Welcome to the Scrum.org Community podcast, a podcast from the Home of Scrum. In this podcast we feature Professional Scrum Trainers and other Scrum Practitioners sharing their stories and experiences to help learn from the experience of others.
In this episode of the Scrum.org community podcast, PSTs Paul Kuijten, and Fredrik Wendt join Dave to discuss the "lead to value" capability in Professional Product Ownership. They emphasize the importance of contextual awareness, understanding market dynamics, and aligning product strategies with business goals. They highlight the challenges of defining products, the impact of organizational capabilities, and the necessity of considering financial aspects and pricing strategies. The conversation also touches on the iterative nature of product definition and the need for long-term decision-making to avoid accumulating technical and business debt. A key theme in this discussion is the importance of leading teams towards value creation and the practical application of Product Ownership principles.
10/3/24 • 27:15
In this PST Spotlight Episode, PST Ryan Ripley interviews Pawel Felinski about his journey into Scrum. Pawel shares how he became a Scrum Master and the initial challenges he faced, including the misconception that Scrum Mastery is simple, and the importance of practical experience over theoretical knowledge. Pawel emphasizes the value of mentorship, learning from peers, and more! Tune in for some great advice.
10/1/24 • 14:54
In this episode, Dave West, our host and Mik Kersten, CTO at Planview and author of Project to Product discuss the critical shift from project-oriented to product-centric organizations. Mik highlights the disconnect between traditional project-based models and Agile principles, sharing insights from a recent survey. Dave and Mik explore key factors for a successful transition to a product focus, including aligning business and technology planning, managing a portfolio of products, and more. Mik also emphasizes the importance of redesigning quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to link business outcomes with Agile planning. Tune in to learn more and get a sneak peek into the upcoming Project to Product Summit coming up October, where these topics will be further explored by Mik, Dave and many other exciting speakers!Learn more about the Project to Product Summit virtual event.Learn more about the Project to Product Summit Executive Experience live event in New York.
9/26/24 • 32:47
In this PST Spotlight episode, guest host PST Ryan Ripley interviews Rich Visotcky, a Professional Scrum Trainer, about his journey to becoming a Scrum Master. Rich shares his initial exposure to Scrum at a small software startup and his formal training. He describes his experience working with a high-performing team, including fellow Professional Scrum Trainers. Rich emphasizes the importance of self-management, accountability, and the role of Scrum Masters in fostering collaboration and continuous improvement. He advises aspiring Scrum Masters to start living the role, let go of control, and influence through care and influence.
9/24/24 • 16:42
In this series, we will be exploring the key tenets of the Capabilities and Skills of Professional Product Ownership. This first episode focuses on the "Engage with Vision" area. PSTs Fredrik Wendt and Paul Kuijten emphasize the importance of a shared vision for product development, highlighting that a clear, inspiring vision aligns the team towards a common goal. They share examples stressing the need for vision clarity and its practical application. The conversation also covers the importance of goals, roadmaps, and stakeholder engagement, as well as fostering innovation and creativity within the team. The discussion underscores the role of leadership in creating an environment that empowers teams to deliver value.
9/19/24 • 25:35
In this PST Spotlight episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Ryan Ripley speaks with fellow PST Matt Dominici about his journey to Scrum mastery. Matt reflects on his early experiences with Scrum as a QA director, the challenges he faced, and the lessons learned from failure. He shares insights from his role as a Scrum Master, his leadership in forming a Dev Tools team to improve release efficiency, and the impact of Scrum Master accountability. Matt also offers advice to aspiring Scrum Masters on embracing failure and developing leadership skills beyond Scrum and Agile.
9/17/24 • 12:45
In this Scrum.org Community Podcast episode, PSTs Paul Kuijten and Lavaneesh Gautam join to discuss the creation of the new Professional Product Discovery and Validation class that officially launched today, aimed at helping Product Owners and Product Managers validate product ideas before development. They share insights on the development process, including beta classes, customer feedback, and evaluating market and solution fit. They explain how they used techniques from the class to develop it. The episode highlights the importance of continuous learning, data-driven decision-making, and experimentation.
