellness isn’t a luxury, it’s an operational necessity.


From “urgency theatre” and invisible emotional labour to the quiet cost of leadership masks, Mario breaks down how organisations unintentionally erode resilience and what it really takes to rebuild it — with honesty, boundaries, and recovery at the centre.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of always having to be “the strong one”, this one’s for you.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
15 minutes 4 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Ep79 Your emotional & Moral Contract. do you break it?

In this episode of Delivery Manager Daily, Mario De’Cristofano dives deep into the messy side of professional life:


  • How to understand whether you’re positively or negatively impacting the world around you
  • How to cope with the knob heads at work — and why sometimes, walking away is the smartest leadership move you can make
  • And how to truly understand yourself — your reactions, your triggers, and your energy

This one’s part therapy, part leadership masterclass, and entirely honest.


Follow Mario for more insights, reflections, and delivery-leadership moments:


🔗 LinkedIn

🐦 Twitter/X

📸 Instagram

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
27 minutes 56 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Cybersecurity - It's an Issue

🎙️ In this episode of Delivery Manager Daily, we dive into some cutting-edge and controversial topics:

  • How AI is shaping vibe coding and why it might change the way teams build software
  • The recent hack at JLR and what it means for the wider cybersecurity landscape
  • Why AI-driven note taking could be more of a problem than a productivity boost
  • …and plenty more insights from the world of delivery and digital leadership


Follow Mario De’Cristofano for more thoughts and updates:


🔗 LinkedIn

🐦 Twitter/X

📸 Instagram

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
22 minutes 41 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Ep77:- Vibing hard, vibing good

Welcome to The Delivery Manager Daily, where today we dive deep into the fast-evolving world of vibe coding – a growing trend where developers build through feel, flow, and intuition rather than rigid specs or sprint-driven structures.


We explore:

  • What vibe coding actually is (beyond the memes)
  • The challenges it poses for delivery managers and engineering leads
  • How to strike a balance between flow state creativity and delivery discipline
  • When vibe coding boosts innovation—and when it just burns time
  • Real-world scenarios and leadership frameworks to keep projects on track


This one’s for the delivery managers stuck between a JIRA ticket and a Dev with headphones on at 3am.


🎧 Listen in as Mario De’Cristofano unpacks the fine art of vibing without derailing your delivery roadmap.


🔗 Links & Socials

📲 Join the community on Telegram: https://t.me/deliverymanagerdaily


🌍 Explore Mario’s world: https://linktr.ee/mariodc

📸 Instagram: @mariodc_uk

🐦 Twitter/X: @mariodc_uk

💼 LinkedIn: Mario De’Cristofano


🔥 Don't forget to like, share, and follow the podcast for your daily dose of Agile leadership and digital delivery real talk.

#DeliveryManagerDaily #VibeCoding #AgileLeadership #SoftwareDelivery #DevFlow #DigitalStrategy #TechPodcast

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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5 months ago
28 minutes 8 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Ep76 - Vibe Coding - my journey so far & plnnr.co.uk

🎙️ Vibe Coding: Empowering Delivery Managers in the AI Era


In this episode of The Delivery Manager Daily, Mario DeCristofano delves into the transformative world of Vibe Coding. Discover how natural language prompts are enabling Delivery Managers to prototype ideas swiftly, bridge communication gaps, and accelerate digital delivery.

Key Takeaways:

  • Understanding the fundamentals of Vibe Coding
  • The rise and significance of AI tools in software development
  • Practical applications and benefits for Delivery Managers
  • Challenges and considerations in adopting Vibe Coding
  • Resources to get started with Vibe Coding tools

Resources Mentioned:

  • Replit: https://replit.com
  • Lovable: https://lovable.so
  • V0: https://v0.dev
  • Plnnr (http://www.plnnr.co.uk)
  • My GIT repo: (https://github.com/creativepixel)
  • Chat GPT Ethics course for work https://www.udemy.com/course/chatgpt-complete-chatgpt-course-for-work-2023-ethically-chat-gpt/?couponCode=ST15MT20425G3
  • Ai for beginners https://www.udemy.com/course/generative-ai-for-beginners-b/
  • LLM Guide, mastering large models & agents https://www.udemy.com/course/llm-engineering-master-ai-and-large-language-models/
  •  The complete Ai guide https://www.udemy.com/course/complete-ai-guide/


Connect with Mario DeCristofano:

  • Website: mariosblog.co.uk
  • Twitter/X: @mariodc
  • Instagram: @mariodc
  • LinkedIn: Mario DeCristofano
  • YouTube: Delivery Manager Daily
  • Telegram: Delivery Manager Daily Channel


