Podcasts about Agile

In a world of fleeting social trends, how do you build a creator strategy that drives measurable, long-term revenue instead of just chasing momentary spikes in engagement? Agility requires not just launching campaigns, but building systems that can learn and adapt in real-time based on actual consumer behavior and sales data. Today, we're going to talk about the evolution from influencer marketing to true creator commerce. This isn't just about paying for posts anymore; it's about building scalable, data-driven ecosystems where creators become a genuine extension of your sales and merchandising teams, directly impacting the bottom line. We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Wendy Wildfeuer and Tim Trevathan, at Motom. About Wendy Wildfeuer Wendy Wildfeuer is a leading expert in the creator economy and social commerce, helping brands and retailers turn creator marketing into scalable, sustainable revenue through Motom's white-label creator storefront solution, Anchor. Wendy's career spans leading marketing and monetization for iconic teen brands such as dELiA*s, Alloy, and Gossip Girl. She also played a pivotal role in the rise of YouTube influencer networks and spearheaded NBCU's first original digital IP production deal for brands with Broadway Video, creators of Saturday Night Live. A recognized innovator at the intersection of retail, tech, and media, Wendy brings extensive expertise as brands look to take back control of the shopper journey in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, where social commerce is a critical pillar of a unified commerce strategy. Resources Motom: https://www.motom.me/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

BONUS: Why the Spotify Model Didn't Work (Even at Spotify) Imagine a company that spends a year building an iPad app—and on launch day the product owner says: "Now it'll be interesting to see IF anyone uses it." In this episode, Marcus Hammarberg and Tore Fjaertoft share why organizations keep installing frameworks like software, why it still doesn't work, and what they've learned from places like Spotify about treating your way of working as a product in itself. When Copying Without Adopting Becomes the Norm "It becomes more about following whatever this framework tells you to do, rather than to understand what the problem you're trying to solve is all about."   Marcus and Tore met at a consultancy in Malmö and within 15 minutes realized they shared the same frustrations—despite coming from opposite directions. Marcus comes from the ground up as a software developer and coach, while Tore works top-down with leadership teams on product organization design. Both had worked at Spotify and both had seen organizations copy famous frameworks and models without adopting the underlying mindset. The telltale sign, as Tore describes it, is when people focus on compliance rather than being pragmatic—following the manual without questioning whether the way they're working is actually serving the organization. As Marcus frames it through Cynefin, product development lives in a domain where best practices don't even exist—only emergent practices that you discover by trying things out. Treat Your Process Like a Product "The easiest way for us to explain things has been: take the mindset you use for your product, and then use that same mindset when you're approaching how you set things up and how you work internally."   The core idea Marcus and Tore keep returning to is deceptively simple: see the way you operate as a product in and of itself. Just as a digital product is never finished—you ship it, observe how customers use it, and evolve accordingly—your operating model should follow the same cycle. Tore explains that the "customers" of your process are your employees: they need less friction, more empowerment, and the ability to spend more time on work that actually moves the needle for users. Marcus connects this to the lean concept of True North—a shared direction that everyone understands, so that every experiment and process change moves the organization closer to what matters. He contrasts this with the three Agile transformations he participated in that all had the same misguided tagline: "get more out of our development organization." As Marcus points out, even the AI DORA report shows developers feeling more productive individually—but is individual productivity really the goal? The Factory Floor Story: Empowerment Needs Alignment "Everyone down here knows that anything we do needs to be the best in the world, in every step."   Marcus shares a powerful story from a Swedish lorry factory where workers changed their workstation instructions several times a day—written on a whiteboard with a pen, not locked in a manual. When asked how they got everyone to engage in continuous improvement, the factory managers didn't understand the question. Every worker on the floor knew they were building the most expensive lorry in the world, and they wanted it to stay the best. That shared purpose drove improvement without mandates.  But Marcus is quick to add the counterbalance: empowerment without alignment leads to local optimization. The factory combined local metrics with overarching flow metrics, so everyone could see how their station fit into the whole chain. Marcus and Tore distill this into three interconnected principles: empowerment to enable people to change how they work, alignment to steer toward shared outcomes, and collaboration to prevent teams from optimizing in isolation. From Static Frameworks to Dynamic Ways of Working "We realized that Spotify didn't use the Spotify model. They moved on, because they see the way they work as a continuously evolving approach."   Tore reveals one of the most striking lessons from their Spotify experience: the company that accidentally created "the Spotify model" had already moved beyond it by the time the rest of the world started copying it. The reason? Spotify treated its way of working as something that continuously evolves—not a static blueprint to install and follow. Marcus adds a practical example from Spotify: on your first day, you got access to the company's key metrics. Everyone knew the True North—at the time, increasing monthly active users—and every process change, every experiment, every team decision was oriented toward that outcome. The contrast with organizations that "install" a framework and then wonder why it doesn't work couldn't be sharper. As Marcus puts it: "We tried process X, it didn't work. We tried process Y, the opposite, and that didn't work either. Why doesn't the process work?" The answer is that the "how" must emerge over time, guided by a clear "why." Always Know Why You're Doing What You're Doing "I don't want anyone to work on anything if you don't know why."   Tore shares a policy from a product management colleague at Spotify: every single day, everyone on his team should be able to articulate not just what they're working on, but why—and the "why" could not be "because person XYZ told me to." It had to connect to the company's purpose and users. Marcus takes this even further, recounting how he once stopped productivity at an entire company by telling developers: don't work on anything unless you know why. Nobody could continue. The uncomfortable silence that followed became a powerful catalyst for change. With an 80% failure rate for product experiments being the industry standard, packaging that risk into year-long projects is a recipe for the iPad app scenario they opened with. The alternative is to build the organizational muscle for rapid experimentation—cheap hypotheses, fast feedback, and the humility to let outcomes guide the way forward.   Self-reflection Question: When was the last time you asked your team—or yourself—"why are we doing this?" and got an answer that connected to a real business or user outcome rather than "because the framework says so"?   About Marcus Hammarberg and Tore Fjaertoft Marcus Hammarberg is a product and software coach and consultant who has seen product organizations from the inside and from the trenches. He works at Humane, part of the ADRA consulting collective, and has experience from Spotify, Tradera, and multiple Agile transformations across banks and insurance companies.   Tore Fjaertoft is a product organization advisor who works with leadership teams on how product thinking actually scales in large, complex companies. He works at Above, also part of the ADRA consulting collective, and has experience from Spotify and Volvo Cars.   You can link with Marcus Hammarberg on LinkedIn and Tore Fjaertoft on LinkedIn.