9/12/24 • 30:33
This inspiring episode features Professional Scrum Trainer Stephanie Ockerman tackling tough questions about personal leadership and our ability to influence change! She shares stories and experience to address listener questions about control, influencing change in organizational culture and more!
9/11/24 • 60:20
In this episode, Patricia Kong hosts our host Dave West to answer more listener questions from a recent webcast about the Agile Product Operating Model! Dave covers:Role of Product Management and OwnershipCross-Functional Teams and CollaborationOutsourcing and Procurement in Agile Product Operating ModelProduct Leadership and Decision-MakingFuture of the Agile Product Operating ModelBe sure to tune into episode one, too!
9/5/24 • 23:54
Ever wonder what happens when the usual podcast host becomes the guest? In this unique episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Patricia Kong flips the script and puts Dave West our host, in the hot seat with your questions! We revisit some open questions from Dave's webcast Introducing the Agile Product Operating Model, an Evidence-Based approach from last month. Dave describes the Agile Product Operating Model and how it can benefits teams and organizations. He also talks about challenges and opportunities with scaling agility. He answers questions about:- Defining products- Managing Multiple Projects and Focus- Value Streams and the Agile Product Operating Model- Transitioning to an Agile Product Operating Model from a Legacy SystemTune in next week for part 2!
8/29/24 • 23:32
In this Professional Scrum Trainer Spotlight episode, Laetitia Baratelli joins us to share her journey. She emphasizes the benefits of Scrum, such as early value delivery, customer satisfaction, and team happiness. Laetitia highlights her unique perspective from both traditional and Agile environments, which aids her in teaching. She also shares her passion for mentoring and teaching Scrum to future generations, including university students, to equip them with the necessary skills for the rapidly changing world. She stresses the importance of human interaction and storytelling in professional development.
8/22/24 • 23:55
In this episode of the Scrum.org Community podcast, Steve Lizotte, VP of Engineering at NEC, and PST Yuval Yeret are interviewed by Dave about the practical implementation of Scrum and Kanban practices at NEC as a part of our Value Delivered series. They explore the importance of collaboration, continuous improvement, and maintaining a customer-centric approach. Steve shares insights on separating program teams from product teams, finding the right balance between custom solutions and standardized offerings, and managing the tension between empowering teams and cognitive load. The discussion also touches on the evolution of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), the complexities of managing agile delivery in challenging environments, and the critical role of Product Ownership and accountability in driving successful outcomes.
8/15/24 • 40:56
In this episode of Ask a PST, we focus in on Product Ownership, Sam Falco answers questions about stakeholder engagement, PO participation in Scrum Events, measuring value, the shift from a Scrum Master to a Product Owner and more!
8/8/24 • 58:03
In this PST Spotlight episode hosted by PST Ryan Ripley from Agile for Humans, Dimitris Dimitrelos shares his journey with ScrumInitial Encounter with Scrum: Dimitris Dimitrelos, originally a project manager, faced a failing software project in 2011-2012. After overpromising to a new customer and dealing with a "death march" project, he decided to try Scrum as a last resort, ultimately saving the project and shifting his career to becoming a Scrum Master.Eureka Moment: Dimitris experienced his first significant success with Scrum during a customer review, during which his team successfully delivered key functionalities. This moment highlighted the power of Scrum and its potential to transform project outcomes and team morale.Evolution of the Scrum Master Role: Over time, Dimitrelos's approach to the Scrum Master role evolved from strictly adhering to the Scrum guide to focusing on the broader organizational impact. He emphasizes working with team interfaces and organizational structure to create more significant and lasting changes.Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters: Dimitris highlights the importance of people skills, natural organization abilities, and a helping nature for aspiring Scrum Masters. He advises looking for individuals with a history of volunteering or service-oriented roles and emphasizes the importance of personal values such as transparency, honesty, and teamwork.
