Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

BONUS: Patrick James Lynch on Entertainment That Makes Change - Lessons in Product Thinking from Believe Ltd. In this BONUS episode we explore how Patrick James Lynch, filmmaker, media executive, and rare disease advocate, has built Believe Limited around a powerful mission: entertainment that effects change. Patrick shares his journey from personal experience with his brother's hemophilia to creating award-winning content that empowers rare and chronic disease communities, offering valuable lessons for product managers on human-centered design, stakeholder alignment, and building emotionally viable products. The Genesis of Entertainment That Effects Change "This is more than a product." Patrick's journey began with a deeply personal question about his brother who had hemophilia. As an entrepreneur, he set out to respond to an identified need with one product to meet that need, but quickly realized the scope was much larger. His curiosity about what was different between him and his brother led him to understand that he needed to help people like his brother. This realization drove him to create valuable online videos to engage their audience, marking the beginning of Believe Ltd.'s mission of entertainment that effects change. Essential Product Lessons: Listen, Learn, and Do No Harm "The fact that I am my audience, does not mean that I'm an expert." Patrick emphasizes the critical importance of conducting thorough needs assessments and truly understanding your community before building products. Key insights include: Embed yourself in the community you're serving rather than making assumptions Follow the principle of "listen, learn and do no harm" as your starting point Involve community engagement as a dedicated role - Believe Ltd. has a VP of community engagement Define clear phrases that explain the value you deliver to your audience Use your personal story to establish credibility and relate experiences to your audience The goal is to get as familiar with your community as possible, then conduct your own research and development based on those deep insights. Navigating Multi-Stakeholder Complexity "Collaboration only succeeds when all points of view are respected." Working with patients, funders, healthcare professionals, and pharmaceutical companies requires careful orchestration. Patrick's approach centers on prioritizing the end game and identifying the north star goal that aligns all parties. He emphasizes focusing on combined skills and networks rather than trying to accomplish everything at the start. The key is ensuring that aligning stakeholders becomes a central part of the process, with everyone being accounted for throughout the journey. Human-Centered Storytelling as Product Strategy "What's the story that shows the value add of your product?" Patrick advocates for human-centered storytelling as a fundamental product approach. Rather than leading with features or specifications, he suggests crafting stories that demonstrate real value - like how a thermos saved someone's life while hiking. Stories have been humanity's primary communication tool since the beginning of time, and they remain the most effective way to show product value and connect with audiences on a meaningful level. Being a Value Fundamentalist "At any given moment, if anyone takes a screen grab, and set it against our five core values as a company - you see it's playing out." Patrick describes himself as a value fundamentalist, meaning that their company's core values are always present in everything they do. This requires courage, including the willingness to say "no" when opportunities don't align with their values. As CEO, he believes in embodying these values consistently, even when it's challenging, because who they are must always be visible in their work. Balancing Vision with Community Feedback "When you ask the audience for a solution, there's no innovation." Patrick warns against sacrificing vision simply because you're working closely with your audience. While being in the sandbox with your community is essential, maintaining your original vision for entertainment that changes minds is equally important. He recommends having someone you can bounce ideas off to help maintain this balance, and remembers that all great things start small and are inherently iterative. Creating Emotionally Viable Products "We can't develop emotional connection by going through a list of features." Beyond minimum viable products, Patrick focuses on emotional viability - the hook that makes people truly care. Emotional connection cannot be built through feature lists but rather through compelling stories that capture people's imagination. When audiences engage with products outside of direct supervision, storytelling becomes the bridge that helps them discover new uses and applications. This creates a dance between product creators and their audience, leading to better product design. The Currency of Attention "Attention is the only currency - there's great wisdom in that." Patrick recognizes that in today's landscape, capturing and maintaining attention is the fundamental challenge. Since everyone is an audience member at different times, this perspective helps inform both strategy and tactics. Products must compete not just on functionality but on their ability to engage and maintain audience interest over time. As a recommended reading, Patrick suggests that we should read “Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need” to understand how to better tell stories about our products.  About Patrick James Lynch Patrick James Lynch is a filmmaker, media executive, and rare disease advocate. CEO of Believe Limited and founder of BloodStream Media, he uses his experience with hemophilia to drive award-winning storytelling, health advocacy, and mission-driven content that inspires and empowers rare and chronic disease communities worldwide. You can link with Patrick James Lynch on LinkedIn and follow Patrick James Lynch's work on his website.

BONUS: Zach Goldberg shares how to build high-performing engineering teams and master the startup CTO role In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the world of startup leadership with Zach Goldberg, author of The Startup CTO's Handbook. We explore the critical transition from engineering to leadership, the art of balancing technical debt with startup urgency, and the communication skills that separate great CTOs from the rest. The Genesis of The Startup CTO's Handbook "My original training in software engineering was not enough for being a leader. All the people and leadership skills, I had to learn on my own." Zach's journey to writing The Startup CTO's Handbook began with a stark realization about the gap between technical training and leadership reality. Despite his classical software engineering background, he discovered that the people and leadership skills required for CTO success had to be self-taught. The book emerged from a growing Google Doc of topics and frameworks addressing the leadership and management challenges that CTOs consistently face - from hiring and performance management to making strategic decisions under pressure. Today, we can either buy the digital/print book on Amazon, or read the book on GitHub.  In this segment, we also refer to the book The Great CEO Within. Learning to Truly Learn: The Max Mintz Story "Max only cared about my ability to learn - to get curious about something hard. He wanted to help me deal with complexity." Zach opens his book with a deeply personal story about his mentor, Max Mintz, who fundamentally changed his approach to learning during what he calls "the most impactful single coffee" of his life. Over 1.5 years of conversations, Max taught him that true learning isn't about accumulating facts, but about developing curiosity for hard problems and building the capacity to handle complexity. This lesson forms the foundation of effective CTO leadership - the ability to continuously learn and adapt in an ever-changing technical landscape. The Three Critical CTO Mistakes "As a CTO, the most important 3 things: people, people, people. Do the people have the right energy, the right passion? Assemble the right team." Zach identifies consistent patterns in startup CTO failures across his experience. The first and most critical mistake is undervaluing people decisions - failing to prioritize team energy, passion, and the right assembly of talent. The second category involves investment mistakes, particularly the challenge of balancing short-term survival needs with long-term technical goals. In startups, the ROI timespan is exceptionally short, requiring optimization for immediate objectives rather than hypothetical scale. The third mistake is treating technology as religion rather than tools, losing sight of what the business actually needs. Optimizing for Velocity and Developer Experience "You are optimizing for velocity! What are you doing to help developers get their work done? Look at developer experience as a metric." Successful startup CTOs understand that velocity - the time from idea to valuable market delivery - is paramount. This requires a fundamental shift in thinking about technology decisions, focusing on features that deliver real customer value rather than technical elegance. Zach emphasizes measuring developer experience as a key metric, recognizing that anything that helps developers work more effectively directly impacts the company's ability to survive and thrive in competitive markets. The Professional Skill Tree Concept "It's like a character progression in an RPG. When we learn one type of skills, we don't learn other types of skills. We make investments every day and we have a choice on where we learn." Drawing from gaming metaphors, Zach explains how technical professionals often reach Level 100 in engineering skills while remaining Level 1 in management. The skill tree concept highlights that every learning investment is a choice - time spent developing one skill area means less time available for others. For engineers transitioning to leadership, the key is recognizing opportunities to serve as tech leads, where they can begin setting culture and quality standards while still leveraging their technical expertise. Balancing Kaizen with Startup Urgency "Pick the high-impact debt, and pay that down. This is not always easy, especially because we also need to pick what debt we don't invest on." The tension between continuous improvement and startup speed requires sophisticated thinking about technical debt. Using financial analogies, Zach explains that technical debt has both principal and interest components. The key is identifying which debt carries the highest interest rates and can be paid down most quickly, while consciously choosing which debt to carry forward. This approach maintains the healthy tension between quality and speed that defines successful startup engineering. The Power of Audience Empathy "The single hardest skill, especially for very tech leaders is that of 'audience empathy.' When you explain ideas to people, you usually assume a lot - but they might not." According to Zach, the most undervalued communication habit for startup tech leaders is developing audience empathy. Technical leaders often suffer from the curse of knowledge, assuming their audience shares their context and understanding. The solution requires deliberately considering what the audience already knows before crafting any communication, whether it's explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders or providing clear direction to team members. In this segment we refer to the concept of “the curse of knowledge”, a cognitive bias that occurs when a person who has specialized knowledge assumes that others share in that knowledge. About Zach Goldberg Zach Goldberg is a seasoned technical entrepreneur, executive coach, and author of The Startup CTO's Handbook. With a founder's mentality and a passion for systems thinking, Zach helps engineering leaders build high-performing teams. He also founded Advance The World, a nonprofit inspiring youth in STEM through immersive experiences. You can link with Zach Goldberg on LinkedIn, and visit Zach's website at CTOHB.com.

BONUS: Tom Gilb on Building True Engineering Culture and Delivering Value Through Evolutionary Methods In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the world of true engineering discipline with Tom Gilb, a pioneer who was writing about Agile principles before Agile was even named. We explore his latest book "Success - Super Secrets & Strategies for Efficient Value Delivery in Projects and Programs, and Plans" and uncover the fundamental flaws in how organizations approach project delivery and stakeholder management. The Genesis of Success-Focused Engineering "People were failing at project deliveries - even when using Agile. I saw there was very little about setting clear goals and reaching them, it had nothing to do with being successful." Tom's motivation for writing his latest book stems from a critical observation: despite the widespread adoption of Agile methodologies, project failure rates remain unacceptably high. The core issue isn't methodology but rather the fundamental lack of clarity around what success actually means. Tom emphasizes that true success is about achieving the improvements you want at a price you can afford, yet most organizations fail to define this clearly from the outset. In this segment, we refer to the book How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg who published statistics on the poor performance of projects in general. Beyond OKRs: The Power of Quantified Multi-Dimensional Objectives "First you need to have a definition of what it means to succeed. And that needs to be multi-dimensional. And you need to clarify what they are." While many organizations believe they're already quantifying objectives through frameworks like OKRs, Tom reveals significant weaknesses in these approaches. True value isn't just profit—it encompasses multiple dimensions including security, usability, and other stakeholder-specific benefits. The key insight is learning to quantify what needs to be achieved across all critical dimensions, as you simply cannot design for high-quality attributes like security without first quantifying and designing for them explicitly. In this segment, we talk about Tom's paper on OKR's titled "OKR Objectives and Key Results: what's wrong and how to fix it". The Missing Engineering Discipline "Why is the failure rate of our projects so high?" Tom identifies a paradoxical problem: engineering organizations often lack true engineering discipline. This fundamental gap explains why project success rates remain low despite technological advances. Real engineering requires systematic approaches to design, stakeholder analysis, and incremental value delivery—disciplines that are often overlooked in favor of rushed implementations. Stakeholder Analysis: Beyond User Stories "Stakeholders have a requirement - even if we don't know it. They might be people, but also law, contract, policies, etc. They all have requirements for us." Traditional user-centered methods like user stories can lead to failure when critical stakeholders are overlooked. Tom advocates for comprehensive stakeholder analysis as the foundation of engineering discipline. Stakeholders aren't just people—they include laws, contracts, policies, and other constraints that have requirements for your system. The practical tip here is to use AI tools to help identify and list these stakeholders, then quantify their specific requirements using structured approaches like Planguage. The Gilb Cycle: True Incremental Value Delivery "Get things done every week, next week, until it's all done. We need to decompose any possible design into enough increments so that each increment delivers some value." What distinguishes Tom's evolutionary approach from popular Agile frameworks is the focus on choosing the most efficient design and then systematically improving existing systems through measured increments. Each increment must deliver tangible value, and the decomposition process should be aided by AI tools to ensure optimal value delivery. This isn't just about iteration—it's about strategic improvement with measurable outcomes. Building Engineering Culture: A Two-Leader Approach "There are two leaders: the tech leaders and the management leaders. For management leaders: demand a value stream of results starting next week. To the tech leaders: learn the engineering process." Creating a true engineering culture requires coordinated effort from both management and technical leadership. Management leaders should demand immediate value streams with weekly results, while technical leaders must master fundamental engineering processes including stakeholder analysis and requirement quantification. This dual approach ensures both accountability and capability development within the organization. Further Resources During this episode we refer to several of Tom's books and papers. You can see this list below Software Metrics by Tom Gilb Principles of software engineering management - Also available in PDF Evo book   About Tom Gilb Tom Gilb, born in the US, lived in London, and then moved to Norway in 1958. An independent teacher, consultant, and writer, he has worked in software engineering, corporate top management, and large-scale systems engineering. As the saying goes, Tom was writing about Agile, before Agile was named. In 1976, Tom introduced the term "evolutionary" in his book Software Metrics, advocating for development in small, measurable steps. Today, we talk about Evo, the name that Tom used to describe his approach. You can link with Tom Gilb on LinkedIn.