"The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."  Ah, Stephen Covey got it right. If you don't know what your priorities are, whatever's on your calendar will be prioritised, which often means low-value meetings and other people's urgencies. Not a great way to work if you want to be more productive and better at managing your time.  This week, we're looking at identifying your core work and eliminating the non-essential.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin The Hybrid Productivity Course  Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 408 Hello, and welcome to episode 408 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  Something that came up in last weekend's Ultimate Productivity Workshop was around identifying your core work. The work you are employed to do or what you do to put food on your table.  In the past, this was easy to do. Job descriptions were simple, and job titles included things like salesperson, accountant, lawyer, administrator, receptionist, lifeguard, and office manager. It was very clear what your responsibilities were, and defining your core work was simple.  Today, hmmm, something's gone disastrously wrong. Now we have job titles such as Empathy Engineer (a software designer), Scrum Master (a project manager of sorts from the twenty-teens Agile trend) or Digital Overlord (a website or systems manager). These are unclear and ill-defined, and figuring out what these jobs entail is challenging, to say the least, but not impossible with some thought.  Then there are jobs such as the “C” roles: CEO, CFO, COO, etc. These are notoriously difficult to define because they are intentionally vague and depend on the company's size, its goals and often the state of the company when a person starts the role.  When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, he took over a company on the up. When Satya Nadalla took over Microsoft, Microsoft was struggling in the rapidly growing mobile market. Same job titles, but entirely different roles given the state each company was in when they took over. In today's episode, we're looking at core work and, more importantly, how to define your role so you can pull out the tasks you need to do consistently to perform well and make it easier to prioritise the things important to you.  So, without further ado, let me hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question.  This week's question comes from Chris. Chris asks, hi Carl, I am really struggling to define my core work. I am a sales manager in a medium-sized car dealership. I manage a team of 12 salespeople, and I report directly to the General Manager. The part I am struggling with is what my tasks should be each week. Could you help? Hi Chris, thank you for your question.  For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of core work, your core work is the work you are employed to do. It's how you are evaluated and the reason you were employed. The issue with core work is that over time, the scope of your work can expand to a point where you have so many competing priorities that it becomes practically impossible to decide what needs your attention. And that's when backlogs of important work start to grow uncontrollably.  This can be caused by our innate human need to please people, so we say “yes” to too many things without considering whether we have the time to do the work we ‘volunteered' to do.  The problem here is that once you have said yes to the work outside your core work, you own it. It is now your responsibility to get the job done. Do this too often, and the line between what you are responsible for and what you volunteered to do becomes blurred.  A few years ago, I worked with a client who was a product manager in a pharmaceutical company. Her core work was to ensure that her product's labelling, literature, and local branding were accurate and up to date. She was also responsible for three sales campaigns each year.  Unfortunately, Sam was a people pleaser. She couldn't say no to anyone. She volunteered to be on the Annual kick-off event committee (each year the company had an off-site retreat to motivate the team for the new year), she volunteered to be the lead of a breast cancer awareness campaign her company wanted to run, and if a sales manager asked her to do a presentation to their sales people, she'd always say yes.  But her people pleasing was not confined to her professional life. She volunteered to help organise events at her church, committed to watching her husband play football every weekend and would help her friends out at the drop of a hat.  When I began working with Sam, she was a mess. Her weight had ballooned because she had no time for any physical movement or to watch what she ate; she wasn't able to sleep properly, and she was suffering quite badly from eczema, brought on by stress and a lack of sleep.  The first thing I did was get Sam to write down her original core work. I remember her having to pull out her job description to remind her what that was.  When she looked at it, she began to cry. She confessed that what she did at work was nothing like what was written on those sheets of paper.  So that's where we started.  I also got her to talk to her boss about stepping down from all the volunteer roles she'd accepted so she could focus on the work she was employed to do.  Her boss was brilliant. She helped Sam remove herself from the volunteer roles so she could focus on what mattered.  Within six months, Sam's product was the top-selling product in the company. She'd lost 20 pounds in weight, she was sleeping well, and her eczema had all but disappeared.  She was focused on what mattered and did that brilliantly. So much so that she was promoted after a further year.  I tell that story because it demonstrates why defining your core work is so important. If you are not clear about what you are employed to do, in an effort to look busy and not upset anyone, you will keep accepting more and more roles outside the scope of the job you were employed to do.  This does not mean that you should never accept voluntary roles or help out your colleagues from time to time. It means you should never lose sight of what you are employed to do. And to do that, you first need to identify what it is, then take it to the next level.  That level identifies what doing your core work looks like at the task level. In other words, what do you actually do to perform your core work? So, returning to your role, Chris, as a sales manager, a part of your role will be to support your sales team. What does that look like at a doing level? Does that mean you need to schedule weekly one-to-ones with your team? Maybe you are also responsible for ensuring that the sales data is correct and up to date.  Scheduling weekly one-to-ones is relatively straightforward. You may choose to dedicate a day to doing this, so your focus is on supporting your team and, in doing so, removing a weekly decision.  For example, if you choose to hold your meetings on Mondays, you can block your calendar on those days and get them all done in one day.  Maintaining your sales admin may involve 30 minutes a day of updating your company's internal reporting system. If so, when will you do that?  You may also be responsible for the training of your team. I know many managers are. If so, what does that involve, and what do you need to do personally to ensure it happens?  So what you are doing is looking at the type of work you do and then asking yourself what that looks like at a doing level.  Many medical doctors I speak with tell me their work is more than just seeing patients. Some of their additional roles include renewing prescriptions, completing insurance claims, and sorting out referrals to specialists.  This means being a general practitioner is not as simple as walking into their clinic, going to their office and examining patients all day. They need to find time to do the additional work, which is often an extra 2 hours or more each day.  Once you have identified your core work and pulled out what that looks like at the task level, the next step is to calculate how much time you will need to complete those tasks each week.  In theory, this is easy. After all, if you have done something before, you should be able to figure out how long it will take you to do the same task in the future.  Hahaha, not so easy. We are not machines, and some days we are not at our best. We might be tired, distracted or feeling ill.  And those distractions may not even be of our own choosing. Other people interrupt you, ask you questions, or you are prevented from doing one of your critical tasks because a colleague has not given you the information you need.  I remember talking with a gentleman who ran a car servicing business, and he told me that the biggest issue he had each day was something called “back orders”. This is where a part for a customer's car was out of stock and on order.  Nobody knew when the part would be back in stock, so they could not tell the customer when to bring their car in for the repair, or, worse, the customer could not come in to pick up their repaired car.  In these situations, all you can do is work on the averages.  I've been writing a weekly blog post of around 1,000 words each week for over ten years. You would have thought I would know how long writing a blog post would take by now, after doing it over 500 times. Not a chance.  Some weeks it can take me forty minutes; other weeks, as much as two hours, to write the first draft.  It's the same for these podcasts. This week's episode is number 408, which means I've written 407 scripts, and yet some weeks it takes two hours; others, four. And the worst thing is, I have no idea when I sit down to write the script how long it will take.  In these situations, all you can do is work on averages. I allow two hours for writing these scripts. Most weeks, I can do it in that time; other weeks, I need to find additional time later in the week to finish them.  Same with my blog posts. I have two hours each week protected for writing the posts. Most weeks, I finish well within that time; other weeks, I need the whole time.  I'm working on averages, which ensures the bulk of what needs to be done gets done every week.  And this brings us to the main reason for identifying your core work:  Once you know what your core work is and what you need to do at a task level, you know how much time you need to protect for this work each week. That information alone will tell you how many meetings and voluntary work you can accept each week.  Not knowing what your core work looks like at a task level risks putting yourself in Sam's shoes. And if Sam were here with me, I know she'd be telling you never to let that happen to you. It destroys your health and leaves you feeling rotten every day.  There you go, Chris. Thank you for your question, and thank you to all of you who attended the Ultimate Productivity Workshop over the last two weeks. It's always a joy to help you, and it helps me see where you are struggling with productivity and time management.  Thank you for listening, and it's time for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

We're all being told to "embrace AI or be left behind," but what if the biggest risk isn't ignoring AI, but implementing it poorly and alienating the very customers we're trying to attract? Agility requires not just the speed to adopt new technologies like AI, but the wisdom to discern where they create genuine value versus where they simply add complexity. It's about constantly testing, learning, and refining your approach to serve the customer, not just the algorithm. Today, we are here at eTail Palm Springs hearing about all the latest in e-commerce and retail, and we're going to talk about moving past the hype cycle of AI and getting down to the practical realities of how it's actually changing consumer behavior, and what that means for marketing leaders trying to make smart investments. We'll get into the nuance of what to automate versus what to keep human, and how to use these powerful tools to build customer relationships, not just transactional efficiency.To help me discuss this, I'd like to welcome Keri McGhee, CMO at Attentive. About Keri McGhee Keri McGhee is the Chief Marketing Officer at Attentive, the AI-powered SMS and email marketing platform helping leading brands deliver 1:1 personalized, real-time messaging experiences at scale.  As CMO, Keri leads strategic global marketing to elevate the Attentive brand and drive growth across every stage of the customer journey. She oversees product marketing, revenue marketing, brand and content strategy, events, and partner marketing, ensuring Attentive's story connects deeply with marketers around the world. With a focus on creativity, innovation, and measurable impact, Keri champions marketing that blends data-driven insights with storytelling to inspire and empower brands to build more personal, lasting customer relationships.  Keri McGhee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-mcghee/ Resources Attentive: https://www.attentive.com Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Junaid Shaikh: Product Owner Anti-Patterns, From Team Owner to Product Owner, And The PO Who Got It Right Junaid opens with a line that cuts straight to the most common PO anti-pattern: "You are the product owner, not the team owner." When he sees a PO slipping into command-and-control mode, he asks them one question: "What is your role?" They say "Product Owner." He says: "Exactly. You own the product, not the team. If you were meant to own the team, we'd call you a project manager." The worst case he witnessed: a PO who was so possessive of "his" team that he required approval on everything — processes, tools, even holiday requests. In sprint planning, he would assign stories to individual team members ("Mr. X, you take this one"). He'd estimate the work himself, and when developers pushed back, he'd override them: "I was a developer, I know how long this takes." For approaching PO anti-patterns, Junaid has a deliberate style: he doesn't confront upfront. He observes, takes notes, and starts by solving a smaller impediment to demonstrate he's there to help. Once trust is built, he brings in coaching tools — first teaching the basics ("this is what the PO role is in Scrum"), then gradually coaching on specific anti-patterns observed in practice. He targets 10-15% improvement at a time. Six months later, you've already achieved 30-40% improvement. The best PO Junaid has worked with had four qualities: clear, concise communication; an open mindset willing to be coached; courage to say "no" when needed; and the discipline to define the "what" and leave the "how" to the team. This PO started with five sources of truth — Excel tabs, whiteboards, JIRA, and other tools. When Junaid pointed out that five sources of truth is the opposite of transparency (one of Scrum's three pillars), the PO asked for help. Junaid's response: "I can't do the push-ups for you." Together, they consolidated everything into one tool. The team was happier, and the PO managed the backlog much better. The key lesson: great product owners trust their team, communicate clearly, prioritize ruthlessly, and have the courage to say no. And they don't try to own the team. You can link with Junaid Shaikh on LinkedIn. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Junaid Shaikh: How Scrum Masters Can Measure Their Own Impact, Practical Self-Assessment Metrics Junaid's favorite retrospective format? The vanilla: what went well, what could have gone better, what to do better next. He's tried many formats — the Three L's (liked, learned, lacked), the Three Little Pigs, the sailboat — but the core principle is always the same. His practical advice: stick with a consistent format so the team gets better at the process itself rather than constantly adjusting to new concepts. One addition he insists on for any format: an appreciation component. In the rush to analyze processes and outcomes, teams often skip acknowledging how another team member, PO, or Scrum Master helped during the sprint. That appreciation builds trust, respect, and openness that feeds into subsequent sprints. On defining success as a Scrum Master, Junaid starts with a Peter Drucker quote: "You cannot improve something you cannot measure." He proposes several practical self-assessment metrics: First, the Agile Team Maturity Index — a spider graph that shows where the team stands across multiple criteria, making gaps visible and actionable. Second, track retrospective action items. Create tiger teams for specific issues, run small iterative experiments, and measure in the next retrospective whether the trend is improving. Third, watch for shared sprint goals. Junaid once saw a team with nine sprint goals for a two-week sprint — those weren't goals, they were individual tasks. A real sprint goal should be something multiple team members work together to achieve. Fourth, self-organizing teams. If the team falls apart when the Scrum Master is absent for a sprint, there's a problem. Coach teams to self-organize, and their ability to function independently becomes a success metric. Fifth, communication patterns. Too many emails flying around can signal hidden conflicts or trust barriers. If communication happens through the right channels — dailies, direct interactions — you're likely in good shape. Sixth, Scrum event health. If events get canceled too frequently, the team may be reverting to traditional ways of working. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Why I Switched to a Hybrid Approach and Tripled My Team's Delivery RateAgile was supposed to be the answer. Stand-ups, sprints, retros, these rituals promised faster delivery, happier teams, and stakeholders who finally felt in sync with engineering. For a while, it worked. My team hit a rhythm, delivered features quickly, and felt engaged in the process.But over time, the cracks showed.Velocity slowed to a crawl. Stand-ups became theater. Engineers dreaded sprint planning. Stakeholders kept asking when features would actually be done. And remote work made it worse with Zoom fatigue, Slack overload, and endless context-switching draining the energy Agile was supposed to give us.At first, I blamed the team. Maybe we weren't “doing Agile right.” So I doubled down on the rituals. More retros, stricter sprints, tighter velocity tracking. But the harder I pushed, the more Agile turned into bureaucracy.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