Subscribe to The Delivery Manager Daily:

  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jhTwJOEZOjAytXBRz47NU
  • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/mx/podcast/the-delivery-manager-daily/id1569664867
  • Acast: https://shows.acast.com/deliverymanagerdaily

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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5 months ago
20 minutes 23 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
EP75 CTO strategic advice, with Ai in mind

In this episode, I lay down the tactical playbook for CTOs operating under pressure in 2025. No budget? No problem. We cover 8 no-fluff, high-impact moves every modern CTO should be executing before asking finance for more runway. From building an AI-first delivery culture to pruning zombie infra, and showing up locally—this is the field guide for tech leaders who deliver.


~~JOIN TELEGRAM FOR FOREX TIPZ ~~ kidding!


📌 Expect sharp insights, practical steps, and zero buzzwords.

👇 Join the community and follow Mario across platforms:


🔗 LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Mariodc

💬 Join the Telegram group: https://t.me/deliverymanagerdaily

📣 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodcristofano/

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deliverymanagerdaily

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6 months ago
17 minutes 32 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
The 30 minute Stakeholder reset

🎧 Episode: The 30-Minute Stakeholder Reset

🎙️ Delivery Manager Weekly with Mario De’Cristofano


Stakeholder drift is real — and it’s deadly for delivery.

In this episode, I'll lay out a sharp, 3-step reset framework for Delivery Managers to realign with stakeholders, clarify direction, and restore delivery momentum — all in 30 minutes.


🔍 You’ll learn how to:

  • State the situation without triggering defence
  • Expose misalignment with laser-precise questions
  • Re-contract the relationship for faster decisions and fewer surprises


Use it in 1:1s, group reviews, or exec sessions — this isn’t about politics. It’s about leadership.

🧠 Includes a downloadable cheat sheet for immediate use.

📲 Join the Delivery Manager Weekly group on Telegram

👉 https://t.me/DeliveryManagerWeekly

🌐 All links, resources, and more from me

👉 https://linktr.ee/mariodc

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6 months ago
22 minutes 49 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
EP73 - The Delivery Manager Weekly - The 30 minute health check.

🎧 Episode: The 30-Minute Delivery Health Check


🎙️ Delivery Manager Weekly with Mario De’Cristofano

Think your delivery is going fine? Prove it — in 30 minutes.


In this episode, Mario breaks down a tactical, time-boxed framework every Agile Delivery Manager should have in their toolkit. No fluff. No slide decks. Just a sharp, five-part diagnostic to assess flow, clarity, capacity, stakeholder engagement, and delivery readiness — fast.

Perfect for retros, 1:1s, or crisis triage.


🔍 You’ll learn:

  • The five dimensions of delivery health that matter
  • How to extract risks, quick wins, and red flags fast
  • When and how to run this check solo or with your team

🧠 Includes a downloadable cheat sheet for immediate use.

🎯 Diagnose first. Then deliver.


Downloadable here


Thanks for listening. Dont forget to subscribe & follow me on all the socials.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7 months ago
10 minutes 58 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Standardised Developer environments

🎙️ Delivery Manager Weekly — Episode: Standardised Dev Environments in Sprint 0

Hosted by Mario De'Cristofano


In this episode, we dive into why setting up standardised development environments during Sprint 0 is a critical enabler for delivery success. Whether you're leading a new squad, onboarding engineers, or launching a greenfield build — this is foundational work that removes friction and sets the tone for engineering maturity.


You’ll hear about:

  • The purpose of Sprint 0
  • Why “it works on my machine” is a symptom of a bigger issue
  • Tooling and automation that make setup fast and repeatable
  • A practical checklist to use with your teams


🔗 Connect with Mario De'Cristofano:

  • Twitter/X: @mariodc
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
  • GitHub: github.com/mariodc

Subscribe, share, and leave a review — it helps others find the show.

Catch you next week.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7 months ago
12 minutes 22 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Ai in your projects

AI projects aren’t coming—they’re already here. Whether it’s chatbots, LLM integrations, or data-driven automation, Delivery Managers are being pulled into artificial intelligence delivery whether they’re ready or not.

In this episode, Mario breaks down why AI projects are fundamentally different from traditional software builds, what new skills and frameworks are needed, and how Delivery Managers can take the lead in a landscape full of fuzzy scopes, probabilistic outputs, and ethical pitfalls.

This is a practical, no-fluff briefing for anyone managing teams in the age of machine learning and GenAI.


