---
title: 40 - Failed lawyer stumbles into tech - Agile from the trenches
date: 2021-06-25
abstract: Chris is joined by long-time friend Erin Davies — an Agile Coach who accidentally stumbled into tech after applying for what she thought was a buying and merchandising role at John Lewis. Erin shares her journey from studying law and sociology at Warwick to becoming an Agile Coach, offers honest reflections on women in tech and imposter syndrome, and explains what Agile really looks like in practice when you're in the trenches. The episode also explores content creation, starting a podcast, and finding your voice in the tech community.
tags: DevOps, Career, Community, Content Creation, Developer Experience, Mental Health
author: Chris Reddington
canonical_url: https://chrisreddington.com/video/agile-from-the-trenches/
---


Chris is joined by long-time friend Erin Davies — an Agile Coach who accidentally stumbled into tech after applying for what she thought was a buying and merchandising role at John Lewis. In this candid, wide-ranging conversation they cover:

- **Erin's unconventional journey** — from studying law and sociology at Warwick, to a student union sabbatical role, to landing an IT grad scheme at John Lewis without realising it was IT
- **Agile in the real world** — what Agile coaching actually looks like on the ground, the gap between theory and practice, and why the people side of Agile is often harder than the process
- **Women in tech** — honest anecdotes about being talked over at conferences, having a housemate insist she didn't work in IT, and the subtle ways assumptions still shape experiences in the industry
- **Imposter syndrome** — and how non-traditional backgrounds can become a genuine advantage
- **Content creation & podcasting** — why Chris encourages everyone to just start, the lessons learned from 15+ months of Cloud With Chris, and Erin's plans for her own podcast

An episode that's as entertaining as it is insightful — grab a drink and enjoy.