WIth consumers increasingly skeptical of advertising, what's the real difference between a brand that's being genuinely helpful and one that's just being creepy? Agility requires brands to not just react to consumer behavior, but to anticipate it with smarter technology. It's about shifting from broad assumptions to a nuanced understanding of intent, especially when economic uncertainty changes the rules of engagement. Today we are here at eTail Palm Springs, and we're going to talk about the evolution of performance marketing in an era of signal loss and consumer uncertainty. As traditional methods like third-party cookies fade away, marketers need new tools and strategies that are not just incrementally better, but fundamentally different in their approach to engaging customers and driving results. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome back to the show Jaysen Gillespie, Global Head of Analytics and Product Marketing at RTB House. About Jaysen Gillespie Jaysen Gillespie is a seasoned product and analytics leader with over 15 years in Adtech and data science. As VP of Global Product Commercialization and Analytics at RTB House, he's known for translating insights into simple narratives that marketers can actually use. Whether guiding global teams or speaking on stage, Jaysen has a knack for making performance results understandable and immediately relevant. His focus is always on what drives real business outcomes, not just what looks good on a dashboard. For him, data is only powerful when it leads to smarter decisions and measurable impact. Jaysen Gillespie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysengillespie/ Resources RTB House: https://www.rtbhouse.com Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Junaid Shaikh: Managing Uncertainty As A Scrum Master, How Scrum's Rhythm Creates Stability In Unstable Times For this week's coaching conversation, Junaid brings a challenge that resonates well beyond any single team: dealing with uncertainty. He references the World Uncertainty Index report from February 2026, which showed the highest levels of global uncertainty ever recorded — surpassing both the COVID pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis. This uncertainty doesn't stay at the geopolitical level. It seeps into teams. People show up stressed, unsure about what the next month or three months will bring. As Scrum Masters, we need to be cognizant of where our team members are coming from. Vasco adds an important layer: uncertainty operates at multiple levels within organizations. A colleague you depend on might be out sick for two weeks. A supplier might not deliver on time. Every dependency is a source of uncertainty. The question becomes: what in our processes is designed to accept and adapt to that uncertainty? Junaid's answer is powerful in its simplicity: Scrum's rhythm. The sprint, the planning, the daily, the retrospective — these events at a defined cadence create internal predictability. "When you have a rhythm, when you have a known sequence of events in front of you, that takes away a lot of uncertainty." Vasco builds on this: Scrum creates a boundary — the sprint — that accepts uncertainty outside while reducing it inside. Internal versus external predictability. Inside the sprint, the team can fail in small ways without exposing every failure to the outside. Compare that with traditional project planning, where every task on the critical path has external visibility and impact. For practical tools, Junaid shares how he used the Eisenhower matrix with a team to convert uncertainty into actionable priorities. They listed all activities from recent sprints, plotted them on the matrix, and found they could delegate or deprioritize 20-25% of their work. That freed them to focus with certainty on the remaining 75%. Combined with timeboxing as an uncertainty management mechanism, teams can create pockets of predictability even in turbulent times. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Stop building products nobody wants by discovering the psychological bias killing your strategy!Today, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel are taking on the "IKEA Effect." The IKEA effect is the cognitive bias that causes product managers and leaders to overvalue the things they build - simply because they built them! That's right, today we're tackling a bias that's led to so much wasted budget, we're going to end up needing Congressional oversight... not to mentioned the ignored research and "survivorship bias" of trying to be the next Steve Jobs.Listen or watch as we discuss and review:- The Scientific research behind the IKEA Effect (people value items 63% higher because they've built those items)- Why teams ignore expert research and undervalue insights THEY DID NOT SUFFER to obtain- How traditional review committees designed to kill bad ideas often stifle innovation (and what to do better)- Balancing the need for intrinsic motivation (Self-Determination Theory) with the necessity of governance- The "Kill or Nurture" Framework: A new 2x2 decision matrix to evaluate projects based on evidence vs. passionWe also share personal war stories on the product-related IKEA effect, bemoan the struggles of gaining funding for evidence-based ideas, and maybe even distinguish between a wobbly chair and a throne. Tune in if you're interested in ways to stop falling in love with your own bad ideas!#ProductManagement #Agile #ProductStrategyNorton, Mochon, & Ariely (2012) IKEA Effect Study, The IKEA Effect (Harvard Business Review), Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci), Gartner Research, Deming's theories on intrinsic motivationLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arguingagileSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596INTRO MUSICToronto Is My BeatBy Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

Junaid Shaikh: Why Teams Go Through The Motions of Agile Without Being Agile, And What To Do About It Junaid's book recommendation is The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. As a Scrum Master working at companies like Ericsson and ABB — organizations that are a "United Nations" of cultures — understanding cultural tendencies has been essential. But Junaid goes further: you can customize the Culture Map framework even within a team of people from the same country, using the parameters to map different personalities. It's about how you use the tool, not just where people come from. He also recommends Scrum Mastery: From Good to Great Servant Leadership by Geoff Watts for practical advice on the servant leadership role, and regularly visits Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org for real-world insights from the community. On the topic of teams that self-destruct, Junaid paints a picture that many listeners will recognize. He picked up a team's retrospective history and cumulative flow diagrams and found problems at every level: managers who declared "from tomorrow we're going agile" without understanding what that meant, then started comparing velocity across teams. Product owners who took PO training but reverted to command-and-control project management. A previous Scrum Master doing what Junaid calls "zombie Scrum" — implementing the framework mechanically without understanding its purpose. The pattern underneath it all: people enveloping their traditional mindset under an agile umbrella. The ceremonies happen, the daily standups run, but nobody is questioning why they're doing any of it. As Vasco observes, this zombie pattern isn't limited to Scrum — it happens with code reviews, architecture reviews, any process that gets adopted without critical thinking about its purpose. Junaid's insight: if you don't understand the basics with the right mindset, every event feels like overhead. Teams complain about "too many meetings" because they're running agile ceremonies on top of their old informal processes. "If you don't get out of your previous shell, you cannot get into a new shell." [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Kevin Warenda, Director of IT Services at The Hotchkiss School, joins the pod to discuss the intersection of business acumen and technical leadership. Learn how Kevin utilizes Agile methodology to manage complex financial system migrations and the construction of a data warehouse for institutional research while maintaining organizational continuity amidst senior leadership churn.The Hotchkiss SchoolCenter for Institutional Research in Independent Schools (CIRIS)Veracross, school information systemsNational Business Officers Association (NBOA)The Oregon TrailAsana, project management tool)The Tech Whisperers Podcast

Legal work is complex and high-stakes, yet many law firms still rely on outdated project management approaches. In this episode, I introduce the concept of a matter strategy plan, a flexible, evolving document that keeps legal teams aligned and informed. I discuss how this Agile approach fosters collaboration, smarter decision-making, and helps legal teams stay adaptable, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both the team and the client. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/110 Take your law practice from overwhelmed to optimized with GreenLine Legal Follow along on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnegrant

Are you ready to transform your PMP exam preparation and tackle team dynamics like a pro? In this episode of our PMP Exam Mindset series, we dive into a powerful strategy: defining team ground rules. Whether you're navigating Agile or Hybrid methodologies, mastering this skill is essential for fostering accountability, collaboration, and efficiency within your team.Discover how clear ground rules can reduce conflicts, enhance communication, and help you ace tricky PMP exam questions. We guide you through practical advice and real-world examples, like co-creating a team charter, to ensure everyone is aligned and productive. This strategic approach is key to bridging knowledge gaps and developing a mindset for success on your journey to becoming a project management professional.Don't let team challenges hold you back! Take the next step in your transformative journey—embrace these mindset mantras, conquer Agile and Hybrid questions, and build a foundation for PMP success. Need more guidance? Join our live training sessions or webinars and access even more expert resources to supercharge your project management career. The PMP certification is within your reach—start today!#pmpexamprep #agileteamwork #agileframeworks #effectiveteams #teamagreementsCHAPTERS:00:00 - Welcome01:39 - True/False Quiz04:16 - Establishing Ground Rules Effectively05:55 - Exam Question Insights07:55 - Task 12 OverviewAre YOU Looking to Take the PMP Exam? Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/elitepmpAre YOU Looking to Take the CAPM Exam? Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/elitecapm