BONUS: Solution-Focused Coaching: The Game-Changing Method Every Scrum Master Needs With Ralph Miarka and Veronika Jugwirth In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into solution-focused coaching with Ralph and Veronika, co-authors of "Solution Focused Coaching For Agile Teams." This conversation explores how to shift from problem-solving to solution-building, helping Agile teams thrive through a forward-looking approach that empowers teams to find their own path to success. Understanding Solution-Focused Coaching "Solution focus, focuses on the goal itself. We are not talking about 'how', but first start with 'what we want to achieve'." Solution-focused coaching represents a fundamental shift from traditional problem-solving approaches. Rather than diving into root cause analysis and retrospectives focused on what went wrong, this methodology centers on the future and desired outcomes. It operates as a communication system that recognizes the complexity of modern work environments where simple cause-effect relationships don't always apply. In engineering, root causes make sense when dealing with predictable systems, but in complex organizational dynamics, solution-focused coaching acknowledges that we often can't identify clear root causes and instead focuses on creating a "preferred future." In this segment we refer to Solution-focused brief therapy and the Cynefin model.  The Power of Not-Knowing "Instead of suggesting solutions, we should start by asking questions. The “Not-knowing position” is about accepting this." The "not-knowing position" challenges coaches and leaders to resist the urge to immediately diagnose problems and offer solutions. When someone shares their story, they're not sharing the version we think we know. This approach transforms coaching conversations by starting with questions like "What difference would it make for you to solve this problem?" This shift toward asking questions about a positive future can even help identify advocates among those who initially resist change, creating unexpected allies in transformation efforts. Everyone as an Expert "When we help teams change by themselves, they change much faster." The principle that "everyone is an expert in their situation" fundamentally changes how coaches approach team dynamics, especially during periods of pressure or conflict. Instead of imposing external solutions, this approach involves asking teams what they already like about their current practices. For example, when observing daily standups with their natural diversity of approaches, focusing on what teams appreciate about their existing practices creates a foundation for sustainable change. Teams that discover their own path to improvement implement changes more rapidly and with greater commitment than those following prescribed solutions. The Miracle Question Technique "What would be a very small first sign that tells you that there was a small miracle during the night?" The Miracle Question emerges from real coaching conversations where clients express that "only a miracle can help." Rather than dismissing this statement, solution-focused coaches embrace the client's language to create powerful exploration opportunities. The technique involves asking teams to imagine their situation after a small miracle has occurred overnight, then identifying the first small signs they would notice. This approach helps teams explore possibilities and envision concrete steps toward their preferred future, making abstract goals tangible and achievable. Unlearning the Fix-It Mentality "Don't work by yourself in the problems of others, let them work." For Agile practitioners trained to identify and fix problems, solution-focused coaching requires a significant mindset shift. Instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, coaches must learn to hold space for solutions to emerge naturally from the team. This involves trusting that team members are experts in their own situations and developing strong questioning skills. Coaches and Scrum Masters need to clarify their own goals and resist the urge to solve problems for others, instead creating conditions where teams can work through challenges themselves. Practical Questions for Immediate Implementation "What do we want to achieve? What is our goal, and why?" Teams can immediately begin incorporating solution-focused approaches by bringing specific questions into their regular ceremonies. Key questions include exploring what the team wants to achieve and understanding the underlying purpose behind their goals. Additionally, asking "What works already?" helps teams build on existing strengths rather than focusing solely on problems. Confidence-building questions like "How confident are we?" and "What would make you more confident?" create opportunities for teams to identify specific actions that would increase their likelihood of success. About Ralph and Veronika Ralph Miarka is an Agile coach, trainer, and co-author of the book that is our topic for today's episode: Solution Focused Coaching For Agile Teams. Ralph helps teams thrive through solution-focused coaching. With a background in engineering and leadership, he bridges structure and empathy to spark real change. You can link with Ralph Miarka on LinkedIn. Veronika Jungwrith is a coach, consultant, and facilitator, Veronika blends solution-focused coaching with leadership development. Her work empowers individuals and teams to navigate complexity with clarity, meaning, and lasting impact. You can link with Veronika Jungwrith on LinkedIn.

Deniz Ari: Why Great Product Owners Listen—Communication Lessons from Product Ownership Extremes The Great Product Owner: The Power of Clear Communication Deniz describes a truly exemplary Product Owner who excelled through outstanding communication skills. This PO was an exceptional listener who maintained openness throughout all interactions. They ensured the team thoroughly understood requirements and priorities, always clearly articulating the rationale behind decisions. With a well-defined product vision and transparent prioritization process, this PO successfully bridged the gap between the development team and clients. Deniz emphasizes how this clear communication style naturally fostered team motivation, as everyone understood not just what they were building, but why it mattered. The Bad Product Owner: The Tyrant PO Deniz shares a challenging experience with a problematic Product Owner during what initially appeared to be a straightforward public sector migration project with adequate budget and timeline. Despite these favorable conditions, the situation deteriorated when the PO began pushing the team to work overtime, overstepping boundaries by questioning architectural decisions, and inappropriately assuming Scrum Master responsibilities. Described as a "tyrant" or "despot," this PO exhibited extremely poor communication skills and preferred dictating rather than collaborating. When Deniz attempted to address these issues, the situation became so toxic that it affected Deniz's health, ultimately leading to their decision to leave the project. The PO subsequently claimed no Scrum Master was needed. Deniz reflects that sometimes the best option is to recognize when a situation cannot be changed and to move on. Self-reflection Question: What boundaries would you establish with a dominant Product Owner, and at what point would you decide that the situation cannot be improved? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Deniz Ari: Stakeholder Management Rhythms for Successful Scrum Masters Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. For Deniz, successful Scrum Masters create environments with positive team dynamics, easy communication, and a focus on continuous improvement that leads to valuable deliverables. The key indicators include whether team members can speak freely, whether there's trust between team members, and if the team feels like "a safe place to fail." Deniz recommends admitting your own mistakes in front of the team to model vulnerability, continuously observing team interactions, and noticing whether teams openly discuss obstacles. For stakeholder management, Deniz suggests establishing regular catch-up calls with leaders to keep team messages in the conversation and setting up routine discussions with stakeholders to maintain alignment. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The Worst Retro Deniz shares a playful yet effective retrospective format called "The Worst Retro," conducted using a MURAL board. The session begins with an energy/mood check to establish the team's current state. Then it moves into three key sections: what team members remember from the sprint, how they could make the next sprint worse, and finally deciding what actions to take next. Deniz explains that the power of this approach lies in using humor to discuss serious problems—by asking how to make things worse, team members can indirectly highlight what's already not working. This format creates an informal, relaxed environment where people feel comfortable addressing challenging topics that might otherwise remain unspoken. Self-reflection Question: How might introducing an element of humor or "reverse thinking" help your team discuss problems they've been avoiding in traditional retrospective formats? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Deniz Ari: Why Your Process Changes Are Failing—The Stakeholder Alignment Problem Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Deniz explores the challenges of implementing change in organizations, emphasizing that change is always a long and difficult process requiring patience and trust. Drawing on the Change Curve concept, Deniz shares a personal experience trying to improve project visibility by cleaning up backlogs in JIRA for 10 in-flight projects. Despite good intentions, Deniz found themselves as the only person using the tool, with team members and Product Owners using different systems that better suited their specific needs—POs wanting only high-level items while the development team needed to split items into smaller tasks. Through this experience, Deniz learned the crucial importance of having all stakeholders (Product Owners, development teams, and managers) aligned on using the same tool, and understanding the unique perspectives of each group before implementing process changes. In this episode, we refer to the Change Curve.  Self-reflection Question: What changes have you attempted to implement that failed because you didn't fully understand the different needs and perspectives of all stakeholders involved? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Deniz Ari: Security Team Breakdown—The Devastating Impact of Poor Product Ownership Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Deniz shares the story of a security project with a team of eight experienced, senior engineers working on mission-critical systems. Despite initial motivation and clear architectural solutions, the team soon exhibited signs of negative behavior including complaints and criticism. The root cause traced back to frequent Product Owner changes—several within less than a year—and poor client management. Instead of shielding the team, the PO directly transferred stress from clients to the team, demanded overtime, and created unnecessary tension by bringing unfiltered conflicts to the team and requesting excessive details. Deniz emphasizes the importance of avoiding unnecessary tensions, being more political when necessary to protect the team, and being mindful of tone in written communications. Self-reflection Question: In what ways might you be failing to set proper boundaries in your role, and how could establishing clearer limits improve both your effectiveness and your team's performance? Featured Book of the Week: Boundaries by Henrik Cloud Deniz recommends "Boundaries" by Henrik Cloud, a book about human relationships and personal limitations. The book addresses crucial questions: Does your life feel out of control? Do you keep saying yes to everyone? Are you taking responsibility for others' feelings and problems? Have you forgotten your own limitations? Deniz explains how this book helped them learn to say "no" while still considering others' realities and feelings, and understanding why we often struggle with setting boundaries. Deniz highlights that being a Scrum Master involves much more than just processes and methods—it requires healthy personal boundaries. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Deniz Ari: How Intense Delivery Pressure Destroyed Team Trust, Culture, and Brought Burnout Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Working in the public sector, Deniz faced a challenging situation during a particularly busy winter period when the client wanted to combine multiple major initiatives simultaneously: migration, new features, and security improvements. This led to an oversized team of 25 engineers, which ultimately caused significant problems. The pressure to continuously deliver became overwhelming, breaking team trust and leaving members feeling abandoned. Several team members left, the team culture disintegrated, and cases of burnout emerged. After this difficult experience, Deniz conducted a comprehensive retrospective to process what happened and provide feedback to management about the dangers of excessive pressure in Scrum environments. Self-reflection Question: How might you recognize the early warning signs of team burnout before it reaches a critical point, and what boundaries would you establish to protect your team? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

BONUS: Marcelo Calbucci reveals Amazon's secret innovation framework that transforms product development! Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this BONUS episode, we explore "The PRFAQ Framework" (visit also the website) with author Marcelo Calbucci. He shares how Amazon's innovative approach to product development can be adapted by founders, product managers, and teams across industries. Learn how this powerful methodology creates alignment, clarifies vision, and ensures customer-centricity in product development. The Origins of PRFAQ "I learned the PR FAQ method at Amazon and realized this is a great tool that would be valuable for founders and product leaders." Marcelo Calbucci shares how his experience at Amazon introduced him to the PRFAQ framework—a structured approach to product ideation and development. He explains how this methodology transformed his thinking about innovation and why he felt compelled to share it with a wider audience through his book. The framework addresses a critical gap he observed in how teams approach product development, often lacking the clarity and customer focus needed for success. Understanding the PRFAQ Framework "PR FAQ stands for press release and frequently asked questions—it's a method to talk about and define a vision for the product." The PRFAQ framework is a six-page document with a highly prescriptive structure. Marcelo breaks down the components: Page 1: A press release announcing the product Page 2+: Customer FAQ addressing potential questions Page 3+: Internal FAQ covering implementation details This document serves as the foundation for product development, helping teams align on vision and strategy before diving into execution. Marcelo emphasizes that the framework forces teams to articulate the "why" behind their work, not just the "what" and "how." The Alignment Challenge "Challenge: pick a few people from your organization, ask each one 'why are we doing this?' Chances are you will get a different answer from different people." One of the most significant challenges in product development is the lack of alignment across teams. Marcelo highlights how common it is for team members to have different understandings of product goals and strategy. Without a shared vision, teams risk building features that don't solve the right problems or address customer needs effectively. The PRFAQ framework creates alignment by documenting and socializing product vision in a consistent format that encourages discussion and feedback. Practical Implementation Tips "Use the PRFAQ as a textual document, instead of a PowerPoint presentation—the discipline of writing helps clarify thinking." Marcelo offers several practical tips for implementing the PRFAQ approach effectively: Write things out in paragraphs rather than bullet points Consider writing the FAQs before the press release Use the document as a tool for discussion, not as a polished deliverable Conduct review sessions with peers, team members, and stakeholders Focus on substance over style—the goal is to discover feedback He emphasizes that the act of writing forces clearer thinking and exposes gaps in logic or understanding that might otherwise remain hidden. The Amazon Way "At Amazon, every product starts with a PRFAQ. It starts with someone having an idea. The first thing they do is to write the PRFAQ." Marcelo provides insight into how Amazon implements this framework across the organization. Every product initiative begins with a PRFAQ document that articulates the vision and strategy. Teams spend time discussing and refining this document before moving into execution. This methodical approach allows Amazon to get early feedback on ideas, helping to identify potential issues before significant resources are invested. The framework has been a cornerstone of Amazon's ability to innovate consistently across diverse product areas. Customer-Centricity in Practice "Here's one lesson about product leadership: understand the problems better than even the customer understands them." The customer-centric nature of the PRFAQ framework is one of its greatest strengths. By forcing teams to anticipate customer questions and articulate benefits from their perspective, the framework ensures products are built to solve real problems. Marcelo explains that sometimes the "customer" might be internal, but the principle remains the same—deeply understanding the problems before proposing solutions. This approach has proven particularly effective at Amazon, where customer obsession is a core value. Learning from the Book Development Process "In interviewing teams using the method, I discovered that the problem was convincing the whole team about the PRFAQ method." Interestingly, Marcelo applied the PRFAQ framework to the development of his own book. Through this meta-application, he discovered that the biggest challenge wasn't explaining the method itself but convincing entire teams to adopt it. This insight shaped the book's approach—making product strategy discussions less academic and more practical. He focused on providing concrete examples and templates that teams could immediately apply to their work. Resources for Deeper Learning "Read examples first, pay attention to how you write the phrases in the document." For listeners wanting to explore the PRFAQ framework further, Marcelo recommends starting with examples to understand the tone and structure. His book website offers resources and templates to help teams implement the framework. He emphasizes that seeing the framework in action is often more valuable than theoretical discussions, which is why he includes numerous examples in his book and supplementary materials. About Marcelo Calbucci Marcelo Calbucci is a founder, product and engineering leader, and innovation expert passionate about solving customers' biggest challenges through software. With over two decades of experience, he has launched dozens of products across industries and mentored nearly a thousand founders and professionals, shaping the future of product development and innovation. Marcelo Calbucci is the author of "The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You," which describes Amazon's PRFAQ method—a strategic approach designed to refine and present new product ideas by focusing on customer-centric narratives. You can link with Marcelo Calbucci on LinkedIn and connect with Marcelo Calbucci on Substack.

