Monolithic Value stream

January 22, 2023

A while ago, I first attempted illustrating a value stream in a Vige Crowd context; since then, many things have been going on, but this has always been on my mind. Expect more things to come in this area soon. But in the meantime, I have a new illustration for you. This time, I’m after the feeling a team has when caught up in a monolithic code that has grown so big that it requires several teams, but at the same time, people are stepping on each other’s toes to get anything out.

So lets see what we have, first the teams…

Team Pink floats around in a large lake on a rubber ring. Their desk and board are under water and the notes drift away.

Team Red swims in the same lake. Their desk is under water and the red notes float around.

Team Yellow in the lake: one figure floats lifeless, one is half under water, one struggles to stay up.

…and now the monolith…

A huge dam with the word “Monolith” holds back the lake. Only a thin stream with one gift trickles out below it.

… and finally the customer.

A grumpy customer with a crown sits next to the thin stream, labelled “Monolithic value stream”.

Here is the full picture.

The whole picture: the teams in the lake above the dam called Monolith, and the thin monolithic value stream running down to the customer.