As a marketing leader, is your primary job to persuade human customers, or are you now preparing to negotiate directly with their AI agents? Agility requires marketing leaders to not only react to market changes, but to become the primary architects of that change within the enterprise. It's about transforming the marketing function from a cost center into the accountable growth engine for the entire business. Today, we are recording from eTail Palm Springs, and we're going to talk about the expanding, and frankly, more demanding role of the CMO. It's a topic that's front and center here at eTail, where many are discussing how marketing leaders must evolve beyond traditional brand stewardship to become true architects of change—driving cross-functional growth, owning the P&L impact of their investments, and steering the organization through continuous transformation. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Ed See, Chief Growth Officer at Zeta Global. About Ed See As Chief Growth Officer, See leads the charge in accelerating the company's growth strategy. His priorities include deepening CMO and c-suite engagement, demonstrating the transformative potential of Zeta's AI-driven solutions, and helping businesses achieve measurable, high-impact marketing outcomes.  Bringing 30 years of practice to Zeta, Ed was most recently a Partner in McKinsey & Company's Growth Marketing & Sales practice, focused on helping companies drive growth through modern marketing. While at McKinsey, he worked with large companies to identify growth opportunities and increase the value of their relationships with customers and consumers. His expertise includes digital strategy, digital marketing, growth and marketing analytics, segmentation, and advertising and marketing technology. Over the course of his career, Ed has advised some of the world's major brands on how to apply new capabilities, analytics, and technology to improve their marketing and sales performance. Prior to joining McKinsey, Ed was a partner at Deloitte and held leadership roles at several other companies.   Ed See on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-see-496857/ Resources Zeta Global: https://www.zetaglobal.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Junaid Shaikh: The Eager Scrum Master Trap, Why Proposing Solutions Too Early Can Backfire In this episode, Junaid shares a story from his early days as a Scrum Master when enthusiasm got ahead of experience. Fresh from a CSM certification and full of ideas, he walked into teams and started proposing solutions — "No, this is not how you should do it." It felt obvious. It wasn't. The wake-up call came when he proposed working agreements to a team that had been collaborating well for two years. The pushback was immediate: "Why do we need this?" He realized he was bringing a tool he'd seen elsewhere without first understanding whether the team actually had the problem that tool was meant to solve. This led to a key shift in his approach: stop assuming. Instead of going in with answers, Junaid started creating small tiger teams with the affected people, facilitating sessions where they owned the solution. The result? Much higher acceptance and genuine continuous improvement. These days, Junaid tests his ideas before bringing them to the full team. He connects with individual team members first — his "closer allies" — to validate whether his analysis matches reality. Only when a few people confirm "yes, this is a real problem" does he bring the proposal to the group. As Vasco puts it: not all tools are appropriate at all times for all people. The same working agreements that were wrong for one team at one moment might be exactly right for a different team, or the same team at a different moment. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Bob Galen and Josh Anderson connect two worlds most people keep separate: caregiving and elite organizational leadership. Using 8 skills that dementia caregivers build every day — from rapid decision-making and emotional intelligence to resilience and compassionate leadership — this episode challenges leaders to see themselves through a very different lens. What if the hardest job you'll ever face is also the best leadership school that exists?The Original Post That Sparked This Episode - Samantha Bates (Samantha B.) — Caregiver Coach on LinkedInStay Connected and Informed with Our NewslettersJosh Anderson's "Leadership Lighthouse"Dive deeper into the world of Agile leadership and management with Josh Anderson's "Leadership Lighthouse." This bi-weekly newsletter offers insights, tips, and personal stories to help you navigate the complexities of leadership in today's fast-paced tech environment. Whether you're a new manager or a seasoned leader, you'll find valuable guidance and practical advice to enhance your leadership skills. Subscribe to "Leadership Lighthouse" for the latest articles and exclusive content right to your inbox.Subscribe hereBob Galen's "Agile Moose"Bob Galen's "Agile Moose" is a must-read for anyone interested in Agile practices, team dynamics, and personal growth within the tech industry. The newsletter features in-depth analysis, case studies, and actionable tips to help you excel in your Agile journey. Bob brings his extensive experience and thoughtful perspectives directly to you, covering everything from foundational Agile concepts to advanced techniques. Join a community of Agile enthusiasts and practitioners by subscribing to "Agile Moose."Subscribe hereDo More Than Listen:We publish video versions of every episode and post them on our YouTube page.Help Us Spread The Word: Love our content? Help us out by sharing on social media, rating our podcast/episodes on iTunes, or by giving to our Patreon campaign. Every time you give, in any way, you empower our mission of helping as many agilists as possible. Thanks for sharing!

In this episode of The UX Consultants Lounge, Kyle sits down with Jeff Gothelf, consultant, speaker, and author of Lean UX, Sense & Respond, Lean vs. Agile vs. Design Thinking, Who Does What By How Much?, and Forever Employable.Jeff shares the story behind his leap into consulting, including launching an agency with Josh Seiden, the acquisition by Neo Innovation and later Pivotal, and the realization that the real asset he built was not the company itself but the reputation and ideas he developed through writing, speaking, and teaching.Kyle and Jeff discuss:What it takes to build a sustainable consulting practice todayHow partnerships can work without sacrificing independenceWhy building a personal brand through content marketing mattersHow generosity and knowledge sharing create long-term consulting opportunitiesWhy consultants should specialize and “plant their flag”Jeff's writing discipline Why owning your audience through email and newsletters still mattersJeff's philosophy on pricing and why “people value expensive things”Connect with Us:Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface | LinkedInGuest: Jeff Gothelf | https://jeffgothelf.com | Sense & Respond Learning | LinkedInLinks and Resources Mentioned:Continuous Learning – Jeff's NewsletterForever Employable by Jeff GothelfLean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh SeidenSense & Respond by Jeff Gothelf and Josh SeidenWho Does What By How Much? by Jeff Gothelf and Josh SeidenMillion Dollar Consulting by Alan WeissNever Split the Difference by Chris VossPlaying to Win by Roger MartinHBR Article: The Big Lie of Strategic Scaling Lean by Jeff Gothelf at Mind the Product London 2016IA Conference (IAC26) - Use "uxlounge" discount code for $50 off registrationSubmit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories. Don't want to miss an episode? Be sure to sign up for the podcast newsletter.Thanks for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. I can't wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

What if the biggest friction point in your customer's journey isn't your checkout page, but the overwhelming paradox of choice you've intentionally created for them? Agility requires not just reacting to consumer behavior, but proactively re-architecting the entire purchase journey based on what the data tells you they *truly* need, even before they know it themselves. Today, we are here at eTail Palm Springs, and we're going to talk about tackling one of the biggest challenges in e-commerce: the high-consideration purchase. We'll explore how brands can move beyond simply offering endless options and instead use AI and behavioral data to create a guided, trust-based experience that actually simplifies decision-making and leads to conversion. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Dan Bennett, CMO at Furniture.com. About Dan Bennett Dan Bennett is Chief Marketing Officer and founding team member at Furniture.com, where he's reshaping furniture retail through AI, data, and an open marketplace model. Since 2022, Dan has helped scale the company to 80+ employees across two offices, connecting millions of shoppers with hundreds of brands.Before Furniture.com, he was CMO at Packable, a Carlyle-backed e-commerce platform that grew into Amazon's largest third-party marketplace partner and reached a $2 billion valuation. Earlier, Dan spent over a decade leading digital and brand strategy at McCann and Grey, driving growth for global names like P&G, Facebook, Microsoft, and Nike.Dan brings a focus on clear priorities, fast execution, and building teams that fuel sustainable growth. Dan Bennett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennettdaniel/ Resources Furniture.com: https://www.furniture.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Nigel Baker: Accountability Requires Ability—Why Powerless Product Owners Are Sacrificial Lambs 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, we refer to the importance of product ownership and empowerment in Scrum teams. The Great Product Owner: The Empirical PO Who Navigated Like a Slalom Skier "He had an idea of the outcomes he had to achieve, and the solution itself—though he had strong beliefs about it—he was incredibly open-minded to feedback from the engineering teams. Most of the innovation came from his engineering teams." - Nigel Baker   The best Product Owner Nigel ever worked with operated with a startup mentality, even within a larger organization. This PO had a clear vision—not for a specific end solution, but for an end state of the world. He ran experiments, learned continuously, and had a remarkable ability to pivot smoothly during development.  Nigel compares him to a slalom skier: smoothly navigating from post to post, making it look natural rather than effortless. What made him extraordinary was his openness to feedback from engineering teams—most of the product's innovation actually came from the engineers suggesting possibilities, and this PO would absorb those ideas and weave them into the direction.  The engineering teams felt secure because they trusted his judgment. He didn't tell people to trust him—he demonstrated trustworthiness through consistent behavior. It was genuine servant leadership: not making a fuss about being in charge, but leading by showing new, cool, interesting behaviors that allowed everyone to follow naturally.   Self-reflection Question: Does your Product Owner have a vision for the end state of the world they're trying to create, or are they locked into a specific solution? The Bad Product Owner: The Powerless PO Who Can't Say Yes or No "Accountability requires ability. If they want you to take responsibility for this work, you have to have the ability to see that through. Without that, you're a sacrificial lamb." - Nigel Baker   Nigel has seen many PO anti-patterns, but the most damaging one is the powerless Product Owner—someone with all the skills of a business analyst but none of the authority to say yes or no. Commitments get made outside the team, direction can't be changed within sprints, and the whole experience gets crushed.  Early in his career, POs were powerful but IT-ignorant business people—dangerous, but at least they had authority. Today's anti-pattern is far worse: people playing the PO role without the O—the ownership. Nigel's approach is direct: he uses the phrase "accountability requires ability" to help the PO understand their position, then traces up the organizational line to find the person who actually holds real power.  He reveals to that person that they are, in fact, the Product Owner—and 9 times out of 10, they immediately delegate the authority officially to someone, which is exactly what was needed. That official delegation transforms a sacrificial lamb into a genuine Product Owner with the power to steer.   Self-reflection Question: Does your Product Owner have genuine authority to make decisions, or are they a sacrificial lamb accountable for outcomes they can't control?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

#163. Ready to rethink what it means to build amazing apps in the age of AI?In this episode, I challenge the growing narrative that agile practices and Scrum are obsolete just because Copilot, Claude, Codex or your favourite AI can write code in seconds. Sure, Power Platform lets you create apps from prompts, and AI can spin up test cases and integrations in a flash, but speed without structure is just faster chaos, not real progress.Join me as I dive into why agile principles like transparency, feedback loops, and stakeholder collaboration matter more than ever, especially when you're working with Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. I'll share stories from my nearly two decades in business application delivery, building mission-critical systems for industries where there's simply no room for error. I break down the key areas where AI accelerates delivery but can't replace human judgment, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined prioritization.You'll hear about some common misconceptions (think skipping estimation and sprint planning entirely!) and the pitfalls that can happen when teams ditch agile for “just vibing it.” I'll also spotlight the unique, Microsoft Business Apps-focused training and resources available for free from my Customer Academy. Now you, your teams, and even your stakeholders can benefit from real-world agile education at no cost.If you want to master your craft, build apps that organizations trust, and future-proof your career (even while AI changes the game), then this episode is for you. Listen now, and let's experiment, adapt, and keep building amazing apps together.Keep experimenting

If you are a Scrum Master, Agile Coach or in a related role and have questions about how to use AI as a tool to better support your job, teams and organization, this episode is for you!AI has become a core capability in product delivery and is transforming every role. Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches have a key part to play in the use of AI and introducing AI to teams, products and organizations, acting as a catalyst for change. Through the proper use of AI tools, Scrum Masters, their teams and organization become more effective. But in what ways can you reap the benefits?In this Ask a PST session hosted by Patricia Kong, PSTs Miriam Blommers and Said Azarfane took listener questions on how to leverage AI to be more successful as a Scrum Master! Whether you are looking to find ways to improve facilitation, collaboration or solve more challenges, get great advice in this episode on how to make AI a helpful and important part of your toolbox!