Simina Fodor: Why the 'Why' Matters—Product Owner Communication Lessons Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Transparency and Customer Focus This exemplary Product Owner shaped Simina's entire view of product management and even inspired her to consider a future transition to that role. Despite not having a traditional product background (coming instead from support), this PO demonstrated exceptional openness to both giving and receiving feedback. They consistently explained the logic behind decisions, sharing the "why" that motivated their priorities. What truly set them apart was bringing customer perspectives and use cases directly to the team, helping developers understand the features through the lens of personas and user scenarios. The PO's transparency extended to their own professional journey, openly sharing how they grew into the role, which created an atmosphere of continuous learning and development. The Bad Product Owner: The Ghost Commander This experienced Product Owner approached the role with a command-and-control mindset carried over from previous Project Management experience, believing that backlog grooming was "beneath them." Essentially a ghost to the team, they avoided retrospectives while issuing constantly shifting priorities with little explanation or logic. The PO would issue commands and demand immediate responses without considering consequences, creating a toxic environment that threatened to destroy team morale. Simina recommends coaching such Product Owners on agile mindset principles and seeking leadership support when necessary to prevent team deterioration. Self-reflection Question: How can you effectively bridge the gap between command-and-control Product Owners and teams seeking more transparency and collaboration? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Simina Fodor: The Courage to Question—Signs of a Healthy Agile Team Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. For Simina, Scrum Master success goes far beyond facilitation skills – it's about what happens when you're not in the room. True success means creating a self-sustaining team that maintains healthy practices even in your absence. Simina looks for indicators like: Do team members feel safe raising concerns regularly? Can they push back with the Product Owner and offer suggestions? Do they proactively ask for the "why" behind requests instead of blindly following directions? She emphasizes that successful teams raise dependencies early in the sprint, have the courage to plan work with other teams, and handle integrations independently. The ultimate test of Scrum Master effectiveness is whether the team continues to thrive even when you step away for a few days. Self-reflection Question: What specific behaviors would indicate that your team has reached a level of self-sustainability that would allow you to step back? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Start/Stop/Continue Simina advocates for the simplicity of the Start/Stop/Continue retrospective format. After experimenting with numerous complex approaches, she found that sometimes the most straightforward formats yield the best results. This classic structure cuts through noise and focuses teams on what truly matters: what new practices they should begin, what isn't working and should stop, and what's effective and should continue. Simina appreciates how this format's simplicity makes it accessible and easy to follow, allowing teams to concentrate on meaningful conversation rather than getting lost in complicated retrospective mechanics. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Simina Fodor: Building Bridges—How Cross-Department Champions Drive Agile Adoption Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Simina shares her experience leading an enterprise Agile transformation from her position in Project Management. Rather than pushing for immediate, wholesale change, she started small - seeking out interested colleagues, sharing case studies from other companies, and gradually building internal support. This patient approach took years before the organization officially embraced Agile and Scrum, but created a strong foundation of champions across departments. When business needs finally demanded faster releases and better responsiveness to change, Simina had already established a community of practice ready to support the transition. She began with a single pilot team implementing just daily standups, which then expanded into a full Agile program that ultimately facilitated her transition from Project Manager to Scrum Master. Self-reflection Question: How might building informal networks and starting with small changes create a more sustainable foundation for organizational transformation than top-down mandates? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Simina Fodor: How Leadership Communication Can Destroy Team Morale Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Simina recounts working with a diverse, remote team on a high-visibility project to retire legacy systems under strict deadlines. The team made sacrifices, working overtime and through vacations to meet the challenging timeline. When Simina recommended team bonuses to recognize their extraordinary efforts, leadership not only rejected the request but publicly announced that overtime was simply "expected" as part of the job. This single communication destroyed the team's trust, leading to disengagement, dropped velocity, missed deadlines, and team members skipping Scrum events. Simina highlights how quickly team dynamics can collapse when leadership dismisses extra effort and fails to acknowledge team contributions. Self-reflection Question: How might you advocate for proper recognition of your team's extraordinary efforts when leadership views such work as simply expected? Featured Book of the Week: The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo Simina recommends "The Making of a Manager" by Julie Zhuo, a book she initially dismissed because she wasn't in a management role. However, upon reading it, she discovered numerous parallels between effective management and Scrum Mastery. The book's message that managers don't need to know all the answers resonated deeply with her, reinforcing the importance of understanding humans first before implementing processes. Despite not being an Agile-specific book, Simina found its people-focused approach incredibly valuable for her Scrum Master practice. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Simina Fodor: From Corporate to Startup—Navigating the Scrum Implementation Gap Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Simina shares a critical failure story from her transition from corporate settings to a startup environment. Believing she had all the necessary tools and experience, she attempted to scale up Scrum practices too quickly with developers who weren't familiar with the framework. Instead of starting with fundamentals and understanding where team members were in their Agile journey, she made assumptions based on her corporate experience. Simina emphasizes the importance of a proper discovery phase for Scrum Masters when joining new teams, especially in dynamic startup environments where roles are still evolving and significant change is occurring. Self-reflection Question: How might your previous experiences be creating blind spots when you join a new team or organization? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

CTO Series: Jussi Mononen on the Human Side of Software Development and Technical Leadership In this CTO Series episode, we explore the intersection of technology and people with Jussi Mononen, CTO of CarbonLink. Drawing from his extensive experience as an Agile practitioner and technical leader, Jussi shares valuable insights on effective software development, technical strategy alignment, and the critical human elements that drive successful technology implementations. The Transformative Power of Agile "It's all about people." Jussi's journey as a technology leader was fundamentally shaped when he discovered Agile methodologies. Coming from a background of waterfall-like approaches to software development, the introduction of Agile principles opened up a broader perspective that transformed his view of the profession. What began as technical work creating billing software evolved into a deeper understanding of the collaboration challenges in problem-solving. This shift helped Jussi develop a more humanistic and holistic approach to software development, recognizing that the human dynamics are often more complex than the technical challenges themselves. Every line of code eventually becomes a liability, as software is maintained over decades Software is only truly "done" when you remove the plug and it no longer exists Direct communication with customers is essential for understanding the real problems that need solving Balancing Technical Strategy with Business Needs "Be careful what you choose in terms of technology as you need to maintain it forever—hopefully." Creating a technical strategy that aligns with business objectives while remaining adaptable requires careful consideration of both immediate and long-term factors. Jussi emphasizes the importance of considering maintainability over a decade-long horizon while organizing technology stacks that don't limit organizational agility. When selecting technologies, consider whether you can find people already familiar with your tech stack Evaluate whether your technology choices allow you to fulfill the responsibilities your customers pay you to handle Be prepared to abandon technologies that aren't working, despite the sunk cost Structure your technical organization to maximize speed and adaptability Fostering Collaboration Between Tech and Business "It's not about 'who wins,' it's about making good decisions." Effective collaboration between technical and business units is built on foundations of respect and trust. As a self-described optimist about humanity, Jussi approaches cross-functional work by giving respect to colleagues and trusting them to make sound decisions within their domains of expertise. Listen carefully to people and make a genuine effort to understand their perspectives Focus on making well-considered decisions rather than striving for theoretical "best" decisions Remember that people develop software, not processes or tools—maximize each team member's potential Create environments where differing viewpoints are valued as inputs to better decision-making Strategic Roadmapping and Adaptability "We constantly seek information about what might be changing." Maintaining a clear vision of the future while remaining adaptable is a critical balancing act for technology leaders. Jussi's approach involves maintaining a rolling two-quarter roadmap that provides directional clarity while incorporating new information and signals from various sources. Review and revise roadmaps weekly to incorporate new information Use tools like Trello to maintain lists of priorities and possibilities Actively seek diverse signals about changing requirements and technologies Use the roadmap to communicate investment priorities to stakeholders like the board Overcoming Complex Technical Challenges "Someone needs to give enough love to the items in the backlog." The most significant challenge in Jussi's career came during a 4.5-year project reimplementing critical university systems that had been in use for over 20 years. This complex undertaking highlighted the importance of people skills alongside technical capabilities when managing diverse stakeholders with conflicting needs. Be prepared to handle conflicting needs and requirements from different stakeholders Establish a shared direction before attempting to solve detailed technical challenges Recognize that many critical challenges in large projects are about people, not technology Give proper attention to backlog items to ensure they receive the consideration they deserve Leadership Philosophy and Learning "Choose the context more accurately. Involve yourself with people you look up to." Rather than pointing to a single book that influenced his approach to technical leadership, Jussi emphasizes the importance of context and learning from those around you. His leadership philosophy centers on carefully selecting environments with admirable people and absorbing knowledge through direct experience and observation. Understand the specific context you're operating in before applying generic principles Surround yourself with people whose approach and values you respect Learn continuously from the practical experiences of peers and colleagues About Jussi Mononen Jussi is a problem solver, programmer and business-to-technology translator. People side of software systems development, as he often says: "it's all about people".He has both tech and people street cred, being a long time Agile practitioner, and now the CTO of a promising scale-up in Helsinki: CarbonLink. You can link with Jussi Mononen on LinkedIn.

BONUS: From Waterfall to Flow—Rethinking Mental Models in Software Delivery With Henrik Mårtensson In this BONUS episode, we explore the origins and persistence of waterfall methodology in software development with management consultant Henrik Mårtensson. Based on an article where he details the history of Waterfall, Henrik explains the historical context of waterfall, challenges the mental models that keep it alive in modern organizations, and offers insights into how systems thinking can transform our approach to software delivery. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to understand why outdated methodologies persist and how to move toward more effective approaches to software development. The True Origins of Waterfall "Waterfall came from the SAGE project, the first large software project in history, where they came up with a methodology based on an economic analysis." Henrik takes us on a fascinating historical journey to uncover the true origins of waterfall methodology. Contrary to popular belief, the waterfall approach wasn't invented by Winston Royce but emerged from the SAGE project in the 1950s. Bennington published the original paper outlining this approach, while it was Bell and Tayer who later named it "waterfall" when referencing Royce's work. Henrik explains how gated process models eventually led to the formalized waterfall methodology and points out that an entire generation of methods existed between waterfall and modern Agile approaches that are often overlooked in the conversation. In this segment we refer to:  The paper titled “Production of Large Computer Programs” by Herbert D. Benington (direct PDF link) Updated and re-published in 1983 in Annals of the History of Computing ( Volume: 5, Issue: 4, Oct.-Dec. 1983) Winston Royce's paper from 1970 that erroneously is given the source of the waterfall term. Direct PDF Link. Bell and Thayer's paper “Software Requirements: Are They Really A Problem?”, that finally “baptized” the waterfall process. Direct PDF link.   Mental Models That Keep Us Stuck "Fredrik Taylor's model of work missed the concept of a system, leading us to equate busyness with productivity." The persistence of waterfall thinking stems from outdated mental models about work and productivity. Henrik highlights how Frederick Taylor's scientific management principles continue to influence software development despite missing the crucial concept of systems thinking. This leads organizations to equate busyness with productivity, as illustrated by Henrik's anecdote about 50 projects assigned to just 70 people. We explore how project management practices often enforce waterfall thinking, and why organizations tend to follow what others do rather than questioning established practices. Henrik emphasizes several critical concepts that are often overlooked: Systems thinking Deming's principles Understanding variation and statistics Psychology of work Epistemology (how we know what we know) In this segment, we refer to:  Frederik Taylor's book “The Principles of Scientific Management” The video explaining why Project Management leads to Coordination Chaos James C. Scott's book, “Seeing Like a State” Queueing theory Little's Law The Estimation Trap "The system architecture was overcomplicated, and the organizational structure followed it, creating a three-minute door unlock that required major architectural changes." Henrik shares a compelling story about a seemingly simple feature—unlocking a door—that was estimated to take three minutes but actually required significant architectural changes due to Conway's Law. This illustrates how organizational structures often mirror system architecture, creating unnecessary complexity that impacts delivery timelines. The anecdote serves as a powerful reminder of how estimation in software development is frequently disconnected from reality when we don't account for systemic constraints and architectural dependencies. In this segment, we refer to Conway's Law, the observation that explicitly called out how system architecture is so often linked to organizational structures. Moving Beyond Waterfall "Understanding queueing theory and Little's Law gives us the tools to rethink flow in software delivery." To move beyond waterfall thinking, Henrik recommends several resources and concepts that can help transform our approach to software development. By understanding queueing theory and Little's Law, teams can better manage workflow and improve delivery predictability. Henrik's article on coordination chaos highlights the importance of addressing organizational complexity, while James C. Scott's book "Seeing Like a State" provides insights into how central planning often fails in complex environments. About Henrik Mårtensson Henrik Mårtensson is a management consultant specializing in strategy, organizational development, and process improvement. He blends Theory of Constraints, Lean, Agile, and Six Sigma to solve complex challenges. A published author and licensed ScrumMaster, Henrik brings sharp systems thinking—and a love of storytelling—to help teams grow and thrive. You can link with Henrik Mårtensson on LinkedIn and connect with Henrik Mårtensson on Twitter.

BONUS: Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! With John Crickett In this BONUS episode, we explore a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by John Crickett that challenges a fundamental misconception in software engineering. John shares insights on why engineers should focus on problem-solving rather than just coding, how to develop business context understanding, and why this shift in perspective is crucial in the age of AI. Beyond Writing Code: Understanding the True Value of Software Engineering "A lot of us come to software engineering because we care about building, and missed the goal: solving a problem for a customer." John Crickett explains the fundamental disconnect many software engineers experience in their careers. While many enter the field with a passion for building and coding, they often lose sight of the ultimate purpose: solving real problems for customers. This misalignment can lead to creating technically impressive solutions that fail to address actual business needs. John emphasizes that the most valuable engineers are those who can bridge the gap between technical implementation and business value. In this section, we refer to John's Coding Challenges and Developing Skills websites. The Isolation Problem in Engineering Teams "We have insulated people from seeing and interacting with customers, perhaps because we were afraid they would create a problem with customers." One of the key issues John identifies is how engineering teams are often deliberately separated from customers and end-users. This isolation, while sometimes implemented with good intentions, prevents engineers from gaining crucial context about the problems they're trying to solve. John shares his early career experience of participating in the sales process for software projects, which gave him valuable insights into customer needs. He highlights the Extreme Programming (XP) approach, which advocates for having the customer "in the room" to provide direct and immediate feedback, creating a tighter feedback loop between problem identification and solution implementation. In this segment, we refer to the book XP Explained by Kent Beck. The AI Replacement Risk "If all you are doing is taking a ticket that is fully spec'ed out, and coding it, then an LLM could also do that. The value is in understanding the problem." In a world where Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly capable of generating code, John warns that engineers who define themselves solely as coders face a significant risk of obsolescence. The true differentiation and value come from understanding the business domain and problem space—abilities that current AI tools haven't mastered. John advises engineers to develop domain knowledge specific to their business or customers, as this expertise allows them to contribute uniquely valuable insights beyond mere code implementation. Cultivating Business Context Understanding "Be curious about what the goal is behind the code you need to write. When people tell you to build, you need to be curious about why you are being asked to build that particular solution." John offers practical advice for engineers looking to develop better business context understanding. The key is cultivating genuine curiosity about the "why" behind coding tasks and features. By questioning requirements and understanding the business goals driving technical decisions, engineers can transform their role from merely delivering code to providing valuable services and solutions. This approach allows engineers to contribute more meaningfully and become partners in business success rather than just implementers. Building the Right Engineering Culture "Code is always a liability, sometimes it's an asset. The process starts with hiring the CTO—the people at the top. You get the team that reflects your values." Creating an engineering culture that values problem-solving over code production starts at the leadership level. John emphasizes that the values demonstrated by technical leadership will cascade throughout the organization. He notes the counter-intuitive truth that code itself is inherently a liability (requiring maintenance, updates, and potential refactoring), only becoming an asset when it effectively solves business problems. Building a team that understands this distinction begins with leadership that demonstrates curiosity about the business domain and encourages engineers to do the same. The Power of Asking Questions "Be curious, ask more questions." For engineers looking to make the shift from coder to problem-solver, John recommends developing the skill of asking good questions. He points to Harvard Business Review's article on "The Surprising Power of Questions" as a valuable resource. The ability to ask insightful questions about business needs, user requirements, and problem definitions allows engineers to uncover the true challenges beneath surface-level requirements. This curiosity-driven approach not only leads to better solutions but also positions engineers as valuable contributors to business strategy. In this segment, we refer to the article in HBR titled The Surprising Power of Questions. About John Crickett John is a passionate software engineer and leader on a mission to empower one million engineers and managers. With extensive expertise in distributed systems, full-stack development, and evolving tech stacks from C++ to Rust, John creates innovative coding challenges, insightful articles, and newsletters to help teams level up their skills. You can link with John Crickett on LinkedIn.

BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility With Erwin Verweij In this BONUS episode, we dive into the provocative world of Erwin Verweij's latest book: 'How the f*ck to be Agile?' Erwin shares his journey from frustration to clarity as he witnesses organizations adopting Agile frameworks without understanding their purpose. With candid stories from his coaching experiences, Erwin reveals what happens when teams wake up to real agility beyond dogmatic practices and how organizations can find their own path to meaningful change. The Wake-Up Call for Agile Adoption "What the f*ck dude! Do you even know what it means? Do you really know what it means?" Erwin's journey to writing this book began with growing frustration at how companies approach agility. He frequently encountered teams proudly declaring "We're Agile!" or "Our department is Agile" without understanding what that truly meant.  This disconnect between label and understanding became the catalyst for his provocatively-titled wake-up call. Erwin describes his exasperation with organizations adopting frameworks halfheartedly, following mindsets that were completely off track, and ultimately "doing stuff without knowing what they're doing and why they're doing it." The F-word in his book title serves dual purposes - expressing his frustration while also functioning as a power word to wake people up from their complacency. Breaking Free from Framework Dogma "We're not gonna do Agile. Forget it. And we're not gonna do Scrum, even though you're doing Scrum. Let's look at what really works for you people." Rather than imposing rigid frameworks, Erwin advocates for teams to discover what actually works in their specific context. He shares a memorable story of tearing down Scrum posters that management had installed, shocking team members who couldn't believe he would challenge the prescribed approach.  In another example, Erwin creatively used a manager's "quarantine" language by posting contamination warnings at a department's entrance with the message: "If you enter this room, you might get contaminated with a new way of working." These disruptive approaches are designed to shake people from blindly following orders and encourage them to think critically about their processes. Finding Your Own Path to Agility "Any coach who goes into a company with a strict plan and a set approach - don't hire them. They don't have a clue what to do." After the wake-up call, Erwin focuses on helping teams discover their own effective ways of working. He believes that the key is to observe what's already working well, emphasize those elements, and discard what doesn't serve the team. This approach stands in stark contrast to consultants who arrive with predetermined solutions regardless of context.  Erwin emphasizes that real transformation happens when teams take ownership of their processes, adapt them to their unique needs, and make them their own. He cautions against hiring coaches who come with rigid, predetermined plans, as they often lack the flexibility to address a team's specific challenges. The Never-Ending Journey of Adaptation "We need to help teams to stay open for the change that is coming." Erwin stresses that agility is not a destination but a continuous journey of adaptation. The world never stops changing, so teams must remain flexible and open to evolving their approaches. He encourages a mindset of experimentation with phrases like "let's try" and "what could we try" to keep teams responsive to new challenges.  According to Erwin, one of the most powerful ways to foster this adaptive culture is to model the behaviors you want to see in the teams you support. By demonstrating openness to change yourself, you help others embrace the continuous nature of improvement. Scaling Without Bureaucracy "Work with the system, learn what is needed, iterate." When discussing scaling Agile across an organization, Erwin questions why companies feel the need to scale in the first place. He uses cities as a metaphor for how complex systems can organize beyond small groups without excessive bureaucracy.  In one organization where he currently coaches, teams have found a pragmatic approach by adopting elements from various frameworks that work for them. They use quarterly planning sessions from SAFe primarily as a networking opportunity that connects everybody and focuses their efforts, even though the planning itself might be "basically bullshit." This practical, results-oriented approach emphasizes what works rather than dogmatic adherence to frameworks. Software as a Creative Process "Software development is basically figuring out how stuff works. It's a creative process that mostly is being dealt with within the brain of people." Erwin views software development fundamentally as a creative process rather than a production line. He explains that it's not about "typing as fast as you can" but about thinking, problem-solving, and creating. This perspective helps explain why iterative approaches with small steps work better than trying to plan everything upfront.  Erwin notes that when complex problems become routine, teams might not need the full framework structure, but they should retain the values that help them coordinate effectively. The essence of frameworks like Scrum, he suggests, is simply "start working, figure it out, and see what happens" - an approach that many organizations have become afraid to embrace. Awakening Organizational Intelligence "We raise children, which is basically programming another human being - it's really complex. And we just take it for granted. And then we go to work, and we don't know how to make decisions anymore." One of Erwin's most powerful insights is how organizational structures can suppress the natural intelligence and decision-making abilities that people demonstrate in their personal lives. He points out the irony that we navigate incredibly complex systems like raising children or driving in traffic, yet when we arrive at work, we suddenly act as if we can't make decisions without higher approval. This disconnect creates frustration and wastes human potential. Erwin challenges organizations to wake up to this contradiction and create environments where people can bring their full capabilities to work, rather than checking their intelligence at the door. In this section, we refer to Jurgen Appelo's Book Management 3.0. About Erwin Verweij Erwin is a seasoned Agile Coach, Certified Enterprise Coach, and author of Viking Law and How the f*ck to be Agile?. With 15+ years' experience driving meaningful change, he helps organizations embrace real agility through coaching, transformation, and workshops—cutting through complexity to spark courage, clarity, and action. You can link with Erwin Verweij on LinkedIn and connect with Erwin Verweij on Twitter.

BONUS: Nesrine Changuel shares how to create emotionally connected, delightful products! In this BONUS episode, we explore the concept of product delight with Nesrine Changuel. Nesrine shares insights from her extensive experience at companies like Skype, Spotify, Google Meet, and Chrome to help us understand how to create lovable tech experiences that drive user loyalty and differentiation. We explore the Delight Grid Framework she created, and discuss the importance of emotional connection in product design. We also touch on practical ways to incorporate delight into everyday product decisions. The Essence of Delight in Products "Creating emotional connection between users and products... What I'm usually vocal about is that it's not enough to solve functional needs if you want to create sustainable growth, and more particularly if you want to have your users love the product and create habits using your product." Nesrine explains that while most companies know how to solve functional problems, truly delightful products go beyond functionality to create emotional connections with users. This connection comes from anticipating user needs and surprising them on both functional and emotional levels. She emphasizes that delight emerges when users experience both joy and surprise simultaneously, which is key to exceeding expectations and building brand loyalty. Moving Beyond User Complaints "Most features that are built in products are coming from users' complaints... What I'm trying to be clear about is that if you want to build an emotional connection, it's about opening up a little bit more of your source of opportunities." Many teams focus primarily on addressing user complaints, which puts them in a reactive position. Nesrine encourages organizations to anticipate user needs by engaging with users in comfortable environments before problems arise. She suggests looking beyond direct feature requests and investigating how users feel while using the product, how they experience the journey, and what emotions arise during the experience. This proactive approach opens new opportunities for creating delightful experiences that users may not explicitly request. In this segment we refer to the KANO model for categorizing product features. Understanding Emotional Demotivators: The Zoom Fatigue Example "I tried to interview many users and realized that, of course, with the fact that we all moved into video conferencing, some demotivators started to surface like boredom, low interaction, overwhelm. There was a term that started to show up at the time - it's called zoom fatigue." Nesrine shares how her team at Google Meet tackled emotional demotivators by first deeply understanding them. By investigating "Zoom fatigue," they discovered through Stanford research that one major cause was the fatigue from constantly seeing yourself on screen. This insight led them to develop the "minimize self view" feature, allowing users to broadcast their video without seeing themselves. This example demonstrates how understanding emotional pain points can lead to features that create delight by addressing unspoken needs. The Delight Grid Framework "We want to delight the users, but because we don't know how, we end up only doing performers or hygiene features." Nesrine introduces her Delight Grid Framework, which helps product teams balance functional and emotional needs. The framework begins by identifying emotional motivators through empathetic user research. These motivators are then placed in a grid alongside functional needs to classify features as: Low Delight: Features that only solve functional needs Surface Delight: Features that only address emotional needs (like celebratory animations) Deep Delight: Features that solve both functional needs and emotional motivators She emphasizes that the most successful products prioritize deep delight features, which create lasting emotional connections while solving real problems. Detecting Opportunities Through User Journey Mapping "I use customer journey maps... One of the elements is feelings... If you do the exercise very well and put the feeling element into your journey map, you can draw a line showing peak moments and valley moments - these are pivotal moments for connecting with users at the emotional level." Nesrine advocates for using customer journey maps to identify emotional highs and lows throughout the user experience. By focusing on these "pivotal moments," teams can find opportunities to amplify positive emotions or transform negative ones into delightful experiences. She encourages teams to celebrate positive emotional peaks with users and find ways to turn valleys into more positive experiences. Real-World Example: Restaurant QR Code Payment "The waiter came with a note, and on the note, there is a QR code... What a relief that experience was! I've been very, very surprised, and they turned that moment of frustration and fear into something super fun." Nesrine shares a delightful dining experience where a restaurant transformed the typically frustrating moment of splitting the bill by providing a QR code that led to an app where diners could easily select what they ordered and pay individually. This example illustrates how identifying emotional pain points (bill-splitting anxiety) and addressing them can turn a negative experience into a memorable, delightful one that creates loyal customers. Creating a Culture of Delight Across Teams "It's very important to have the same language. If the marketing team believes in emotional connection, and the designer believes in emotional connection, and then suddenly engineers and PMs don't even know what you're talking about, that creates a gap." For delight to become central to product development, Nesrine emphasizes the importance of creating a shared language and understanding across all teams. This shared vision ensures everyone from designers to engineers is aligned on the goal of creating emotionally connected experiences, allowing for better collaboration and more cohesive product development. Recommended Reading Nesrine refers us to Emotional Design by Don Norman Designing for emotion, by Aaron Walter And Dan Olsen's The Lean Product Playbook About Nesrine Changuel Nesrine Changuel is a product leader, coach, and author with over a decade of experience at Skype, Spotify, Google Meet, and Chrome. She specializes in designing emotionally connected, delightful products. Her book, Delight, introduces a framework for creating lovable tech experiences that drive user loyalty and differentiation. You can link with Nesrine Changuel on LinkedIn and follow Nesrine's website.