7/30/24 • 18:05
In this episode which is a part of our new Scrum in Action: Stories from the Trenches series, host Dave West chats with PST Felipe Andrade about the application of Scrum in non-traditional product development contexts, such as small businesses. Felipe shares his experience of implementing agile principles in a barbershop/pub setting, emphasizing cultural fit and continuous improvement. He shares his experience with starting and growing a bar and barbershop business, highlighting the importance of understanding customer needs and experimentation in business decision-making using product discovery and validation techniques. He emphasizes the versatility of Scrum and its potential to be applied in various industries and contexts.
7/25/24 • 33:12
In this PST Spotlight episode, PST Ryan Ripley interviews PST Ralph Jocham about his Scrum journey and experience. Introduction and Background: Ralph Jocham, a PST and product management expert, shared his journey to becoming a Scrum Master. He started in the early 2000s with extreme programming and eventually transitioned to Scrum Mastery after discovering Ken Schwaber's book on Scrum in 2001.Evolution of the Scrum Master Role: Ralph discussed how his perception of the Scrum Master role evolved over time. He initially was more demanding and directive but later embraced servant leadership and eventually found a balance between guiding and coaching his team.Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters: Ralph emphasized the importance of enjoying the process of helping others succeed, being prepared for both praise and blame and having a mindset similar to a sports coach, focusing on team success rather than personal recognition.
7/18/24 • 11:47
In part 2 of this podcast focused on the success story of Strobbo, an HR software platform, PST Steven Deneir, Bert Neels - CEO at Strobbo and Michael Voorhaen, Product Owner at Strobbo continue their discussion about agile transformation and leadership, emphasizing the importance of trust, experimentation, and leadership. They also highlighted challenges such as navigating team self-restructuring and empowering teams for success and share some really inspiring advice.Part 1 is here: https://www.scrum.org/resources/professional-scrum-powers-strobbos-go-market-acceleration
7/11/24 • 22:16
In this PST Spotlight episode, PST Ryan Ripley interviews Reggie Gardner about his experiences. Reggie Gardner's journey into Scrum started with his interest in Extreme Programming and teamwork. He gradually applied Scrum principles while leading a small team. He eventually became a recognized expert and Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) due to his success in scaling Scrum in a larger development effort. Come along for Reggie's Journey!
7/8/24 • 09:20
Strobbo, an HR platform faced challenges with its software development processes. The company’s initial mechanical approach to Scrum, coupled with poor communication and lack of trust, hindered progress and morale. To address these issues, Co-Founder Bert Neels brought in Professional Scrum Trainer Steven Deneir to help.This episode hosted by Leslie Morse, Product Owner at Scrum.org features Bert, Steven and Michael Voorhaen, PO at Strobbo. They discuss Strobbo's journey with Professional Scrum and how they were able to accelerate their go to market by embracing agile practices. They talk about self-management, Product Ownership, the importance of trust and more! Part 2 will be released next week!Read the written case study!
7/3/24 • 35:54
Explore the intersection of hardware development and Scrum in this episode hosted by Leslie Morse and featuring Matt Callahan, Lead Engineer at Quantum Detectors. Matt shares experiences of integrating Scrum practices into hardware projects for detector technologies including X-ray and electron microscopy, as well as tackling challenges such as risk and uncertainty. Matt also emphasizes the significance of ongoing improvement and learning. In this podcast, you will gain insights into the benefits of iterative development, prototyping, and collaborative teamwork, and discover strategies for adapting Scrum to suit unique hardware requirements. Reach out to continue the conversation.
6/27/24 • 39:53
In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Sabrina Love chats with PST Ravi Verma and Vinayak Joglekar, Founder Director at Rezoomex, a work marketplace platform. They dive into how an immersive training program transformed Rezoomex’s product development by enhancing alignment and communication. The discussion highlights their collaborative effort to create an effective learning program that allowed the team to build a product while learning. They also stress the significance of continuous learning beyond the classroom.