Agility requires a business to both react to market shifts while also building a foundational platform that allows it to scale globally without losing its local touch. It's about having the core infrastructure in place to seize opportunity, wherever it appears. Today, we're going to talk about the principles of scaling a business from a local player to a global force. We'll explore how the role of a brand's primary digital asset—its website—is evolving from a simple storefront into a dynamic engine for customer experience and growth, and how to stay responsive in rapidly shifting markets. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Daugirdas Jankus, CEO at Hostinger. About Daugirdas Jankus Daugirdas Jankus focuses on driving global growth and uncovering new opportunities in the fast-evolving digital landscape. With more than a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and business development, he brings a strong track record of scaling business operations worldwide. His insights span the transformation of locally established businesses into global players, the impact of shifting markets, and the evolving role of websites for both individuals and companies. Daugirdas Jankus focuses on driving global growth and uncovering new opportunities in the fast-evolving digital landscape. With more than a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and business development, he brings a strong track record of scaling business operations worldwide. His insights span the transformation of locally established businesses into global players, the impact of shifting markets, and the evolving role of websites for both individuals and companies. Daugirdas Jankus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daugirdas-jankus/ Resources Hostinger : https://www.hostinger.com/1 This show is brought to you by Hostinger, a global all-in-one operating layer for businesses building and running online products. The company combines web hosting, domains, email, website and web-app creation, and business tools in a single environment, with artificial intelligence embedded across its products and operations. Hostinger develops its AI capabilities in-house, enabling rapid product iteration, automation of complex technical tasks, and AI-driven customer support.Start your online success now: https://www.hostinger.com/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Nigel Baker: Why Scrum Masters Should Be Measured on Outcomes, Impacts, and Team Happiness 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.   "No customer's going to come to you and say, do you know why I bought your product? Your remarkable compliance with your internal development process. What they're interested in is outcomes and impacts." - Nigel Baker   Nigel challenges the traditional ways of measuring Scrum Master success. He points to tools like the Nokia test—which, he jokes, was neither a test nor invented by Nokia—as examples of process fidelity assessments that miss the point entirely. Compliance with a process tells you nothing about whether customers are satisfied or whether the team is delivering value. Instead, Nigel argues for measuring Scrum Masters on outcomes and impacts: customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and efficiencies—the same things a Product Owner gets judged on.  But he adds a crucial dimension that POs often overlook: team happiness. Not as an end goal, but as a leading indicator. Happy teams don't leave. Happy teams do better work. Team contentness is a KPI that signals whether the deeper success factors are in place. When your team is deeply unhappy, no amount of velocity or story completion will save you from attrition and decline.   Self-reflection Question: How are you currently measuring your success as a Scrum Master—on process compliance, or on the outcomes, impacts, and wellbeing your team actually delivers? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Keep It Fresh—A Different Format Every Sprint Nigel's answer to the "favorite retrospective format" question is deliberately controversial: he doesn't have one. His approach is to use a different format every single sprint. Retrospective formats, he argues, "age like milk"—by Sprint 12, asking "what should we do differently?" with the same structure produces diminishing returns. Novelty creates energy. He sometimes gets teams to invent their own formats, which produces some of the most forensic and intense retrospectives he's seen—teams building "superweapons" and then realizing they have to turn those weapons on themselves. But Nigel's most practical tip is using retrospective techniques inside the Sprint Review. The Review is a product retrospective, and stakeholders shouldn't sit "like Roman emperors in the Colosseum, watching the developers as gladiators." Instead, use facilitation methods to extract "sweet, juicy, honey-flavoured feedback" from stakeholders about what they'd change in the product.   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Most brands are investing millions in creating seamless, generous customer experiences. But what if a small fraction of your customers are exploiting that generosity, forcing your best, most loyal customers to unknowingly pay an 'abuse tax' through higher prices or stricter policies? Agility requires moving beyond static, one-size-fits-all policies and embedding real-time intelligence into the moments that matter. It's about empowering teams to adapt not just to who the customer is, but what they intend to do right now. Today, we are here at eTail Palm Springs and we're going to talk about a massive, and often invisible, threat to brand profitability and customer loyalty: post-purchase abuse. While brands have spent years optimizing the path to purchase, the moments that happen after the sale—returns, refunds, and support interactions—have become a significant source of margin leakage, pitting the goals of the CX team against the financial health of the business.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Breanna Moreno, Head of CX at NoFraud. About Breanna Moreno Breanna Moreno is CX Architect at NoFraud, where she helps ecommerce brands reduce post-purchase fraud and policy abuse while empowering customer experience teams to operate more strategically. With more than 13 years of experience building and scaling high-growth CX organizations, Breanna previously served as Vice President of CX and the first employee at True Classic, leading the support function through rapid DTC expansion and transforming it from a reactive cost center into a data-driven driver of brand performance. Today, she brings that brand-side perspective to NoFraud, serving as a bridge between fraud prevention technology and the frontline teams responsible for protecting revenue, loyalty, and customer trust. Breanna Moreno on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanna-moreno-183a8459/ Resources NoFraud: https://www.nofraud.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Nigel Baker: The "Death of Agile" and Why It's Really the Death of Empowerment That Should Frighten Us 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.   "It's not so much the death of Agile that's killing me, or death of Scrum. It's the death of things like empowerment, the death of things like empiricism. Those are the things that frighten me in work." - Nigel Baker   Nigel brings a challenge that resonates across the entire Agile community: the so-called "death of Agile." But he quickly reframes the conversation in a way that cuts much deeper. The real issue isn't whether teams call what they do Scrum or Agile—it's that the industry is decaying back past waterfall to what Nigel calls feudalism, where a single "great man" dictates and everyone else follows.  He distinguishes between two kinds of popularity: the number of people saying they're doing Agile versus the number of people actually liking what they're doing—a gap he compares to Jira's massive subscriber base versus its actual user satisfaction. Through this lens, Nigel introduces his famous "Nigel Scale"—a joke he made on a Scrum Alliance forum 20 years ago that people took entirely seriously. The scale separates Scrum into three levels: core practices that break things if you skip them (like a surgeon disinfecting hands), contextual good practices that may or may not apply (like story points), and persistent anti-patterns that never work no matter how many times people try (like normalizing team measurements across teams).  Vasco and Nigel converge on an experiment: treat Scrum adoption itself as a backlog of changes, introducing practices incrementally based on feedback—but always with a compelling vision of why the change matters.   Self-reflection Question: When you hear "Agile is dead," are you defending a framework, or are you advocating for the underlying principles of empowerment and empiricism that teams genuinely need?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Container base images (like Official Docker Hub images) are often updated without new tag versions. I call this Silent Rebuilds. There's no way to know this happens without image digest-checking automation like Dependabot and Renovate with specific settings. Failure to keep up-to-date is a prime source of vulnerabilities that can lead to serious security breaches. Automate the updates!Check out the video podcast version here: https://youtu.be/z_ahbsSc4Fo

AI product manager jobs are everywhere - but are they really different from regular PM roles? In this episode of Arguing Agile, Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Consultant Om Patel wade deep into the muck-filled pool of hype vs. reality around AI-specific product management roles.Listen or watch to join us as we do the dirty work of discovering if most AI PM job descriptions are just copy-pasted PM responsibilities with 'AI' slapped on top, or if there's real insight to be found!Stick around past the buzzword bingo to learn:- the 'find and replace test' for job descriptions- the meaning behind "probabilistic vs. deterministic"- the real AI-specific skills that matter- how a 20-50% salary premium (and beyond) are justified- why we think continuous learning beats specializationWhether you're a product manager considering rebranding or a hiring manager crafting job descriptions, this episode will help you cut through the noise. #ProductManagement #AIPM #CareerDevelopmentMarty Cagan: Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, The Lean Startup, Sinan Aral: The Hype Machine, Teresa Torres: Continuous Discovery HabitsLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arguingagileSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596INTRO MUSICToronto Is My BeatBy Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)

In this second part of our series on engineering organizations, Jeff and Luca explore how companies that build products should focus their efforts differently depending on their stage and scope. We start with startups and early-stage companies desperately searching for product-market fit, where the brutal truth is: quality doesn't matter yet. Your MVP should embarrass you—if it doesn't, you waited too long. We discuss the critical mental shift from throwaway prototypes to proper engineering once validation arrives, and why technical founders often fail by solving the wrong problem brilliantly. Moving up the ladder, we examine narrow-focus companies that have found their niche—like the German firm that does nothing but maintain a 100-year-old anchor chain machine, or specialists in medium-power electrical switches. These companies win through efficiency and deep expertise, but face existential risk if the market shifts. Finally, we tackle wide-focus companies introducing multiple product lines, where the challenge becomes running internal startups while managing established products, each requiring radically different approaches. The key insight: your focus must match your product's lifecycle stage, whether that's ruthless speed, cost optimization, or high-level process learning. Key Topics [02:30] Startups and early-stage companies: the existential search for product-market fit [06:45] The MVP philosophy: if you're not embarrassed, you waited too long [11:20] Quality vs. speed vs. scope: why quality doesn't matter in early stages [15:40] The Potemkin village approach: building facades to validate demand [19:15] Embedded products and MVPs: when physical products need creative shortcuts [23:50] The critical switch: from prototypes to proper engineering after validation [28:30] Narrow-focus companies: German hidden champions and deep specialization [34:10] Wide-focus companies: running internal startups within established organizations [40:25] Product teams and parallel focuses: managing different lifecycle stages simultaneously [45:00] Large established companies: high-level process learning and avoiding organizational weight Notable Quotes "If you read the Lean Startup, they will explicitly say: if you weren't embarrassed by your MVP, you waited too long. It really has to be painfully flimsy because you cannot afford to do it well." — Luca "Quality doesn't even factor because you're very explicitly building mock-ups from chewing gum and paper mache. They are fully intended to be thrown away." — Luca "Getting that product-market fit is existential. You will die if you do not get it and get it relatively quickly." — Jeff Resources Mentioned The Lean Startup - Eric Ries' book discussing MVP philosophy and the importance of being embarrassed by your first product The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick's book about getting real customer feedback and validation through financial commitment The Art of Innovation - Tom Kelley's book on IDEO's design process, including the clothespin switch story Luca's Website - Trainings on embedded agile, AI in embedded systems, and more Jeff's Website - Consulting services for medical device software development You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click hereAre you looking for embedded-focused trainings? Head to https://agileembedded.academy/Ryan Torvik and Luca have started the Embedded AI podcast, check it out at https://embeddedaipodcast.com/

