Signals & Levers

Stop fighting symptoms. Start finding solutions. Discover the systems thinking tools that actually work.

In Signals & Levers, Elisabeth Hendrickson—former VP R&D at Pivotal and author of the enduring Explore It!—and Joel Tosi—who has spent 25+ years delivering software and a decade helping teams stop "change theater"—teach you to see through the illusions that plague every software organization.

Using tools from statistical process control, systems thinking, and economic theory, they show you how to identify real problems and find the levers that create lasting change.

Each chapter delivers practical techniques. Learn to spot critical illusions that derail delivery, build causal diagrams that reveal system dynamics, and uncover hidden connections that make obvious solutions backfire. See how to separate signal from noise, frame problems as testable hypotheses, visualize trade-offs as continuums, build cultures that learn instead of repeating mistakes, and ultimately choose the right path forward given your context. Plus, "Better in 30 Minutes" exercises let you practice immediately.

Along the way, you'll meet Theresa, an engineering director. She learned that her teams are late delivering the next release. Again. Frustrated, she digs into the data only to discover that she's been suffering from illusions that listeners will find all too familiar. You'll follow Theresa's journey as she learns to read signals and find the right levers to fix systemic issues.

Whether you're a developer tired of death marches, a CTO struggling with predictability, or a PM wondering why everything takes longer than planned, this book provides the systems thinking skills that transform software organizations.