🔑 What You’ll Learn:

  • Why AI projects behave differently than standard delivery
  • Key delivery risks unique to AI and ML
  • What new roles you’ll find in cross-functional AI squads
  • How to plan for iteration, uncertainty, and drift
  • Why ethical delivery and explainability matter


📱 Connect with Mario De’Cristofano:

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter / X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Website


💬 Have questions or ideas for the show?

Send a message on LinkedIn or drop a voice note via the link in the show bio.

🎧 Subscribe, share, and keep delivering.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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7 months ago
15 minutes 37 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Bias, being White & delivering in volatile environments.

Here's a podcast description that ties both topics together effectively:


🎙 Episode Title: Delivering in Volatile Environments & White Privilege Bias

In today’s episode of The Delivery Manager Daily, we tackle two critical challenges in the world of Agile and IT leadership: navigating volatile delivery environments and understanding the impact of white privilege bias in decision-making.


🔹 Delivering in Volatile Environments – Whether it’s market uncertainty, shifting stakeholder priorities, or unexpected team disruptions, delivery managers are constantly faced with turbulence. We’ll explore strategies for maintaining stability, adapting frameworks under pressure, and leading teams through unpredictable challenges without losing momentum.


🔹 White Privilege Bias in Leadership & Delivery – Bias—whether conscious or unconscious—affects hiring, promotions, and team dynamics. We discuss how systemic privilege influences decision-making in the workplace, the hidden biases that shape delivery outcomes, and how leaders can actively foster more equitable environments.


💡 Key Takeaways:

✅ How to structure Agile teams for resilience in volatile conditions

✅ The role of psychological safety in high-stakes deliveries

✅ Recognizing and addressing privilege bias in leadership decisions

✅ Practical steps for creating inclusive teams that thrive under pressure

📢 Join the conversation and connect with me, Mario De’Cristofano, on:

🔗 LinkedIn

🔗 Twitter/X

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Website

Subscribe & leave a review—let’s challenge the status quo together! 🚀


Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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8 months ago
29 minutes 42 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
To the Cloud - no wait, go back, go back.

🚀 New Episode Alert: The Cloud Exodus – Why Companies Are Moving Back On-Premise 🌍💻


For years, the cloud was the promised land—scalable, flexible, and cost-effective. But now, the tide is turning. Organizations are reassessing their cloud-first strategies, moving critical workloads back on-premise. Why?


In this episode of Delivery Manager Daily, we break down the key drivers behind this shift, including:

⚠️ Unpredictable Cloud Costs – Why “pay-as-you-go” is turning into “pay-more-than-you-planned.”

🔐 Security & Compliance Risks – Are cloud environments truly as secure as we thought?

⏳ Outages & Downtime – When your entire operation depends on a third party, how much control do you really have?


Join me, Mario De’Cristofano, as we explore the reality behind this growing trend. Featuring expert insights and practical strategies, we’ll discuss whether on-premise is making a comeback—and what it means for agile delivery managers navigating this complex landscape.

📢 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't miss this critical discussion! 🎙️ #DeliveryManagerDaily #CloudComputing #OnPremise #TechTrends

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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8 months ago
15 minutes 4 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Ep 67: Being a DM in 2025

This episode is jam PACKED with information if your a new CS graduate, or wanting to get into the Digital Delivery Manager game in 2025, the things I would do if I were starting fresh. You may want to listen to the episodes below too, as they are all linked & I really hope you enjoy this one.


  • Getting interviews for DM roles & how to do well (here)
  • How to become a DM (here)
  • The skills you need to be a DM (here)


Take care

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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8 months ago
28 minutes 26 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Hybrid working & running the best kick off meetings

In this episode I wanted to talk about two things;


  • Hybrid working - can you effectively do Scrum with new Scrum teams on new projects? This question came about after my talk at Keele, & I thought it was a great question & one which needed unpacking a bit.
  • Running a good kick of meeting (or any meeting) Hands up how many meetings are you in that are an utter disaster? Try of course doing that hybrid or remote & you can be almost guaranteed to fail - I briefly explain the five things I do to help run the very best meetings.


Step One: Know Your Purpose

Before you even send the invite, ask yourself: What is this meeting actually for? If your answer is "because we always do a kickoff,” start again.

A great kickoff meeting does three things:

  1. It aligns the team on goals, scope, and approach.
  2. It builds relationships and sets expectations.
  3. It uncovers potential risks early.

If your agenda isn’t doing these things, rethink it.