Episode 107 - Most Agile Is Not Based On Science by Dan Vacanti & Prateek Singh

Nigel Baker: When Teams Slowly Decay by Anointing a Hidden Dictator 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 world won't end with a bang, but with a whimper. My great fear is not teams exploding like a bomb—that shows they care. The big thing for me is teams that decay slowly." - Nigel Baker   Nigel shares a pattern he has witnessed repeatedly: teams that self-destruct not through dramatic conflict, but through a slow, quiet decay. Referencing The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, he points to something even more insidious than inattention to results—teams that avoid taking responsibility for decision-making.  When teams struggle with self-organization, they often try to "self-organize themselves out of self-organization" by anointing a hidden dictator: the big brain, the big mouth, the tech lead, or the project manager who everyone secretly defers to. Nigel offers two practical tools to counter this pattern.  First, the "yes and" technique from improv comedy—instead of taking ownership away from team members, you accept their idea and add to it, keeping the ownership where it belongs.  Second, Socratic questioning, where instead of passing knowledge from you to them, you help them pass knowledge from themselves to themselves. But Nigel adds an important caution: the Agile community has swung too far into pure coaching mode. Sometimes people genuinely need help, not therapy—they need to know which server the files are on, not a deep coaching question about their feelings.   In this segment, we talk about Paul Goddard's work on improv comedy in Agile, and the power of the "yes and" technique for keeping ownership with teams.   Self-reflection Question: Is your team quietly deferring all decisions to one person, and if so, what practical steps can you take to redistribute that ownership? Featured Book of the Week: Leading Self-Directed Work Teams by Kimball Fisher Nigel's book recommendations reflect his belief that the most inspiring ideas come from adjacent fields rather than Agile literature itself. Leading Self-Directed Work Teams by Kimball Fisher stands out because it explores similar principles to the Scrum Master role but without any Agile jargon—showing how a completely different industry arrived at the same insights about empowered teams. Nigel also recommends the Strategyzer books by Alex Osterwalder, including Business Model Generation and Testing Business Ideas, for the business thinking that coaches need but rarely pick up at work. Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts remains his go-to foundational text for new Scrum Masters. And the book he waited 4.5 years for—until Amazon cancelled the pre-order—is the latest edition of The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Sam Kaner, a deeply practical reference guide that gives real people real tools for real situations.   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Agile Anti-Patterns That Are Impacting Your VelocityVelocity is not vanity. It is feedback. When velocity stops reflecting reality, the team loses the ability to learn and improve. Velocity that lies is worse than no velocity at all. The goal here is clarity, speed, and humane work rhythms.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

What’s the Real AI Opportunity? You know me. I think the AI thing is a bit of a sandstorm. A gold rush. There’s no question its useful (I use it for a ton of stuff actually) and there’s no question its only going to get better. But in the early stages of any new tech, there’s a lot of hype, a lot of bandwagon-joining, and a lot of waste. (Y2K? NFT’s? Anyone…?) What I can say for sure is there’s not a ton of benefit in building Custom GPT’s that will ‘replace what we do’. First of all…why would we hasten our own exit? But also, where’s the consistency of knowledge going to come from? The internet? The bad ideas peddled in certifications? Reddit? Then I hear there’s AI opportunity in binding and automating JIRA workflows, or even PO through development strands. Interesting ideas with no real contenders yet. But here’s what I DO know. Businesses, especially the biggest ones struggle with speed. They’re desperate to innovate – if only to beat their competitors to market. They have the best talent pools, and funds to build and experiment. They’re just no darned good at it. Same story. Silos, dependencies, lack of executive support, fear of failure, organizational inertia. And THAT growing distance between potential and capability is the real AI Opportunity. What Will Never Change AI will keep growing and shifting. The big surprises are still ahead of us. And you don’t need to call out what they are. What you need to recognize is that big groups of people are always slow to move. There’s a natural heaviness to large groups, and with only a few exceptions, they’re not nimble, or agile. It doesn’t matter what the next big thing is. ChatGPT went crazy almost overnight. I first heard about it early 2022 and its been all we’ve been discussing since. If it takes you 2 1/2 years to leverage the advantage, you’re behind. I’m not even sure people WANT to adopt AI that rapidly. Because in this moment, there’s a lot of fear hovering over job loss, ethical use and security. Which means the real AI opportunity will remain elusive to companies unless they learn how to manage that inertia. You could be helping them overcome that fear. If you liked this episode, you should also check out… Will AI Save Agile? Episode_272_AI_and_Agile Adam Smith of Tension – Navigating AI Disruption and Leading The Unknown **GET THE BUSINESS OUTCOMES PARTNER PLAYBOOK** Learn how to deliver undeniable ROI that saves your job and accelerates your future https://learning.fusechamber.com/outcomes-partner-playbook **FORGE GENESIS IS HERE** All the skills you need to stop relying on job postings and start enjoying the freedom of an Agile career on YOUR terms. First cohort starts in Q1 2026 https://learning.fusechamber.com/forge-genesis **THE ALL NEW FORGE LIGHTNING** 12 Weeks to elite leadership! https://learning.fusechamber.com/forge-lightning **JOIN MY BETA COMMUNITY FOR AGILE ENTREPRENEURS AND INTRAPRENEURS** The latest wave in professional Agile careers. Get the support you need to Forge Your Freedom! Join for FREE here: https://learning.fusechamber.com/offers/Sa3udEgz **CHECK OUT ALL MY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES HERE:** https://learning.fusechamber.com **ELEVATE YOUR PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLING – Now Live!** The most coveted communications skill – now at your fingertips! https://learning.fusechamber.com/storytelling **JOIN THE FORGE*** New cohorts for Fall 2025!  Email for more information: contact@badassagile.com We’re also on YouTube! Follow the podcast, enjoy some panel/guest commentary, and get some quick tips and guidance from me: https://www.youtube.com/c/BadassAgile ****** Follow The LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/badass-agile ****** Our mission is to create an elite tribe of leaders who focus on who they need to become in order to lead and inspire, and to be the best agile podcast and resource for effective mindset and leadership game. Contact us (contact@badassagile.com) for elite-level performance and agile coaching, speaking engagements, team-level and executive mindset/agile training, and licensing options for modern, high-impact, bite-sized learning and educational content.

For many firms, consistency is fragile. It lives in individual habits, personal preferences, and institutional knowledge that never quite makes it out of people's heads. In this episode, I explore what it really takes to focus on creating consistency inside a growing law practice without sacrificing professional autonomy. If you want your client journey to be more than an aspiration, creating consistency has to move beyond good intentions and into deliberate mechanisms that make quality and timing repeatable across people and over time.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: agileattorney.com/109Take your law practice from overwhelmed to optimized with GreenLine LegalFollow along on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnegrant

Strategic planning doesn't have to be expensive, exhausting, or end up on a shelf. In this episode, Glennda Testone talks with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford of PlanPerfect about a smarter, more accessible approach to nonprofit strategic planning – especially for small to mid-sized organizations.