Carmen Jurado: Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration The Great Product Owner: Standing with the Team  Carmen shares that the best Product Owners she's encountered are those who stand with their teams. Drawing from her own recent experience as a Product Owner, she emphasizes the importance of being there for your team, recognizing that they make you look good. Great Product Owners understand that achievements are team efforts, not individual accomplishments. Carmen also highlights that exemplary Product Owners have a deep understanding of the goals, values, and principles of Agile methodologies, allowing them to better support their teams and leverage agile practices effectively. In this segment we refer to the book Generative AI in a Nutshell. The Bad Product Owner: The Novice Who Does Everything Carmen describes a common anti-pattern she encountered: the inexperienced Product Owner who attempts to handle everything independently. This particular PO was preparing reviews and planning sessions alone, feeling that these events wouldn't happen otherwise. The team wasn't engaged, and the backlog had ballooned to over 300 items. Carmen helped this PO sort through the backlog to start with a clean slate and conducted a stakeholder mapping session to manage difficult stakeholders, particularly a CFO who was treating the PO as merely a scribe. They also worked to involve the team in Scrum events, reducing the burden on the PO. Carmen emphasizes the importance of keeping the team updated on process changes and the value of having a PO who can openly discuss their challenges. Self-reflection Question: As a Scrum Master, how can you help both experienced and novice Product Owners find the right balance between taking ownership and enabling team participation? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Carmen Jurado: The Power of Constructive Feedback in Building Trust in Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Carmen identifies the hallmark of a successful team as one that allows itself to be vulnerable. Success isn't just about positive feedback but creating an environment where team members feel safe to discuss mistakes openly. She shares an experience where a team member made an error that caused a significant project delay, prompting other team members to complain. Instead of allowing this to create division, Carmen facilitated an open discussion where the team member acknowledged their mistake and received constructive feedback from colleagues. This exchange built trust and demonstrated that the team had developed the psychological safety needed to hold each other accountable. Carmen emphasizes that this accountability for work and agreements is a responsibility that belongs to the entire team, not just the Scrum Master. Self-reflection Question: How can you foster greater psychological safety in your team so members feel comfortable addressing mistakes directly with each other? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Golden Apples Carmen recommends the "Golden Apples" retrospective format, which draws inspiration from Greek mythology. This creative format incorporates feedback questions about sprints and the team, with game elements that introduce friendly competition. Carmen typically reserves this format for festive times of the year to boost team morale. She also mentions her fondness for movie-themed retrospectives and encourages Scrum Masters to invest time in creating fun, creative retrospective experiences that engage the team. In this segment, we refer to Norm Kerth's Retrospective Prime Directive. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Carmen Jurado: Lean Change Management, How to Design Change with Those Affected Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Carmen discusses the critical mistakes organizations make when implementing change without adequate communication and employee involvement. She highlights how employees are often simply informed of new methods without any prior communication, creating resistance and disengagement. Carmen advocates for involving employees early in the change process, suggesting that representatives participate in the design phase and provide feedback on change plans. She emphasizes that Scrum Masters can grow by facilitating this involvement, encouraging co-creation of change through approaches like Lean Change Management. Carmen also shares a practical tip: involve your biggest critics in the change design, transforming them from obstacles into co-creators of the solution. Self-reflection Question: How might you better involve team members in designing change processes rather than simply announcing changes to them? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Carmen Jurado: The Power of Being Heard, Turning Critics Into Agile Advocates Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Carmen shares how she was asked to step in as a Scrum Master for a struggling team that had a particularly vocal and critical lead developer. This developer had experienced multiple transitions and transformations, leading to significant resistance that was affecting the entire team's morale and creating unresolved conflicts. Carmen focused on building individual relationships with each team member and setting clear expectations. She discovered that the lead developer simply didn't feel heard. By listening and addressing these concerns, Carmen was able to transform her biggest critic into one of her strongest advocates. She emphasizes that resistance is often a sign of loyalty to something else and that understanding this can help transform a dysfunctional team into a high-performing one. Self-reflection Question: How might you address resistance in your team by focusing on individual relationships and understanding what team members feel loyal to? Featured Book of the Week: Joy Inc. by Richard Sheridan Carmen recommends Joy Inc. by Richard Sheridan, highlighting its practical insights for creating a motivating and enjoyable workplace. The book covers everything from hiring practices to team collaboration and experimentation, yet never explicitly mentions "Agile." Carmen appreciates the inspiring stories about understanding users in their environment and how these principles can be applied to create better working environments. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Carmen Jurado: Scrum Masters, Your Team Needs to Know Which Hat You're Wearing Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Carmen shares a valuable learning experience from her early days as a Scrum Master when she was assigned the additional responsibility of being a compliance officer for her team. During a retrospective, she noticed an uncomfortable atmosphere but didn't address it. After the session, the team requested a private meeting where they expressed their discomfort, explaining they weren't clear when Carmen was acting as their Scrum Master versus when she was enforcing compliance. This experience taught Carmen the critical importance of explicitly stating which role she was performing at any given moment and creating an environment where team members feel safe to provide honest feedback. Self-reflection Question: How clearly do you communicate your different roles and responsibilities to your team, and have you created an environment where they feel comfortable giving you direct feedback? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Chris Sims: The Empathy Advantage, How Great POs Connect Teams with Users Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Deep Market Knowledge Creates Team Empathy Brad exemplifies a truly effective Product Owner through his exceptional understanding of end users and customers in the investment management space. What sets Brad apart is not just his deep domain knowledge, but his established relationships with gatekeepers at customer organizations. These connections provide valuable insights that inform product decisions. Most importantly, Brad regularly spends time with the development team, helping them empathize with stakeholders and understand the real-world impact of their work. His user stories consistently focus on actual users and why the requested features matter, creating clear context for developers and fostering meaningful connections between technical work and business outcomes. The Bad Product Owner: The Disempowered Proxy Problem Chris identifies a common anti-pattern: the disempowered proxy Product Owner. This situation occurs when someone performs the day-to-day PO responsibilities for the team, but lacks true authority to make decisions. Instead, an unseen "real PO" holds ultimate control and can swoop in at any time to change priorities or requirements. This arrangement quickly erodes team trust as they realize the proxy must continually defer decisions, creating delays and uncertainty. Chris suggests either empowering the proxy with more decision-making authority while keeping stakeholders appropriately involved, or having the higher-level PO commit to spending sufficient time with the team to fulfill the true Product Owner role themselves. Self-reflection Question: How might you identify and address power imbalances in the Product Owner role within your organization? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Chris Sims: Dual Focus, Balancing Agile Team Health with Value Delivery Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. For Chris Sims, success as a Scrum Master centers on two critical outcomes: creating healthier, happier work environments and helping teams deliver more value. Chris emphasizes that Scrum is only valuable if it helps achieve these fundamental goals. He suggests using surveys to assess team health and happiness, tracking how often team members ask each other for help, and evaluating whether daily scrums focus on problem-solving rather than status reporting. Regarding value delivery, Chris cautions against measuring the wrong things (like velocity) which can drive counterproductive behaviors. Instead, he recommends tracking how frequently teams deliver to stakeholders, having meaningful discussions about business value, and ensuring stakeholder involvement in sprint reviews to better align with what truly matters to the organization. In this segment, we refer to Chris Sims' articles on Business Value Myths, and Measuring Value With Product Hypothesis. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: The Dixit Retrospective Chris shares an innovative retrospective format based on the card game Dixit. In this approach, teams use the game's evocative picture cards to help describe their experiences during the sprint. The visual nature of these cards engages team members in a completely different way compared to traditional retrospectives, encouraging creative thinking and alternative perspectives. Chris notes that this format is particularly effective because it creates space for everyone to think before speaking, which helps balance participation between extroverts and more reflective team members. This retrospective technique can uncover insights that might not emerge in more conventional discussion formats. Self-reflection Question: How might you better balance measuring team health with measuring value delivery in your definition of success? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Chris Sims: Middle Management, The Forgotten Layer in Agile Transformations Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Chris Sims recounts his experience with a rapidly growing startup that decided to adopt Scrum to address slowing delivery. When a VP championed the initiative, Chris provided training that generated excitement at the team level. However, they overlooked a critical component: the middle management layer. As teams embraced Scrum, they found themselves caught between multiple sources of direction—their direct managers, project managers, and newly established Product Owners with backlogs. This created confusion as middle managers, who weren't included in the transformation discussions, continued operating in their traditional ways. The result was teams appearing busy yet delivering slowly. Chris emphasizes the importance of considering how management roles evolve during agile transformations, deliberately redefining job descriptions, and helping managers find ways to bring value in the new structure rather than undermining it unintentionally. Self-reflection Question: In your organization's agile transformation, how are you addressing the needs and concerns of middle managers whose roles might be significantly impacted? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Chris Sims: The Hidden Cost of "No Time for People Stuff" in Software Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Chris Sims shares a challenging team situation involving strong personalities with conflicting opinions about how to approach their work. What began as small disagreements evolved into harmful behaviors including harsh criticisms and behind-the-back comments. As resentment grew, conflicts intensified, leading to a toxic environment that ultimately resulted in team members being dismissed. Chris highlights how the team's self-imposed belief that "we don't have time for this people-stuff" prevented them from addressing issues early. He recommends one-on-one coaching, exploring why people react as they do, using retrospectives to address latent conflicts, and explicitly discussing desired team culture with reference to the Scrum value of respect. Chris emphasizes that maintaining team health should take priority over productivity concerns, even during high-pressure situations. In this segment, we refer to the Core Protocols episode with Richard Kasperowski, and the Superchicken Paradox Ted Talk by Margaret Heffernan. Featured Book of the Week: The Elements of Scrum Chris shares his experience writing "The Elements of Scrum," a book he co-authored using Scrum principles and a story mapping approach. The process of writing the book became a significant learning experience for Chris. He also recommends "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson, which explores how to manage teams of great professionals. Phil Jackson is renowned for his ability to get exceptional players to function effectively as a cohesive team, making this book particularly valuable for those managing talented individuals with strong personalities. Self-reflection Question: How might you better balance technical excellence with interpersonal dynamics in your high-performing teams? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Chris Sims: When Terminology Creates Misunderstandings, The "Ideal Days" Story Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this insightful episode, Chris Sims shares a valuable lesson from his early days implementing XP and Scrum. Chris's team had established an effective workflow using relative estimation with "ideal days" rather than story points, achieving good predictability and velocity measurements. However, things took an unexpected turn when a skeptical VP discovered their tracking spreadsheet and misinterpreted their metrics as showing only 2.5 days of work per week. Despite Chris's best efforts to explain the concept of "ideal days," the misunderstanding tarnished the team's reputation. Chris emphasizes the importance of socializing your working methods with stakeholders and communicating in ways meaningful to leadership. Working "under the radar" can backfire, so transparency about your processes is crucial for organizational alignment and trust. Self-reflection Question: How transparent are you about your team's estimation methods with stakeholders who might not be familiar with agile terminology? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

BONUS: Maria Chec Explores the Divide Between Agile Leaders and Practitioners In this BONUS episode, we explore Agile leadership with Maria Chec, author and host of Agile State of Mind. Maria shares insights from her analysis of Miro's Agile Survey, revealing a concerning disconnect between how Agile leaders and practitioners experience agile methodologies. We explore the roots of this divide, discuss practical approaches to bridging the gap, and consider the implications of recent industry developments like the PMI-Agile Alliance merger. Maria offers valuable perspectives on creating truly collaborative environments where frameworks serve the teams, not the other way around. The Disconnect Between Leaders and Practitioners "Practitioners feel pressured to comply with agile practices when they don't seem to add value." Maria highlights a stark divide revealed in Miro's survey of 1,200 agile practitioners and leaders. When asked if agile is living up to its original values, leaders and practitioners gave drastically different responses. For example, 69% of practitioners felt processes and tools overshadow individuals in their organizations, while only 43% of leaders shared this view. Similarly, 58% of practitioners believed documentation was prioritized over delivering final products, compared to just 39% of leaders. These disparities point to a fundamental disconnect in how agile is experienced at different organizational levels, with practitioners often feeling frameworks are imposed rather than collaboratively implemented. When Frameworks Become the Problem "The framework is too rigid... The framework is too complex... We have to change too much to use the framework." The issue isn't with agile frameworks themselves but how they're applied, Maria argues. Leaders often implement frameworks like SAFe without sufficient practitioner input or adaptation to organizational context. This creates an anti-pattern of "magical thinking" where companies believe they can install off-the-shelf solutions that worked elsewhere without considering their unique circumstances. The practitioners, who must live with these frameworks daily, experience frustration when rigid implementations fail to address their actual needs. Conway's Law comes into play here – the structure imposed by leadership often doesn't align with how teams naturally need to collaborate based on the systems they're building. The Role of Psychological Safety "Can I really admit that something the leadership made me do is not working for me? Will I be the only one admitting it?" This disconnect reveals deeper issues around psychological safety and trust within organizations. Many practitioners fear speaking up about framework problems, especially when they've just endured yet another organizational transformation. Maria emphasizes that without psychological safety, feedback loops break down, preventing the continuous improvement that's central to agile philosophy. Leaders must create environments where teams feel safe to provide honest feedback about what's working and what isn't, without fear of being singled out or dismissed. Without this safety, frameworks become rigid implementations rather than adaptable approaches that evolve with team needs. Reconnecting Through Gemba Walks "Be there where the value is created and know what's going on." To bridge the gap between leadership vision and practitioner reality, Maria strongly recommends Gemba walks – a concept from Lean and Toyota where leaders go to where value is created. This practice helps leaders understand the actual work being done and build relationships with team members. Maria references Project Aristotle at Google, which found that trust and psychological safety are fundamental to team success. She also notes the importance of leaders articulating a meaningful mission to inspire teams, sharing her experience at a taxi-hailing app where the CEO's vision of reducing urban parking needs made her feel she was "building something for the future." Leaders should regularly spend time where the actual work happens Teams need to understand how their work contributes to a larger purpose Open communication channels must be genuine, not just symbolic In this segment, we refer to Management 3.0 and Managing For Happiness by Jurgen Appelo.  The PMI-Agile Alliance Merger and the Future of Agile "Have we really found better ways? Why are Agile Alliance and PMI merging?" The recent merger between the Project Management Institute and Agile Alliance represents a surprising development in the industry. Maria takes an optimistic view, wondering if this indicates PMI recognizing that agile is truly the way forward. She acknowledges the perception that "Agile is dead" discussions highlight a crisis in the movement, but suggests the merger might be an opportunity to influence project management with agile values. She emphasizes how AI is creating massive changes that require experimentation and adaptation – precisely what agile approaches enable. This industry shift offers agile practitioners the chance to shape how traditional and agile methodologies might complement each other in the future. The merger could be seen as closing a circle or as an opportunity for cross-pollination "Agile is dead" discussions reflect growing pains rather than true failure Rapid technological changes with AI require more experimentation, not less Breaking Down Silos with "Glue Roles" "What are the 'glue roles' that you need in your organization?" Maria introduces her concept of "glue roles" – positions that help break down silos and foster collaboration regardless of what they're called. Whether they're RTEs (Release Train Engineers), Agile Coaches, or Technical Project Managers, these roles can transform organizational effectiveness when focused on enabling teams rather than enforcing processes. She observes that nature constantly changes, yet we expect our companies to remain static. This mindset prevents the adaptation necessary for true agility. Instead, organizations need individuals who can facilitate communication, remove barriers, and help teams collaborate effectively across boundaries. Focus on the function of collaboration rather than rigid role definitions Adapt roles to organizational needs rather than forcing organizational change to fit frameworks Use these roles to foster psychological safety and open communication Learning Through Experimentation "We need to experiment." Looking toward the future, Maria emphasizes the importance of experimentation in the face of rapid technological change, particularly with AI. She notes that while tech professionals are often thought to be early adopters, AI tools like ChatGPT are being embraced across all industries. The accelerating pace of change means we can no longer plan years ahead with certainty – what we use today may be obsolete in two years. This reality makes agile approaches even more relevant, as they embrace change rather than fight it. She encourages agile practitioners to openly discuss how they use these new tools, adapting their practices rather than clinging to outdated methods. The accelerating pace of change makes long-term planning increasingly difficult AI is already transforming work across all industries, not just tech Agile principles of adaptation and experimentation are more relevant than ever About Maria Chec Maria Chec is a seasoned Agile leader, ProKanban Trainer, and creator of Agile State of Mind. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in transforming teams through SAFe, OKRs, and process optimization, achieving remarkable productivity gains. Maria's mission is empowering teams to thrive through collaboration and adaptability. You can link with Maria Chec on LinkedIn and subscribe to Maria Chec's Substack.