Step Two: Get the Right People in the Room

One of the worst mistakes? Inviting everyone because you don’t want anyone to feel left out. That’s how you end up with a meeting where half the people are checking emails and the other half are confused.

Here’s who should be in the room:

  • The key decision-makers—Product Owner, Delivery Manager, Tech Lead.
  • The core delivery team—engineers, designers, testers, analysts.
  • Key business stakeholders who need to understand the project direction.

Anyone else? Optional or async. Keep it lean, keep it focused.



Step Three: Set the Tone with Energy, Not Slides

Nobody wants to sit through a 40-slide deck on “Why This Project is Important.” Instead, open with energy. Be clear, be concise.

I like to start with three things:

  1. The Why: Why are we doing this project? Who does it benefit? Why does it matter?
  2. The What: What are we actually delivering? When? What does success look like?
  3. The How: How are we working? Agile? Scrum? Kanban? What’s expected of the team?

If you can’t explain these things in under five minutes, your project is already in trouble.



Step Four: Get People Talking—Fast

The best kickoff meetings aren’t monologues, they’re conversations. Get the team talking as soon as possible.

Here are a few great ways to do that:

  • Ask the team: What excites you about this project? What concerns you?
  • Run a mini Futurespective: If this project is a disaster in six months, why?
  • Map out early risks and dependencies together.

Engagement isn’t about hearing information, it’s about owning it.



Step Five: End with Action, Not Abstraction

A weak kickoff ends with “So yeah, let’s get started.” A strong kickoff ends with clear next steps.

Summarize in three bullet points:

  1. What’s happening this week? (First sprint, onboarding, requirements deep-dive?)
  2. Who’s doing what? (Lead engineer setting up repos, BA refining backlog, etc.)
  3. What does success look like by next check-in?

End with clarity. No open loops.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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8 months ago
15 minutes 54 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Who am I?

SKIP to approx 17 minutes in for PRACTICAL ADVICE if you're a computer science student, but I was recently asked off the back of a Keele University talk on Agile how I got to do what I'm doing, so I thought I'd record an episode all about it.


As always, thanks for listening, please subscribe & share the podcast with your mates who may be interested in this kind of stuff too.


Mx

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


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8 months ago
26 minutes 53 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Being too nice

In this episode & accompanying blog post, I talk about why being too nice at work can be a problem, especially if you're an Agile leader (or leader of any description). As I've built up my leadership experience over the years to now consider myself 'not too shabby' I wanted to just pick at the edges of a few problems I see at work/client sites & what you can do about it to be better. As always thanks for listening.

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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9 months ago
12 minutes 24 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
Agile ain't what it used to be

In this episode I talk about why after reading a new stat from engprax that a lot of projects were failing due to Agile & even John Kern, one of the Manifesto's forefathers is having 'one last go to try & get people to understand' I think too I could be done with Agile unless, well, you'll have to listen to the podcast won't you! :)


As always thanks for listening, join the debate on X (@mariodc, @dm_daily) Blue sky & subscribe & click the bell icon, so you get notified of every new release each week.


Mx

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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9 months ago
17 minutes 15 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily
You just dont understand Digital Sustainability

In this episode I talk on the notion of digital sustainability, what it is, & why you should care about it as a DM. We're not talking here about running an EV, or recycling, we're talking about what to consider to make your digital products & services more digitally sustainable. I talk about it here on the blog And also, some useful links below'


  • https://carbonagile.com/
  • https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano/doing-the-calculations-65569703760a
  • https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

Follow Mario De’Cristofano:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano

🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc

📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc

✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano

🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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9 months ago
14 minutes 6 seconds

The Delivery Manager Daily

Without doubt the worlds No1 ( :) ) podcast about delivering digital projects, Delivery Management, Agile & managing & coping as a Delivery Manager in 2025. Join me as I walk through weekly episodes of discussion, talk to guests, offer top tips, strategy & advice on how you can deliver digital projects better. Please head on over to @mariodc on X to follow me there, or @deliverynotts & @dm_daily to get links to the latest episodes & blog posts which you can find on mariosblog.co.uk. I replay all my talks, lectures & keynotes on the pod too, & would really appreciate a like, subscribe or review. I also now have SUBSCRIBER only content too where I do a 'here's how to do' series, giving you practical take aways, with no BS, all the tools & use live projects & people as examples. Very useful especially if you're new to the DM world so please consider subscribing to that too!


NEW: Join the TELEGRAM channel TODAY with lots of goodies, collateral & assets & possibly the best Agile & Digital Project chat ever! JOIN HERE


Please share with fellow folk in the Agile space & as always, thanks for listening x


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