Nigel Baker: The Scrum Master Mistake of Copy-Pasting Success Instead of Recreating the Journey 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.   "I was trying to recreate the results of our team, not recreate the journey. And that is what killed me to begin with." - Nigel Baker   Nigel fell into Scrum Mastery almost by accident. Working at British Telecom in 2002—before most people had even heard of Scrum—his team adopted it not to speed up, but to add rigor to an already fast-moving tactical unit full of "pirates" who could get stuff done but needed guardrails. His first Scrum Master, Geoff Watts, got promoted and moved on, leaving a vacancy. Nigel was the third person asked—and the first to say yes. He loved the role, but his earliest mistake became his most enduring lesson.  On his very first daily Scrum, Nigel brought a big leather book and wrote down what every team member was doing, acting like a proto-project manager collecting status reports. The team already had all this information in their system—he was unconsciously positioning himself as the authority figure, having people report to him rather than to each other.  As Nigel evolved into an Agile Coach, the bigger failure emerged: trying to copy-paste the process that worked with his first team onto other teams, recreating the results rather than the journey that got them there. Each team needs to evolve its own process—there are no shortcuts to that growth.   In this episode, we refer to the importance of self-awareness and servant leadership in the Scrum Master role.   Self-reflection Question: Are you trying to replicate a successful process from a previous team, or are you investing in helping your current team discover their own path to effectiveness?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Stewart Alsop sits down with Ulises Martins on the Crazy Wisdom podcast to explore how artificial intelligence is fundamentally disrupting professional careers, labor markets, and the pace of human adaptation itself. They discuss everything from Dario Amodei's concept of "technological adolescence" to the possibility that we're approaching a point where AI advancement accelerates beyond our ability to keep up, touching on topics ranging from the economics of software development and the future of warfare to generational differences in how people will respond to AI-driven change. Martins emphasizes that while we may not be able to predict exactly what's coming, we need to dramatically increase our efforts to learn and adapt—potentially doubling the time we invest in understanding AI—because this isn't optional change, it's disruption happening at an unprecedented speed. Connect with Ulises on Linkedin to follow his work in AI and generative technology.Timestamps00:00 — Stewart introduces Ulysses Martins, framing the conversation around accelerationism and the future of work.05:00 — Ulises uses the parent-child analogy to argue humans will no longer play the dominant role as AI surpasses us.10:00 — Both agree learning AI is non-negotiable, urging listeners to double their investment in staying current.15:00 — Discussion shifts to software as media, the collapsing cost of building products, and the risk of big players like Anthropic making your idea obsolete overnight.20:00 — Ulises raises ecology vs. cosmic ambition, questioning whether humanity should aim for civilizational-scale goals like the Dyson sphere.25:00 — Stewart's ESP32 hardware project illustrates AI's current blind spots beyond software, while both predict physical-world AI will arrive as a byproduct of bigger industrial goals.30:00 — Tesla's birthplace in Croatia sparks a reflection on human genius as luck versus deliberate investment, invoking the Apollo program as a model.35:00 — The US-China AI race is compared to the Cold War Space Race, with interdependency acting as a brake on outright conflict.40:00 — Drone warfare and AI reframe military power, making troop size irrelevant and potentially reducing total war.45:00 — Agile methodology and generational shifts are linked, asking how Gen Z's values will shape the AI era globally.50:00 — Argentine vs. American Zoomers are contrasted, with millennial expectations versus Gen Z's pragmatism explored.55:00 — Ulises closes urging everyone to enjoy the ride, taking the infinite stream of change one episode at a time.Key Insights1. The Death of Traditional Career Paths: The concept of professional careers as we know them—starting as a junior and progressively advancing—is becoming obsolete due to AI's rapid advancement. This applies far beyond just software and SaaS companies, extending to all industries as robots and AI systems gain capabilities that fundamentally disrupt labor markets. The question isn't whether we'll adapt, but whether humans can adapt fast enough to keep pace with exponential technological change.2. The Acceleration Imperative: People must dramatically increase their investment in learning about AI immediately. Whatever time you were previously dedicating to staying current with technology needs to be doubled or tripled. This isn't optional—it's comparable to the necessity of basic education. Unlike previous technological transitions where you had years to learn new frameworks or tools, the current pace demands immediate, intensive engagement or you risk becoming irrelevant.3. Software as Media and the Collapse of Development Economics: Software has become media—easily reproducible and increasingly commoditized through AI assistance. The fundamental economics of software development are collapsing because if building software requires dramatically fewer development hours, the value and price of that software must necessarily decrease. Entrepreneurs need a new evaluation framework that assesses the risk of their ideas being replicated by AI or absorbed by major players like Anthropic or OpenAI.4. The Parent-Child Analogy for AI Development: Humanity's relationship with AI will inevitably mirror that of parents with increasingly capable children. Initially, we understand and control what AI does, but as it advances, it will surpass human capabilities in most domains. Just as parents cannot control fully grown adult children who exceed their abilities, humans will need to reconcile with creating something superior to ourselves. Attempting to permanently control such systems may be both impossible and potentially pathologic.5. The Kardashev Scale and Civilizational Ambitions: AI represents a civilizational-level technology that should redirect humanity toward grander goals like capturing stellar energy through Dyson spheres and expanding beyond our solar system. The competition between China and the United States over AI mirrors the Apollo program's space race but with higher stakes—potentially making traditional concepts like money less relevant if we successfully crack general intelligence. This requires thinking beyond planetary constraints.6. The Changing Nature of Warfare and Geopolitics: AI and autonomous weapons systems are fundamentally changing warfare by making human soldiers less relevant, similar to how nuclear weapons reduced the importance of conventional military force. This shift may actually reduce bloody civilian casualties in conflicts between major powers, as drone warfare and AI-driven systems create new equilibriums. The geopolitical map may fracture into more sovereign states and city-states as centralized control becomes less effective.7. Generational Adaptation and Unpredictability: Different generations will respond uniquely to AI disruption based on their values and experiences. Generation Z, having grown up during the pandemic without traditional expectations, may adapt differently than millennials who experienced unmet expectations. However, we must remain humble about our predictive abilities—we're not good at forecasting technological change or its timing. The best approach is maintaining openness, trying to understand developments as they unfold, and accepting that we cannot consume all information in an era of unlimited AI-generated content.

Sprint Goals DON'T Work - Or Do They? Sprint Goals sound beautifully simple.Set a goal for the team, organize the work around it, track progress daily, and finish with success.Sounds easy enough. And that's exactly why it's so hard.Behind this deceptively simple concept hides one of the most difficult ideas in Agile. As the Scrum Guide says:“Scrum is lightweight, simple to understand, difficult to master.”Sprint Goals are the perfect example of that. Even when you think you're doing them right, you're probably not.On the surface, Sprint Goals add a lot of value. And therefore, make a lot of sense. But do you really need them?What if I told you, there is a better way?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

AI-driven layoffs are reshaping the tech industry — but is cutting 40% of your workforce bold leadership or lazy leadership? Josh and Bob don't hold back as they break down the Block layoffs, the accountability gap at the executive level, and what it looks like to build teams that AI cannot replace. Packed with real frameworks, hard-won personal stories, and a challenge to every leader listening: Are you making a choice your 80-year-old self would be proud of? Stay Connected and Informed with Our NewslettersJosh Anderson's "Leadership Lighthouse"Dive deeper into the world of Agile leadership and management with Josh Anderson's "Leadership Lighthouse." This bi-weekly newsletter offers insights, tips, and personal stories to help you navigate the complexities of leadership in today's fast-paced tech environment. Whether you're a new manager or a seasoned leader, you'll find valuable guidance and practical advice to enhance your leadership skills. Subscribe to "Leadership Lighthouse" for the latest articles and exclusive content right to your inbox.Subscribe hereBob Galen's "Agile Moose"Bob Galen's "Agile Moose" is a must-read for anyone interested in Agile practices, team dynamics, and personal growth within the tech industry. The newsletter features in-depth analysis, case studies, and actionable tips to help you excel in your Agile journey. Bob brings his extensive experience and thoughtful perspectives directly to you, covering everything from foundational Agile concepts to advanced techniques. Join a community of Agile enthusiasts and practitioners by subscribing to "Agile Moose."Subscribe hereDo More Than Listen:We publish video versions of every episode and post them on our YouTube page.Help Us Spread The Word: Love our content? Help us out by sharing on social media, rating our podcast/episodes on iTunes, or by giving to our Patreon campaign. Every time you give, in any way, you empower our mission of helping as many agilists as possible. Thanks for sharing!

With over a billion creators projected to be active in the next decade, is the traditional distinction between a brand, a publisher, and a creator in need of an updated definition? Agility requires not just reacting to new platforms, but fundamentally rethinking who creates your content and how you build an authentic community around it. It's about moving from a campaign mindset to an ecosystem mindset. Today, we're going to talk about the seismic shift in the media landscape, driven by the explosive growth of the creator economy. We'll explore how the very definition of a creator is evolving from a short-term influencer to a long-term brand builder, and what opportunities and challenges this presents for established brands that are trying to earn and keep their audience's attention. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Andrew Perlman, Co-Founder and CEO at Recurrent. About Andrew Perlman Andrew Perlman is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Recurrent. Perlman co-founded the company in 2018 with the acquisition of The Drive. Over a span of three years, he oversaw the acquisition of nearly 25 noteworthy brands, including Task & Purpose, Popular Science, Dwell, and Donut, and in the process, introduced Recurrent as the new parent company for the digital media portfolio. In 2022, Perlman rejoined the organization from his role on the board as the Head of M&A and Corporate Development before he assumed the role of CEO in 2023. Previously, Andrew spent over six years as the Chief Executive Officer of XpresSpa, FORM Holdings, and its predecessor company, Vringo, where he led the overall business operations and strategy as well as capital raising. During his tenure, he also oversaw five acquisitions and the NASDAQ listing of the company. Andrew has also served as Vice President of Business Development at EMI Music, SVP of Music and Digital at Classic Media, and held roles at early mobile content companies. Andrew Perlman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adperlman/ Resources Recurrent: https://recurrent.io/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a sweeping roadmap change to the Artemis program this morning—seemingly cancelling the EUS, Gateway, and all SLS upgrades, and instead pursuing the once-and-future annual launch cadence of SLS. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Russell, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Theo and Violet, Steve, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile, Miles O'Brien, Kris, Fred, Stealth Julian, Frank, Joakim, Ryan, Warren, Matt, The Astrogators at SEE, Joel, Lee, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, Natasha Tsakos, Heiko, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters. Topics NASA shakes up its Artemis program to speed up lunar return - Ars Technica NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture - NASA NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “President Trump gave the world the Artemis Program, and NASA and our partners have the plan to deliver. We will standardize architecture where possible, add missions and accelerate flight rate, execute in an evolutionary way, and safely return American astronauts to the Moon…” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “…and this is how we're going back.” Teams Begin Artemis II Repairs in Vehicle Assembly Building - NASA The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by Blue Origin Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Lai-Ling Su: The Explicit and Implicit Layers of Unclear Decision Rights 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: Building Impactful Relationships That Get Things Done "What made her great was the fact that she focused not just on her technical prowess, but on the people, politics, and the performance side of product. And she used that to turn ambition into reality, and she used that to move strategy to execution." - Lai-Ling Su   Lai-Ling describes a phenomenal product owner she worked with about 12 months ago. This woman wasn't just technically strong—she was a leader whose team of 10 loved her because she mentored them to be as strong or stronger than herself.  The business loved her because she was exceptionally commercial, thinking about customer value, revenues, expenses, profit models, and marketing long before anything was built. She held everyone true to doing the right thing even when pressure mounted. The executive team loved her because her greatest strength was building solid, impactful relationships that transcended boundaries.  She removed the us-versus-them mentality, broke down departmental silos, handled politically charged scenarios, negotiated with difficult personalities across technology, legal, compliance, sales, and operations. She removed impediments responsively and got stuff done when others couldn't. Her secret was focusing on people, politics, and performance—not just technical prowess.   In this episode, we refer to Esco Kilpi's work on interactive value creation, which describes how value in knowledge organizations is created through ongoing conversations—not just meetings, but emails, wiki pages, and corridor conversations that steward decisions over time.   Self-reflection Question: How deliberately are you investing in building relationships that transcend your immediate team and department? The Bad Product Owner: Unclear Decision Rights "Does your head of product know that he has the rights and the authority to make the types of decisions that you want him to?" - Lai-Ling Su   The anti-pattern Lai-Ling encounters most persistently is unclear decision rights. She illustrates this with a story about a GM in a multinational who effectively worked as a chief product officer. His biggest complaint was that his head of product kept coming to him for decisions that should have been made independently—even though he'd been given $10 million a year to run his teams.  When Lai-Ling asked one simple question—"Does your head of product know he has the authority to make these decisions?"—the GM sat in shocked silence for a full minute. But the pattern runs deeper: there's the assumption that people know their decision rights, there's knowing your rights but not knowing how to make those decisions, and there's knowing your rights but getting trumped every time you try, leading to learned helplessness.  Some product owners have never learned to make decisions because they always defer to someone who seems better at it. There are both explicit and implicit unclear decision rights—you might tell someone they have authority while implicitly sabotaging their decisions.   Self-reflection Question: Have you explicitly confirmed with your stakeholders what decisions you have the authority to make—and are those decisions being respected in practice?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Lai-Ling Su: What Scrum Masters Must Do More of in 2026—Think Like a Business Owner 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.   "Success is so contextual. And I think the definitions and measurements of success also change over time. So, only you can definitively say what success is at any given time and how to appropriately measure it for your situation." - Lai-Ling Su   Lai-Ling frames success for Scrum Masters around what she'd love to see more of in 2026: smart, strategic, and commercial decision-making. She observes a distinct gap in the business landscape—too few people are making decisions that balance customer value, revenues, expenses, and long-term sustainability.  This could mean reducing SKUs to enhance operational flow and reduce burnout, investing in change management from day one of a transformation, or cutting unused software licenses to save a colleague's job or fund product innovation. To help Scrum Masters develop this capability, Lai-Ling puts them in the shoes of a business owner—whether through simulations, shadowing business leaders, or pairing with product owners to understand the business side of products beyond just the build side.  She emphasizes the difference between learning strategy through theory (like an MBA) versus learning it through actually operating a business, where consequences are real and immediate.   Self-reflection Question: When did you last consider how a decision in your domain impacts the broader commercial viability of your organization? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: LEGO Serious Play Lai-Ling loves using LEGO for deeply reflective retrospectives, and she's a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator. The approach works beautifully for tender and courageous conversations because building with LEGO does several things simultaneously: it's fun, the physical act of building helps process and articulate thoughts you didn't have words for, and it depersonalizes what's said because participants talk about a physical object rather than directly about people. You don't need expensive certified kits—just grab basic bricks from a local shop, pose a reflective question, and let people build.  Lai-Ling notes that her best retrospectives have often been the most deeply uncomfortable ones for participants, because of how much personal and emotional truth emerges when you create that safe space for constructive dialogue. The kinetic and visual elements help crystallize ideas that would otherwise not come out so easily.   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Why are managers there at all? - The Agile MindsetJust recently my colleague and friend Zoran Vujkov has drawn my attention to the following clip discussing trends in adoption of agile in large companies. I recommend the clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgBhZIjgTw4&feature=youtu.be) for watching if you already haven't.Among a lot of information about the speed of agile adoption and critical factors for it, one thing caught my eye — importance of executive sponsorship.No doubt, this is a very important factor. However, it might be misinterpreted and misused by managers. One of the crucial roles of management in Agile organization is to remove obstacles or impediments that are preventing their teams from being efficient in their work.While this seems obvious, it does happen that managers start being involved into operational things, tactical decisions, even trying to influence, or limit product owners' roles by making operational decisions and leading the product.This is potentially very dangerous situation as this sort of behavior can be concealed behind the veil of good intentions which sometimes it undoubtedly is (you know the one about the road to ruin being paved by good intentions). Urged by desire to show to the teams that they are committed to agile way of work, managers become a burden and an obstacle.I'm not gonna go into the role of management in agile setup, there's a good article here on the topic.Here, I would like to remind managers that their role is not to control, direct, create tasks or organize their teams' daily work. Their main role in agile way of work is to help team develop, create proper environment for the team, set strategic guidelines, believe in their teams and give them freedom to organize their work in the best way they need, know and can.Only with such a help, teams (and with them the whole organization) can be agile.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

