“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
In software and beyond, we throw around words like agile, risk, governance, and contracts as if everyone agrees on what they mean. Spoiler: they don’t.
In this episode, Matt and Liam explore how mismatched definitions create friction - from software teams trying to be “agile,” to companies drafting contracts, to lawmakers writing privacy rules. It turns out the hardest part isn’t always the code or the compliance; it’s making sure we’re actually talking about the same thing.
We discuss:
- Why “agile” often gets misused as a synonym for safe, predictable delivery
- The difference between adaptability (responding to change) and agility (how you do it)
- Governance that enables vs. governance that suffocates
- How common law contracts work in practice: more about shared understanding than airtight guarantees
- Why security policies only matter if everyone interprets them the same way
- The bigger picture: the limits of language when systems and stakeholders get complex
It’s a mix of humour, reflection, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest risk isn’t technical at all—it’s assuming everyone means the same thing when they don’t.
🔗 Tonight’s Links:
- NPM Security Advisories – official advisories for recent package compromises
- The Agile Manifesto – the original statement of agile values
- OWASP Security Policies – guidance on writing security policies that actually work
- Australian Privacy Principles – privacy law reference from the OAIC
- Contracts in Software Engineering – ACM – context for how contracts function in practice
🍻 Tonight’s Drinks:
Matt – Soda water today
Liam – Young Henry’s Newtowner
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Cheers! 🍻