Richard Brenner: Hypothesis-Driven Product Ownership, The Experimental Mindset Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Experimenter Richard describes great Product Owners as "experimenters" who understand that everything they do is a hypothesis requiring validation. The best POs establish feedback loops early, actively engage with users and clients, and approach product development with a scientific mindset. Richard shares an experience working with a "coaching PO" who excelled at involving everyone in defining what needed to be done.  This PO was inspiring and helped the team participate in both building and decision-making processes. Richard emphasizes that the relationship between PO and team must be a true partnership—not hierarchical—for success to occur. Great POs facilitate team involvement rather than dictating direction, creating an environment where collaborative problem-solving thrives. In this segment, we refer to the Role Expectation Matrix Retrospective, and the Product Owner Sprint Checklist, a hands-on coaching tool for anyone interested in helping PO's prepare and lead successful Sprints with their teams. The Bad Product Owner: The Tech Visionary Disconnected from Users Richard recounts working with a high-level sponsor, a medical doctor interested in technology, who hired multiple development teams (up to four Scrum teams) to build a product. While technically knowledgeable, this PO had very concrete ideas about both the technology and solution based on assumptions about client needs.  The team developed impressive technology, including a domain-specific language (DSL), and felt they were performing well—until they delivered to actual clients. Only then did they discover users couldn't effectively use the software, requiring a complete rethinking of the UX concept. This experience taught Richard the critical distinction between the customer (the sponsor/PO) and the actual end users, demonstrating how even technically sophisticated Product Owners can miss essential user needs without proper validation. Self-reflection Question: How might you help Product Owners in your organization balance their vision with the practical realities of user needs and feedback? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Richard Brenner: Contracting for Success,  Establishing Clear Agile Coaching Outcomes Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Richard reflects on his evolution in defining success as a Scrum Master and Agile Coach. Initially, he believed that if his team was successful, he was successful—but soon realized this perspective was incomplete. Top management wanted tangible evidence of coaching impact, which became problematic without clearly defined metrics. Richard now advocates for establishing a coaching agreement at the beginning of any engagement, with both management and teams defining what success looks like for the coach. He emphasizes the importance of dual-sided accountability as a natural outcome of proper contracting, using metrics that matter to the organization such as flow metrics and outcome metrics to demonstrate coaching value. Self-reflection Question: How are you measuring your own success as a coach or Scrum Master, and have you created explicit agreements with both teams and management about what success looks like? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Solution Focused Retrospective Richard recommends the Solution Focused Retrospective from the book "Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams." While traditional retrospective formats from books like "Agile Retrospectives" typically open a topic and dig deeply into the problem space, the solution-focused approach suggests spending only a short time discussing problems before pivoting to designing the desired future state. This format focuses on identifying the next step and emphasizing what positive outcomes the team wants to achieve, rather than dwelling on what's wrong. Richard values this approach for its ability to maintain a positive, forward-thinking mindset within teams. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Richard Brenner: When Individual Performance Metrics Block Agile Transformation Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Richard shares an experience of implementing Agile methods in a large organization that initially showed promising signs with management "pull" for change. The transformation began well with cross-functional teams created through self-selection workshops. However, unexpected resistance emerged during the kick-off day, particularly from a line manager and his team. When investigating the source of this resistance, Richard discovered that the company's bonus structure was tied to individual performance metrics, fundamentally conflicting with Agile's team-oriented approach.  This insight led to developing a pilot for a team-focused performance management system. After three months, the team held a retrospective with all stakeholders, where management demonstrated remarkable leadership by empowering teams to redesign their structure when the initial setup wasn't working. This flexibility allowed even the most vocal critics to become part of the solution. Self-reflection Question: In what ways might your organization's reward structures be unintentionally blocking successful Agile adoption? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Richard Brenner: How Small Signs of Cynicism Can Destroy Agile Team Cohesion Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Richard shares a powerful story about how team dysfunction often starts with small steps. During a joint retrospective with three agile teams, Richard witnessed a moment where a team member made a cynical comment toward a manager who was attempting to participate. This revealed a damaged relationship between management and the team, creating tension that Richard initially chose to ignore. Looking back, he would now immediately address such comments and tackle the "elephant in the room." Richard explains how seemingly minor behaviors like cynicism or passive-destructive actions (such as consistently being late to stand-ups) can significantly impact team health. He recommends establishing conflict resolution protocols early and using impact feedback without judgment to address these issues before they escalate. In this segment, we refer to Lysa Adkins' conflict resolution protocol.  Self-reflection Question: What small signs of dysfunction might you be overlooking in your team that could develop into larger problems? Featured Book of the Week: Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams Richard recommends "Solution Focused Coaching for Agile Teams" by Ralph and Veronika. This book describes the solution-focused approach to many common situations that Agile coaches face in their work. Richard values this resource for its practical guidance on addressing challenges through a positive, solution-oriented perspective rather than dwelling on problems. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Richard Brenner: Skipping the Vision, How Not to Introduce Kanban Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Richard shares an important learning experience from introducing Kanban to teams using a top-down approach. Without clearly articulating why the change was needed, team members questioned what they were doing wrong that necessitated change. Richard found himself unable to connect the organizational vision to the methodology shift, leading to resistance. He emphasizes the importance of first understanding the problem before applying Scrum or Kanban, defining what success looks like, and involving people early in the change process. Richard also recommends thorough contracting with client organizations to assess their current state and understand who is trying to change what, and why. In this episode, we refer to Kotter's book Leading Change. Self-reflection Question: How might your change initiatives be improved by spending more time defining the "why" before introducing new methodologies? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

BONUS: NVC, Walking Towards Conflict with Love With Maria Arpa and Bob Marshall In this BONUS episode, we explore Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a powerful tool that has changed how many people work and relate to family, friends, and colleagues. Maria Arpa, a previous guest on the podcast, and who studied directly under Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of NVC, shares her insights on this transformative practice. Joining us is Bob Marshall, an NVC advocate and practitioner who applies these principles in organizational settings. Understanding the Foundation of Nonviolent Communication "We have universal needs... what we try to distinguish is the need and the strategy I'm using to meet the need." Nonviolent Communication is both a practical communication tool and a spiritual practice designed to help us connect more authentically with ourselves and others. Maria explains how NVC emerged from the work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, who studied under Carl Rogers, the developer of person-centered therapy. At its core, NVC represents a paradigm shift away from what Maria calls "domination culture" – a system built on hierarchy, punishment, and obedience to rules. The dominant culture in which we live often relies on fear, guilt, and shame to motivate behavior. In contrast, NVC comes from the philosophy of nonviolence, encouraging people to be independent thinkers who make choices from their own internal compass. This approach recognizes that all people have the potential to manifest love, even in challenging situations. The Power of Needs-Based Theory "If I take a need for fairness or respect... how many ways are there to meet that need? And what if you believe you're meeting your need for fairness using whatever strategy you're using, and I believe that is impacting on my need for respect? We have a collision in strategies." A fundamental aspect of NVC is needs-based theory. Maria explains that while we all share universal needs – from basic physical requirements like air and food to psychological needs like creativity, recognition, and fairness – conflicts arise not from the needs themselves but from the strategies we use to meet those needs. This distinction between needs and strategies offers a powerful framework for resolving conflicts. When we understand that we're arguing over strategies, not the underlying needs, we can empathize with each other and explore different approaches that honor everyone's needs. As Maria advises, "Don't try to strategize until you understand all the needs on the table." Breaking Free from the Debate Model "The debate model of conversation is about one argument prevailing over all others... it's a terrible idea for when we want to meet as humans and have a conversation." Maria highlights how our society has embraced the debate model of conversation, where one perspective must win over others. This approach, while potentially useful in controlled settings like scientific research, creates significant problems in human interactions. When operating in debate mode, we're focused on overpowering others or protecting ourselves from humiliation rather than genuinely connecting. The dialogue roadmap that Maria developed offers an alternative to this debate model. It allows people to express themselves fully – to "empty out" everything they're carrying, even if it doesn't initially make coherent sense. This process helps people make sense of their experiences and move toward authentic dialogue rather than competitive debate. NVC in Organizations: Addressing Collective Needs "Needs are getting ignored in most organizations... it's not that we have shared needs and we debate about the strategies for getting those needs met." Bob Marshall, an organizational psychotherapist, explains how NVC principles can transform workplace dynamics. He observes that many organizations operate through "fear, obligation, guilt, and shame" – what he calls "the four horsemen of the work apocalypse." These mechanisms are used to control behavior but create toxic environments that diminish both productivity and well-being. By applying NVC in organizational settings, Bob helps collective entities recognize and address their needs. Many companies are unaware of their collective needs, and some cultures even shame people for acknowledging needs exist. Helping organizations understand their shared needs creates a foundation for healthier, more productive workplaces where people can thrive rather than merely survive. In this segment, we refer to an episode with Michelle Pauk, where we explore the lessons from Foucault's Book Discipline and Punish, and to Manfred Max-Neef, a Chilean economist. The Connection Before Correction Principle "One of the most wonderful things is connection before correction." Maria emphasizes the importance of building relationships before attempting to change behaviors or address problems. She suggests that our fast-paced world has created a situation where our emotional processing cannot keep up with the speed of our actions and decisions. We've become skilled at multitasking and meeting deadlines but haven't paid adequate attention to our emotional needs. The result is that many people are emotionally "backed up" or "constipated" – unable to process their feelings in healthy ways. Maria's work involves slowing things down to create space for authentic connection and emotional integration. This approach doesn't sacrifice efficiency – as she notes, "We get more done with less resource once we've been through the tunnel." Learning Directly from Marshall Rosenberg "Marshall Rosenberg said, 'The people that are going to take this forward will have the right balance of compassionate understanding and political savvy.' And I just went, 'That's me.'" Maria shares her personal journey with NVC, beginning with a chance encounter at her son's school that led her to attend a presentation by Marshall Rosenberg. She was immediately captivated by his approach, which answered questions she had been unable to resolve through other therapies and educational frameworks. Her pivotal experience came in 2005 when she joined Rosenberg and others for a 15-day intensive in Switzerland focused on social change. This immersive experience transformed her understanding of communication and human connection. When she asked Rosenberg who would carry his work forward, his answer about needing both "compassionate understanding and political savvy" resonated deeply with her, setting her on a path to develop her own applications of NVC principles. In this segment, we refer to the book The Surprising Purpose of Anger by Marshall Rosenberg. About Maria Arpa and Bob Marshall Maria Arpa is a facilitator, mediator, and trainer who describes her work as "walking towards conflict with love." She developed the Dialogue Road Map, a framework that builds on NVC principles to guide people out of debate-style conversations into authentic dialogue. Maria studied directly under Dr. Marshall Rosenberg and has applied NVC in various challenging contexts, including working with gang violence and facilitating dialogue between concentration camp survivors and a business that had purchased a former concentration camp site. You can link with Maria Arpa on LinkedIn and follow Maria's work on her website. Bob Marshall is an organizational psychotherapist who works with the collective psyche of organizations. He has been studying and practicing NVC for over 15 years, incorporating it into his work helping organizations understand and meet their collective needs. Bob believes in creating more joyful work environments and has dedicated his career to helping people have more pleasant experiences in the workplace. Bob Marshall is the author of several books on organizational psychotherapy. You can link with Bob Marshall on LinkedIn and follow Bob Marshall's blog.

BONUS: The End of Product Management? Three Experts Reveal the Unstoppable Rise of Product Engineers With Anton Zaides, Rafa Paez, and Max Piechota In this BONUS episode, we explore the emerging concept of the Product Engineer with three experts in the field: Anton Zaides, Rafa Paez, and Max Piechota. Together, they discuss how software engineers are evolving beyond just technical skills to embrace product thinking, business understanding, and customer empathy. This shift represents a move toward what they call "M-skilled" professionals who combine technical expertise with product sensibility to create greater impact. The Evolution of Software Engineering "The role of the software engineer is evolving to a product engineer...they understand what to build and why they are building it." Rafa Paez kicks off the conversation by sharing insights from his article on Substack, titled "The Rise of the 100x Product Engineer." He explains how the modern software engineer is taking on greater ownership of their work, focusing not just on writing code but understanding the underlying business reasons for features. This new breed of engineers thinks critically about product metrics, challenges assumptions, and takes extreme ownership of outcomes rather than just outputs. Breaking Product Management "Engineers don't really care about what they work on...but what if they did?" Anton Zaides discusses his provocative Substack article "Product Management is broken, a change is coming," where he challenges the traditional separation between engineers and product decisions. He describes the phenomenon of the "ZOOM-based product manager" who remains disconnected from both users and engineers, and contrasts this with engineers who genuinely care about the products they build. Anton argues that when engineers are invested in the product outcomes, the entire development process improves. For a podcast episode with Anton Zaides about the Product Management is broken article, listen to this Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast episode. Measuring What Matters "We need to measure the product outcome, the customer value and incentivize developers based on that." Max Piechota shares how his journey toward product engineering began through conversations with his CEO about measuring software engineer performance. His research led him to realize that traditional engineering metrics often miss what truly matters - the value delivered to customers. Max advocates for aligning developer incentives with product outcomes rather than just code output, representing a fundamental shift in how we evaluate technical contributions. Catalyzing the Transformation "What helped me change was working with those people that wanted to create products." The conversation turns to practical ways to foster this evolution toward product engineering: Max describes how exposure to product-oriented colleagues and learning about the Lean Startup methodology transformed his perspective as a developer. Anton outlines a three-step approach: helping engineers see metrics and user interactions, building business literacy, and connecting more deeply with the domain. The group discusses the importance of helping engineers understand concepts like gross margin and the AARRR framework (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral). Beyond Solutions to Problems "Often we only focus on the solution, without understanding the actual problem we are trying to solve." One crucial insight from the conversation is the need for engineers to take a step back from solution mode and better understand the underlying problems. The panel shares practical tips: Clarify how the business works and identify opportunities for improvement Be thoughtful about how developers are incentivized Connect technical decisions to financial outcomes Focus on landing page conversion and other customer-facing metrics when they're the bottleneck to growth This mindset shift enables engineers to make more strategic decisions about where to invest their technical efforts for maximum impact. About Anton Zaides, Rafa Páez, Max Piechota Anton Zaides is the founder of Manager.dev, where he shares insights about engineering management and product development. With extensive experience in both engineering and product leadership roles, Anton is passionate about bridging the gap between technical execution and product vision. You can link with Anton Zaides on Substack. For inquiries, reach him at Anton@manager.dev. Rafa Paez is a product engineering advocate who wrote the influential article "The Rise of the 100x Product Engineer." Through his work, Rafa explores how engineers can expand their impact by embracing product thinking and business understanding alongside technical skills. You can link with Rafa Paez on Substack. Find more of his work at rafapaez.com. Max Piechota is a thought leader in the engineering productivity space who has researched effective ways to measure and improve developer performance. He advocates for outcome-based metrics that focus on customer value rather than code output. You can link with Max Piechota on Substack.

BONUS: Keeping Backlogs Lean With The Now-Next-Later-Never Roadmap Framework with Kent McDonald In this BONUS episode, we explore the art of backlog management with product management expert Kent McDonald. As someone with decades of experience in software product development, Kent shares practical strategies for keeping backlogs lean, meaningful, and focused on outcomes that truly matter. Learn how to escape the trap of bloated backlogs and implement a Now-Next-Later-Never approach that will transform your product management practice. The Problem with Bloated Backlogs "Some teams use backlogs as 'long term storage' devices." Product backlogs often become unwieldy and difficult to manage because teams view them as a permanent repository for every idea that comes along. Kent explains that this "storage mentality" is one of the primary reasons backlogs grow out of control. Another common mistake is diving in too early and splitting items before they're actually ready to be worked on, which multiplies the backlog size unnecessarily. These practices lead to confusion, lost focus, and ultimately decrease a team's ability to deliver value efficiently. The Now-Next-Later-Never Roadmap Framework "You want to group things together on roughly categories of when you will attack it." Kent walks us through the practical implementation of a Now-Next-Later-Never roadmap approach that keeps things manageable. This framework provides a simple but powerful way to organize initiatives based on their priority and timing. Instead of maintaining an endless list of requirements, teams can group work into these four buckets, making it easier to communicate priorities both internally and with stakeholders. Kent emphasizes that these roadmap items should be described in terms of outcomes rather than features, helping everyone stay focused on the value being delivered rather than specific implementations. For more on the origin of the Now-Next-Later roadmap practice, see this article by Janna Bastow. Making "Now" Work in Practice "We only split items in the 'now' column." When implementing the Now-Next-Later-Never approach, the "Now" column is where the magic happens. Kent advises: Only split items that are in the "Now" column into actionable tasks Express roadmap items in terms of outcomes or customer problems to solve Limit the number of items in the "Now" column to maintain focus List outcomes rather than detailed features to avoid having a large number of items Kent explains that the "Later" and "Never" columns serve an important purpose in setting expectations with stakeholders about what won't be worked on immediately or at all. Managing the Movement Between Roadmap Categories "Items can move back and forth, to facilitate expectation setting." The Now-Next-Later-Never roadmap isn't static. Kent provides practical advice on how to manage the flow of items between categories: Revisit the roadmap regularly, ideally monthly Consider reviewing the roadmap during sprint review sessions Use this format when communicating with stakeholders for clearer expectation setting Hold strong on the "Now" items to maintain focus and avoid constant reprioritization This approach creates a dynamic but controlled environment where priorities can evolve without creating chaos or confusion. Dealing with Backlog Bloat "Create a 'museum', a set of items you can look at, but don't look at every day." For teams struggling with already-bloated backlogs, Kent offers bold but effective advice: Create a "museum" for items you want to preserve but don't need to see daily Consider deleting your old backlog and starting fresh Begin by asking: "What are the main outcomes we're trying to achieve?" Focus on getting to a smaller set of bigger items, then sequence them appropriately These approaches help teams overcome the fear of "losing" work while refocusing on what truly matters. Maintaining a Lean Backlog "Backlog items don't age well." Kent's team maintains an impressively lean backlog of just 23 items across three brand websites. He shares the routines and guardrails that prevent backlog bloat from creeping back in: Create a filter to control what gets into the backlog in the first place Keep the Product Owner just slightly ahead of the development team Avoid the anti-pattern of trying to keep all developers busy all the time Remember that backlog items don't age well and lose relevance over time These practices ensure the team stays focused on delivering current value rather than managing an ever-growing list of aging requirements. About Kent McDonald With decades in software product development, Kent is a go-to expert in product management, and agile strategy. He is a seasoned consultant and author of three books on agility, he helps teams cut through clutter to focus on what truly matters. When not optimizing workflows, he's exploring National Parks (52/63) or grooving to some jazz tunes. You can link with Kent McDonald on LinkedIn, or follow Kent McDonaldn on Substack.