What if the biggest barrier to your AI-powered future isn't the algorithm, but the state of your data from five years ago? Agility requires more than just fast decision-making; it demands a foundational trust in the data that fuels those decisions. It's about having the right information, accessible and reliable, to pivot not just your campaigns, but your entire strategy. Today, we're going to talk about the often-overlooked foundation of marketing agility and AI innovation: the data infrastructure itself. We'll explore how the role of the CMO is shifting from a master of messaging to a master of data strategy, and what it takes to lead a marketing organization when the quality of your data directly determines the success of your most ambitious technology investments. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jim Kruger, CMO at Informatica. About Jim Kruger Jim currently serves as the Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer at Informatica. He has 20+ years of B2B and B2C marketing experience in the areas of cloud, SaaS, services, and hardware solutions. Jim is a results-oriented, high-integrity leader with strong business acumen and an inclusive team-building vision. His top focus as a leader is to drive accountability and make every team member feel valued for their contribution.At Informatica, he leads the global marketing organization with the charter to accelerate cloud growth, expand into new markets and industry verticals, and lead the company's brand momentum. Jim Kruger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkruger1/ Resources Informatica: https://www.informatica.com Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Lai-Ling Su: When Leadership Changes—Supporting Teams Through the Uncertainty 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.   "We have a once in a generational or once in a lifetime type of opportunity to fundamentally work with these leaders to shift the workplace environments and the workplace dynamics in the way that we've been trying to craft in the world of product and agile for the last few decades." - Lai-Ling Su   Lai-Ling brings a systems-level challenge that has profound implications for Scrum Masters everywhere. Australia is on the brink of its largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history—$3.5 trillion over the next couple of decades—with 70% of private and family businesses planning to sell or succeed as part of this generational change.  This creates leadership vacuums as business leaders transition out and new ones step in. Some are family members stepping into roles without the full capability to lead; others are external CEOs facing resistance when they do things differently.  These transitions stall decisions, lose customer confidence, and fracture once tight-knit teams. Lai-Ling sees this as an unprecedented opportunity for Scrum Masters to support both outgoing and incoming leaders through succession planning, capability uplift, and protecting teams during the transition.  Teams need to be respected for what they've achieved, and Scrum Masters can serve as bridges—creating awareness about the team's strengths and facilitating dialogue between old and new leadership to ensure continuity.   Self-reflection Question: How might you proactively prepare your team to navigate an upcoming leadership transition, whether it's anticipated or unexpected?   [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

With B2B marketers drowning in data and automation, have we forgotten that our buyers are still human beings who are moved more by compelling visuals than by another line on a spreadsheet? Agility requires not just the speed to react, but the insight to know what to react with. It demands a seamless connection between creative ideation and performance data, allowing teams to not only launch campaigns quickly but to make them smarter over time. Today, we're going to talk about the often-underestimated power of visual communication and design-led thinking in B2B marketing. We'll explore why creativity isn't just a 'nice to have' but a core driver of engagement and business results, how neuroscience backs this up, and how new platforms are enabling marketing teams to scale high-quality creative while directly measuring its impact on the bottom line. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Emma Robinson, Head of B2B Marketing at Canva. About Emma Robinson Emma Robinson is the Head of B2B Marketing at Canva, where she drives customer-centric strategies that showcase the impact of design at scale across enterprise organizations. She brings more than 20 years of global B2B marketing experience and has held leadership roles at Salesforce, Google, Medallia, and ThoughtSpot. Having worked across the UK, Asia Pacific, and the US, she's known for building high-performing teams and bringing innovative, high-impact go-to-market strategies to life. Emma brings deep expertise in customer advocacy, lifecycle marketing, and insight-led content, and is a strong champion for the power of brand and creativity in B2B. Her work is instrumental in positioning Canva as the visual communication platform for the modern workplace. Emma Robinson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-robinson-mtkg/ Resources Canva: https://www.canva.com/about/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

What if your most persistent customer complaint wasn't a flaw to be fixed, but a key that could unlock an entirely new business model? Agility requires not just the ability to pivot, but the organizational courage to act on customer insights—even when those insights challenge your most fundamental business assumptions. It's about being willing to dismantle something that works in order to build something that works better. Today, we're going to talk about CX that pays off and how both achieving and demonstrating ROI is key to becoming a truly insights-driven organization. We'll explore how a major brand listened to a difficult truth from its customers and completely transformed its marketplace strategy, turning a major pain point into a massive competitive advantage. And we're doing it live from Las Vegas at the Medallia Experience 2026 event here at the Wynn Resort.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Courtney Owumi, VP of Consumer Experience and Membership Engagement at Shipt. About Courtney Owumi Courtney Owumi is a seasoned marketing executive with over a decade of experience in consumer insights and loyalty marketing strategy. She currently serves as the Vice President of Consumer Experience & Membership Engagement at Shipt, where she leads Product Marketing, Consumer Insights & Strategy, and Membership Engagement to deliver a best-in-class experience for Shipt members and provide extended value for Target Circle 360 members. Prior to her time at Shipt, Courtney served on Target's corporate strategy team, and prior to that worked in management consulting, focusing on e-commerce fulfillment strategy for retail clients. Her expertise spans across corporate strategy, retail, consumer packaged goods, and the gig economy, reflecting her versatility and forward-thinking mindset. Courtney Owumi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyowumi/ Resources Shipt: https://www.shipt.com Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c43e68ce5cfb321e The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Medallia: https://www.medallia.com Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

What happens when you tie a quarter of every employee's variable compensation not to sales targets, but to customer experience metrics? Agility requires more than just speed; it demands a shared purpose that translates into a unified system for listening, learning, and acting at an enterprise scale. It's about connecting every function of the business to the client's reality in real-time. Today, we are here at Medallia Experience at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about what it takes to transform a massive organization by moving client experience from a siloed function to the core of the enterprise operating model, tying it directly to employee compensation and billions in revenue growth. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Stephanie Leheta, Sr. Director, Client Experience Strategy at CIBC. About Stephanie Leheta Stephanie Leheta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leheta-mba-ccmp-pmp-ccxp-435a8113/ Resources CIBC: https://cibc.com/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/agile The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://www.thecrmc.com/ Medallia: https://www.medallia.comEnjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company