BONUS: Beyond Individual Talent: 2 Leadership Myths We all Believed in with Arne Roock In this BONUS episode, we delve into the complexities of team effectiveness with Arne Roock, an experienced Agile consultant who has worked with organizations ranging from startups to large corporations. Arne shares his insights on what truly makes teams perform at their highest level, why simply assembling talented individuals isn't enough, and how organizations can move beyond the "feature factory" mindset to focus on outcomes and impact. The Myth of Individual Talent in Teams "A team of experts is not an expert team." Arne breaks down the common misconception that placing highly talented individuals together automatically creates a high-performing team. Drawing parallels from sports, he points to examples like the "Red Army" hockey team and the famous "Miracle on Ice," where team cohesion proved more valuable than individual star power. Through his consulting work, Arne observed that quick-fix workshops often produced short-term improvements but failed to create lasting change. Sometimes, teams even deteriorated after temporary interventions. This led him to Richard Hackman's work on team effectiveness, particularly the 60-30-10 rule: leaders should spend 60% of their time designing teams, 30% launching teams, and only 10% on coaching interventions. Coaching alone cannot change a team's trajectory without proper design and launch Leaders should engage with coaches at the beginning of team formation Teams need sufficient stability to achieve meaningful impact Existing teams can be relaunched or redesigned to improve performance In this segment, wer refer to Richard Hackman's 6 conditions for effective teams, and to Margaret Heffernan's Superchicken Paradox Ted Talk, and to the episode with Heidi Helfand about Re-teaming. Balancing Delivery Focus with Team Development "Organizations trends go in waves." Arne discusses the pendulum swing in organizational approaches, noting how Agile emerged as a countermovement to process-centric methodologies. Currently, he observes a strong emphasis on delivery, with many organizations repositioning Scrum Masters as delivery leads. This trend, while addressing immediate business needs, often undermines the fundamental team-building aspects of the Scrum Master role. Arne suggests that we need to find balance between delivery pressure and people-centered approaches, treating these as polarities to manage rather than problems to solve. In this segment, we refer to the book Polarity Management by  Barry Johnson, and to Arne's blog post about cross-functional teams. Moving Beyond the Feature Factory "Delivery manager will undermine team responsibility." When organizations want to shift from deadline-driven development to outcome-focused work, Arne recommends examining team design fundamentals first. He cautions that adding delivery managers won't fix teams that haven't been properly designed and launched. Most organizations operate as "feature factories," focusing on output rather than outcomes. Arne suggests two high-impact practices that can help teams deliver more value: Implementing meaningful sprint goals and effective sprint reviews Using OKRs with specific checks on value delivered, not just features completed Arne emphasizes that the Scrum Master role is a full-time position, and when they're pushed to prioritize delivery management, important team-building work gets neglected. Proper team design creates the foundation for shared delivery ownership without requiring additional management roles. In this segment, we talk about an article that explains how to use OKR's with a “value-check” included.  About Arne Roock Arne works as a consultant for Agile methods and (leadership) team effectiveness. As a trainer and coach he supported both startups and big corporations in different industries. For the past ten years he took a deep dive into the tech industry as an embedded coach with Jimdo and Spotify. You can link with Arne Roock on LinkedIn and connect with Arne Roock on Mastodon.

CTO Series: The Anti-Scaling Paradox: Why and When a CTO Should Refuse to Grow His Team with Markus Hjort In this BONUS episode, we dive into a fascinating conversation with Markus Hjort, Co-founder and CTO of Bitmagic. With over 20 years of software development expertise, Markus shares invaluable insights on tech leadership, team scaling, and how AI is transforming the landscape of software development. From pivotal career moments to practical advice on aligning tech strategy with business objectives, this episode offers wisdom for technology leaders and developers alike. Defining Moments in Tech Leadership "As a leader, for me, it is important that we have a positive attitude." Markus reflects on two pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy. Early in his career, he received feedback about his positive approach to challenging tasks, which reinforced his belief in maintaining an optimistic outlook when facing difficulties. This approach has allowed him to inspire team members during tough situations. The second defining moment relates to estimation skills. After participating in a rescue mission for a delayed project, Markus learned the importance of making realistic ballpark estimates rather than succumbing to unrealistic deadlines. His initial two-year estimate for a project was met with resistance from a client who wanted it done in two months, but the project ultimately took four years to complete - twice his original estimate. Leads by example with a positive attitude toward challenges Values the skill of making quick but realistic ballpark estimates Recommends "Programming Pearls" for developers to improve estimation skills Emphasizes that product developers should create different options to reach goals In this segment, Markus refers to the book Programming Pearls. Aligning Tech Strategy with Business Objectives "Nothing should come for me as a surprise." When it comes to ensuring tech strategy supports business goals, Markus emphasizes the importance of continuous communication with key stakeholders. Through regular informal discussions, he stays aware of emerging ideas and maintains strong relationships with decision-makers. This approach helps him anticipate future feature requirements and translate technical strategy into business objectives. The foundation of this alignment is built on trust and transparency. Maintains constant discussions with critical stakeholders Develops awareness of emerging ideas through informal conversations Identifies and builds relationships with decision-makers Translates technical considerations into business language Fostering Collaboration Between Tech and Business Units "In the end we create the shared understanding and the habit of working together which creates better alignment and trust." While structured meetings are important, Markus believes that true collaboration happens when people work together across departmental boundaries. In previous roles, he implemented small, cross-functional teams that included business representatives during feature development. At Bitmagic, they conduct regular gameplay test sessions that anyone in the company can join, fostering unpredictable connections and conversations. These informal interactions are especially valuable in a remote-only company. Creates small teams with business representation for feature development Implements regular demo sessions open to everyone in the company Encourages cross-departmental work to build shared understanding Emphasizes the importance of informal discussions in remote environments Scaling Engineering Teams Strategically "You have to be careful when to scale, and when not to scale." Markus advocates for a measured approach to team growth during scaling phases. He believes in small teams of talented individuals and prefers to grow at a deliberate pace rather than rushing to add new members. Sometimes, he's even paused hiring to focus on meeting milestones with existing resources. When rapid scaling is necessary, Markus recommends considering contractors to reduce risk and gain specialized expertise quickly, particularly in fields like gaming that require deep specialization. Believes in small teams of talented individuals Grows team size at a deliberate pace Sometimes pauses hiring to focus on delivery with existing team Strategically uses both employees and contractors based on circumstances Navigating Financial Challenges in Startups "From the tech view it was clear this was not a good idea, but from the business perspective, it was the right decision to make." One of the toughest challenges Markus faced involved making difficult decisions during financial constraints. In a previous startup, when resources were tight, he had to split his team between the main product and a "side project" that had been sold to generate revenue. Though technically suboptimal, this business-driven decision was necessary for survival. This experience highlights the complex balancing act CTOs often face between technical ideals and business realities. The Impact of AI on Software Development "It has changed my way of thinking of my work as a programmer." Having worked on AI-powered game development for over two years, Markus has witnessed the rapid evolution of AI technologies. This experience has influenced his approach to team expansion, as he considers how AI might augment human capabilities. Personally, he now uses code assistants regularly and wouldn't return to traditional programming methods. AI has transformed his workflow as a programmer and expanded his capabilities, particularly as a full-stack engineer. Measuring Engineering Success Beyond Metrics "In early startup stages, one of the critical metrics is 'the working software.'" Rather than relying heavily on rigid metrics, Markus focuses on practical indicators of success for engineering teams. In early-stage startups, he prioritizes the frequency of releasing working software to end users. Additionally, he monitors team energy and morale, looking for signals in commit messages and code review comments that might indicate the team's well-being. As teams grow, he sees value in using tools to help track these emotional indicators systematically. Focuses on frequency of releasing working software Monitors team energy and morale as key indicators Looks for signals in commit messages and code reviews Considers team well-being as important as technical output Recommended Reading "Press 'pause' when you feel you are in a crisis situation." Markus credits "Rapid Development" by Steve McConnell as a significant influence on his approach to software development, particularly before Agile methodologies became mainstream. One lasting lesson from the book is avoiding the anti-pattern of "abandoning all planning under pressure." Instead, Markus recommends pausing when facing a crisis to reassess and plan effectively, rather than rushing into reactive solutions. About Markus Hjort Markus Hjort is the Co-founder and CTO of Bitmagic, with over 20 years of software development expertise. Starting with Commodore 64 game programming, his career spans gaming, fintech, and more. As a programmer, consultant, agile coach, and leader, Markus has successfully guided numerous tech startups from concept to launch. You can link with Markus Hjort on LinkedIn and listen to Markus Hjort's podcast in Finnish, and follow his work with the future of AI in gaming at Bitmagic.ai.

BONUS: X-Matrix and Obeya: How to Make Strategy Visible and Actionable for Everyone with Jim Benson and Karl Scotland In this BONUS episode, we explore the groundbreaking work of two renowned agilists - Karl Scotland and Jim Benson. Together, they've developed innovative approaches to making strategy accessible and actionable across organizations. We delve into how their combined expertise in X-Matrix strategy deployment and Obeya visualization creates powerful frameworks for aligning teams and keeping strategic conversations alive throughout execution. The Genesis of Strategic Visualization "It's not about whether agile works or not. It's about whether your business is being successful." Karl Scotland shares how his journey from tactical agile practices to strategic thinking began with a deceptively simple question: "How will we know if this agile thing is working?" This fundamental inquiry exposed a common gap in organizations - the disconnect between implementation methodologies and measurable business outcomes. Karl explains how this led him to develop the X-Matrix, a powerful visualization tool that connects true north, aspirations, strategies, tactics, and evidence on a single page, creating coherence across organizational efforts. Jim Benson reflects on his complementary path, observing how organizations often focus intensely on transformations without creating clear alignment between corporate needs, team activities, and customer value. This absence of a "full story" connecting strategic intent to daily work leaves teams uncertain if they're actually doing the right things. Jim highlights how their combined approach addresses this critical gap through collaborative strategy development and visual management. Seeing Strategy, Tactics, and Work in One Place "Strategy has often been things that C-level people do when they go on a retreat to Cancun...and everybody's like 'why?' and they're like 'Cancun'...the story of how that came about isn't there." Karl and Jim introduce their innovative approaches to making strategy visible and actionable. The X-Matrix provides a powerful framework for capturing the five key elements of strategy (True North, Aspirations, Strategies, Tactics, and Evidence) on a single sheet, showing how these elements correlate. This creates a comprehensive strategic story that answers what an organization is doing, why they're doing it, how they'll know it's working, and what success ultimately looks like. This strategic framework then comes to life in the Obeya room, which Jim describes as a physical or virtual space containing a family of visualizations. These include value stream maps, A3s, time series data, personal Kanbans, collaborative problem-solving tools, and KPIs - all designed to support the execution of the strategy articulated in the X-Matrix. By bringing these elements together, teams can maintain a living strategic conversation, allowing for continuous learning and adaptation based on real evidence. In this section, we also refer to:  Esko Kilpi's Interactive Value Creation blog, where he explores different aspects of value creation, including how conversations are the core interaction pattern. The Catch-ball process from Lean The Backbriefing, From Stephen Bungay's book The Art of Action   Maintaining Living Strategic Conversations "You don't create an annual strategy, but you create a living strategic conversation within the organization." The power of connecting X-Matrix and Obeya approaches lies in their ability to catalyze and sustain meaningful strategic conversations. Karl describes the X-Matrix as an "architecture for your Obeya" and emphasizes the importance of continuous strategy development rather than static planning. He introduces concepts like "catch-ball" from Lean and "backbriefing" from military commander Stephen Bungay, which create feedback loops to ensure shared understanding and effective execution. Jim highlights how this approach transforms strategy from an annual event into an ongoing dialogue where everyone can see how their work connects to larger goals. He emphasizes the importance of choosing language carefully, noting his appreciation for Karl's use of "evidence" rather than "metrics" - a subtle but significant distinction that encourages learning and psychological safety rather than mere measurement. This creates environments where people feel safe to discuss what's actually happening rather than hiding problems. The Changing Landscape of Agile and Strategy "I want people to own the process themselves, which is the agreements of how they will interact, and then they deploy tools like their Obeya to facilitate that process and those interactions." When discussing the recent PMI and Agile Alliance merger, both speakers offer thoughtful perspectives on the evolution of agile methodologies. Jim describes this as part of an ongoing commodification of agile practices, suggesting that we're entering a post-framework era where teams can draw from multiple approaches to craft ways of working that suit their specific context rather than adhering to rigid methodologies. Karl reflects on how the early agile community started with like-minded people coming together to share ideas and be "heretics," but eventually evolved into larger, more commercially-driven conferences and organizations. He sees the future in smaller, more focused communities of practice developing around specific interests or approaches - like the collaboration he and Jim have renewed with their course and strategic visualization work. Creating Professional Engagement Through Visualization "The word 'evidence' is a painfully poignant word... Evidence is something that grows over time based on investigation." A fascinating insight from this conversation is Jim's observation about the transformative power of visualization and language in creating psychological safety. He notes that when organizations approach their Kanban or Obeya with a learning mindset - seeking evidence rather than just tracking metrics - the entire conversation changes. Problems become opportunities for learning rather than failures to hide. Karl's careful choice of terminology in his TASTE model (True North, Aspirations, Strategies, Tactics, Evidence) reflects this intention, deliberately moving away from terms like "annual targets" or "process metrics" to encourage more holistic thinking. This approach helps create environments where strategic conversations can flourish across organizational boundaries, keeping everyone aligned on both direction and progress. About Karl Scotland and Jim Benson Karl Scotland is known for his groundbreaking work with the X-Matrix, integrating Agile principles with strategic planning. His innovative approach focuses on aligning True North, aspirations, strategies, tactics, and evidence into a single, collaborative visualization. Karl has extensive experience helping organizations develop continuous strategy development practices that connect strategic intent with execution. You can link with Karl Scotland on LinkedIn. Jim Benson is the visionary author of Personal Kanban and The Collaboration Equation. Jim's expertise lies in collaborative management, visualizing work, and fostering humane, team-driven environments. Through his work at Modus Institute, Jim helps organizations create systems that support continuous improvement and meaningful workplace conversations. You can link with Jim Benson on LinkedIn.

Zvonimir Durcevic: How Feedback Transforms Product Owners Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: Embracing Feedback and Adapting Over Time  Zvonimir shares his experience with a Product Owner who demonstrated exceptional growth over a two-year period. What made this PO stand out was their willingness to receive feedback from the team and adjust their behavior accordingly. When the team expressed difficulty accessing the PO for questions and early feedback, the PO responded by rearranging their schedule to sit near the team part-time. Zvone emphasizes how these incremental changes, driven by openness to feedback, transformed this person into an exemplary Product Owner. The key insight: great Product Owners honor past practices while embracing necessary changes for the future. Self-reflection Question: How might your willingness (or reluctance) to accept feedback be affecting your development as a Product Owner? The Bad Product Owner: The Reluctant Subject Matter Expert In this segment, Zvonimir describes working with a Subject Matter Expert who was assigned the Product Owner role despite not wanting the responsibility. While this person excelled at documenting requirements from their extensive knowledge, they resisted taking on core PO duties. The organization assigned them the role but didn't push for proper adoption of responsibilities. Consequently, the team and Scrum Master were forced to assume PO duties to fill the gap. Although this arrangement functioned temporarily thanks to the team's capabilities and the SME's knowledge, it created an unsustainable situation where role accountability was unclear. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Zvonimir Durcevic: The Solution-Focused Retrospective for Agile Teams, Turning Problems Into Goals Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Zvonimir defines Scrum Master success as being explicit and intentional about defining and achieving goals. He references Richard Hackmann's model of team effectiveness as a framework to evaluate whether he's helping teams become truly effective. For Zvone, success comes from creating structures that provide teams with feedback about their performance and being explicit about the team's purpose through practices like chartering. By focusing on these elements, Scrum Masters can help teams build the foundation for sustainable success. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Problems Are Disguised Goals This solution-focused retrospective format, inspired by the work of Ralph Miata and Veronika Jungwirth, allows teams to briefly acknowledge problems before pivoting quickly to what they want to achieve instead. Zvonimir explains that while teams need space to express challenges, the format redirects energy toward envisioning a better future through solution-focused questions. The process includes validating problems, using scale questions (0-10) to assess current status, reviewing past attempts at reaching goals, and designing small experiments to move toward desired outcomes. This approach helps teams shift from problem-orientation to goal-orientation. Self-reflection Question: How might reframing your team's persistent problems as goals change your approach to addressing them? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Zvonimir Durcevic: From Command to Collaboration, An Agile Leadership Team's Transformation Story Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Zvonimir discusses his experience supporting a leadership team transitioning from a traditional command-and-control management style to a more collaborative approach involving people in change decisions. Drawing from EDGE Theory of Change (based on Arnold Mendel's work) and Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC) training, Zvone helped the leadership team understand what awaited them on the "other side" of this transformation. Through multiple half-day coaching sessions, he guided them in defining their new leadership identity and developing self-reflection skills. A critical element of this work was creating a conflict protocol that allowed leaders to discuss different perspectives constructively. Zvone emphasizes the importance of helping teams create a "third identity" – a new collective self that emerges through transformation. Self-reflection Question: What elements of your current leadership identity would you need to let go of to embrace a more collaborative approach to change? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Zvonimir Durcevic: Context Diagramming, Helping Agile Teams See Their Complex Communication Network Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Zvonimir shares a story about a five-person team developing an important product who maintained good internal dynamics but limited their interaction with the rest of the organization. Despite delivering quality work, they were viewed as a "difficult team" by stakeholders. When Zvone joined, he conducted assessments and introduced context diagramming to map the team's relationships and dependencies. This exercise revealed the complexity of their communication network and helped the team understand that cutting off relationships with stakeholders was counterproductive. The breakthrough came when the team began using the context diagram to explain their situation to others, helping stakeholders recognize how organizational factors were affecting the team's work. Self-reflection Question: How might mapping your team's communication network reveal disconnects that are affecting your effectiveness? Featured Book of the Week: Agile Transformation by Michael Spayd Zvonimir recommends "Agile Transformation" by Michael Spayd as a resource that helped him understand how to examine systems through different lenses. The book provides multiple perspectives for gaining deeper insights into the systems we work with. Zvone particularly values the book's ability to help practitioners look beyond surface-level issues and understand underlying dynamics in organizations undergoing Agile transformations. In this section we talk about the Integral agile transformation framework. [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Zvonimir Durcevic: Establishing Communication Channels, Lessons From a Scrum Master's Failure  Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Zvonimir shares a pivotal experience that shaped his approach as a Scrum Master. His team started strong with excellent stakeholder relationships, but gradually team members began missing refinement meetings as they took on more outside responsibilities. Despite conversations with management, the issue persisted, leading to a growing backlog that no one wanted to trim down. Zvone learned critical lessons about the importance of establishing clear working agreements with stakeholders and sponsors from the beginning. He emphasizes the need to create proper communication channels, as successful Agile work depends on reaching the right people when problems arise. Self-reflection Question: How might the communication agreements in your organization be contributing to your team's ability to focus on their work? [Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

BONUS: AI and Cybersecurity - An Introduction to The Hidden Threats in Our Connected World with Dr. Eric Cole In this BONUS episode, we explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence. Dr. Eric Cole, a renowned cybersecurity expert and author of Cyber Crisis: Protecting Your Business from Real Threats in the Virtual World, shares critical insights about how AI is transforming security strategies. From the privacy concerns of our always-connected devices to practical tips for protecting your business and personal information, this conversation offers essential knowledge for navigating our increasingly digital world. The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Cybersecurity "We are giving away our IP, our data, and our privacy. The data set is what gives value to AI." The rise of artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and serious risks in the cybersecurity landscape. Dr. Cole emphasizes that while many focus solely on AI's benefits, we often overlook the fact that we're surrendering vast amounts of our sensitive information, intellectual property, and private data to AI providers. This data becomes the foundation of AI's value and capabilities, creating a significant privacy concern that many organizations fail to properly address. As we embrace these new technologies, we must carefully consider what information we're willing to share and what safeguards should be in place. Modern Attack Vectors: The Human Element "Attacks today are mostly social engineering. We end up having to retrain people to not trust their email." Today's cybersecurity threats have evolved beyond traditional technical exploits to focus primarily on social engineering—manipulating people into compromising their own security. Dr. Cole explains that modern attackers increasingly target the human element, requiring organizations to fundamentally retrain employees to approach communications with healthy skepticism. Particularly concerning are mobile threats, as our phones constantly record audio and other personal data. Dr. Cole warns that "free" apps often come with a hidden price: your privacy and security. Understanding these attack vectors is essential for developing effective defense strategies in both personal and professional contexts. Cybersecurity as a Business Enabler "Security is not a barrier, not an obstacle. Cybersecurity is a business enabler." Dr. Cole challenges the common perception that security measures primarily restrict functionality and impede business operations. Instead, he reframes cybersecurity as a critical business enabler that should be integrated into strategic decision-making. Organizations need to make deliberate decisions about the tradeoffs between security and functionality, understanding that proper security measures protect business continuity and reputation. Dr. Cole particularly warns about supply chain attacks, which have become increasingly prevalent, and emphasizes that awareness is the foundation of any effective protection strategy. He recommends centralizing data for easier security management and advises that client devices should minimize storing sensitive data. Mobile Phones: The Ultimate Tracking Device "You don't go anywhere without your cell phone. Your cell phone is never more than a foot from you it's with you wherever you go... which means if somebody wants to track and monitor you they can." We often worry about theoretical tracking technologies while overlooking the sophisticated tracking device we voluntarily carry everywhere—our mobile phones. Dr. Cole points out the irony that people who would never accept being "chipped" for tracking purposes willingly keep their phones within arm's reach at all times. These devices record our locations, conversations, messages, and activities, creating a comprehensive digital trail of our lives. With access to someone's phone, anyone can trace their movements for months and access an alarming amount of personal information. This risk is compounded when we back up this data to cloud services, effectively giving third parties access to our most sensitive information. Understanding these vulnerabilities is the first step toward more mindful mobile security practices. Business Opportunities in the Security Space "We have too much information, too much data. How can we use that data effectively?" The cybersecurity landscape presents significant business opportunities, particularly in making sense of the overwhelming amount of security data organizations collect. Dr. Cole identifies data correlation and effective data utilization as key investment areas. Modern security systems generate vast quantities of logs and alerts, but transforming this raw information into actionable intelligence remains a challenge. Companies that can develop solutions to effectively analyze, correlate, and extract meaningful insights from security data will find substantial opportunities in the market, helping organizations strengthen their security posture while managing the complexity of modern threats. Essential Training for Security-Conscious Developers "Go for secure coding courses. This helps us understand how software can be exploited." For software developers looking to build more secure applications, Dr. Cole recommends focusing on penetration testing skills and secure coding practices. Understanding how software can be exploited from an attacker's perspective provides invaluable insights for designing more robust systems. By learning the methodologies and techniques used by malicious actors, developers can anticipate potential vulnerabilities and incorporate appropriate safeguards from the beginning of the development process. This proactive approach to security helps create applications that are inherently more resistant to attacks rather than requiring extensive security patches and updates after deployment. About Dr. Eric Cole Dr. Eric Cole is the author of "Cyber Crisis, Protecting Your Business from Real Threats in the Virtual World." He is a renowned cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience helping organizations identify vulnerabilities and build robust defense solutions against advanced threats. He has trained over 65,000 professionals worldwide through his best-selling cybersecurity courses and is dedicated to making cyberspace a safe place for all. You can link with Dr. Eric Cole on LinkedIn, or visit his company's website Secure-Anchor.com. 

Marina Lazovic: Leadership Skills Make the Difference for Product Owners Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The PO as a Leader Marina identifies that while product skills are important, it's leadership abilities that truly distinguish exceptional Product Owners. Great POs demonstrate strong empathy and lead by example, creating an environment where the team feels supported. Marina emphasizes the importance of availability – outstanding Product Owners make themselves accessible to their teams when needed, establishing a presence that goes beyond just attending ceremonies. This leadership through presence and support fosters trust, enabling teams to approach challenges with confidence knowing their PO has their back. The Bad Product Owner: The PO Who Did Not Understand Their Team Marina describes a problematic pattern where Product Owners fail to understand their team's strengths and weaknesses. These POs lack awareness of team composition – not recognizing the balance between senior and junior members or understanding their specific challenges. This blindness leads to unrealistic expectations about what the team can accomplish in a sprint. Marina suggests addressing this by establishing regular sync meetings with the PO to discuss team dynamics and challenges. By helping Product Owners understand team composition, Scrum Masters can bridge this knowledge gap and foster more realistic planning and expectations. Self-reflection Question: How might you help a Product Owner better understand the unique composition and capabilities of your team without creating an adversarial dynamic? About Marina Lazovic Marina is a Scrum Master and Kanban Trainer from Belgrade, Serbia, with nearly a decade in the IT industry. Though not from a technical background, she is passionate about helping development teams and organizations optimize processes and build great products using Agile. She thrives on driving efficiency and fostering collaboration. You can link with Marina Lazovic on LinkedIn.

Marina Lazovic: Measuring Agile Team Success Through Stable Delivery Flow Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Marina reflects on how her understanding of Scrum Master success has evolved, noting that delivery optimization is an aspect she previously undervalued. For her, success means supporting teams to deliver in an optimal way with stable flow. She emphasizes that since software is built for users, delivery is the ultimate measure of value creation. Marina recommends discussing with teams what "delivery" actually means in their context and focusing on aspects within the team's control. She suggests using the "circle of influence" concept to define what constitutes delivery and to identify actionable improvement options during retrospectives. By concentrating on sprint-level delivery metrics, teams can establish a concrete definition of success that ties directly to value creation. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Lean Coffee Marina prefers keeping retrospectives simple and direct, recognizing that developers typically appreciate getting straight to the point. She particularly recommends the Lean Coffee format, which provides structure while allowing teams to focus on what matters most to them at that moment. What makes this format effective is its adaptability and efficiency. Marina emphasizes the importance of asking teams which retrospective formats they prefer rather than imposing a particular structure. To make retrospectives actionable, she insists on specifying WHO will do WHAT and by WHEN for every action item, ensuring clear accountability and follow-through on improvement initiatives. Self-reflection Question: How clearly defined is "delivery success" for your team, and what specific flow metrics could you introduce to make it more concrete? About Marina Lazovic Marina is a Scrum Master and Kanban Trainer from Belgrade, Serbia, with nearly a decade in the IT industry. Though not from a technical background, she is passionate about helping development teams and organizations optimize processes and build great products using Agile. She thrives on driving efficiency and fostering collaboration. You can link with Marina Lazovic on LinkedIn.

Marina Lazovic: How to Introduce Data-driven Decision Making to Skeptical Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Marina describes her experience introducing data-driven decision making to help teams improve their processes. Starting with basic metrics like velocity, she gradually expanded to more sophisticated data points such as how long items remain in specific workflow states. She emphasizes the importance of introducing these concepts naturally into daily work and using the data to spark meaningful conversations with both the team and Product Owner. By examining why items were stuck and for how long, the team uncovered underlying issues they could address. Marina also explains how she used historical data to inform sprint planning, making estimates more realistic. Her approach focused on simplicity—introducing one data point at a time, avoiding jargon, encouraging teams to discover problems themselves, and empowering them to develop their own solutions rather than imposing answers. Self-reflection Question: What single data point could you start tracking that might reveal the most important improvement opportunity for your team? About Marina Lazovic Marina is a Scrum Master and Kanban Trainer from Belgrade, Serbia, with nearly a decade in the IT industry. Though not from a technical background, she is passionate about helping development teams and organizations optimize processes and build great products using Agile. She thrives on driving efficiency and fostering collaboration. You can link with Marina Lazovic on LinkedIn.