6/21/24 • 46:58
In this episode guest host Patricia Kong and Professional Scrum Trainer John Riley discuss Scrum in a non-software context and explore a use case for Scrum in which John worked with a company where Scrum was used to develop construction materials for 3D printed housing. They also discussed challenges faced while managing agile projects in diverse teams, including navigating personalities, work styles, and communication barriers. Despite these challenges, they emphasized the value of working together as a team and addressing impediments to achieve success.
6/7/24 • 33:24
In this episode, Ryan Ripley guest hosts and interviews PST Richard Ross about his journey to becoming a Scrum Master and PST.Introduction to Scrum: Richard Ross encountered Scrum as a project manager when a developer suggested it. His formal introduction came when he was assigned as a Scrum Master two weeks after joining a new company, tasked with managing the biggest contract they had ever secured.Initial Challenges: Initially, Richard felt lost in his role, struggling to create a self-managed team environment. Over time, he realized the benefits of Scrum and the importance of fostering team independence.Evolution of Role: Richard's approach evolved from being overly hands-on, to focusing on enabling teams to self-manage. He now emphasizes organizational structure and aligning with the customer's perspective to achieve business agility.Long-term Impact: The impact of a Scrum Master is often seen retrospectively. Richard notes that it takes time for the benefits of effective Scrum practices to be recognized, which can be challenging as immediate results are rare.Advice and Recommendations: Aspiring Scrum Masters should maintain professionalism, persistence, and a constant desire to improve. Richard recommends continuous learning and suggests "Leading Teams" by Dr. Richard Hackman as a valuable resource for understanding team dynamics.
6/3/24 • 12:08
Ești la început de drum cu Scrum sau vrei să-ți dezvolți experiența în Scrum? Atunci această sesiune este pentru tine.Cu toate că Scrum este ușor și simplu de înțeles, poate fi dificil de aplicat eficient. Seria “Întreabă un Professional Scrum Trainer” te pune în contact cu traineri certificați (PST) de către Scrum.org într-o sesiune live, în care aceștia răspund la cele mai presante întrebări legate de provocările și situațiile cu care se confruntă echipele Scrum.În această sesiune live a “Întreabă un Professional Scrum Trainer”, cei doi PST români, Mihai Olaru și Ciprian Bănică vor fi disponibili pentru a răspunde întrebărilor voastre arzătoare despre Scrum și pentru a discuta provocările pe care voi sau echipele voastre le întâmpinați.
5/30/24 • 62:23
In this episode, Dave West interviews Souleymane Thiongane about his journey to becoming a Professional Scrum Trainer and adapting Scrum to different cultural contexts. Dave and Souleymane discuss common challenges and patterns observed while implementing Scrum in various industries, including leadership involvement, adapting to change, and meeting customer requirements. Souleymane shares his experiences with Professional Scrum and its impact on delivering value in the digital age, as well as the potential of Scrum in Africa.
5/24/24 • 22:54
In this episode, PST Ryan Ripley guest hosts and interviews PST John Coleman about his journey to becoming a PST. Encountering Scrum: John Coleman first encountered Scrum while working in a factory in Ireland. Faced with increasing production capacity by 40% without additional floor space, he trained with Ken Schwaber in London and successfully implemented Scrum to manage the crisis.Eureka Moment: One pivotal moment for Coleman was realizing the power of the Sprint goal. It helped the team prioritize and manage work effectively, avoid extensive delays, and focus on achieving outcomes rather than just completing tasks.Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters: Coleman emphasizes the importance of being a positive change agent. He advises aspiring Scrum Masters to be encouraging, manage resistance positively, and foster a collaborative team environment focused on continuous improvement.Evolving Scrum Master Role: Coleman discusses how his perception of the Scrum Master role has evolved. He highlights the shift from strict adherence to Scrum rules to a more flexible approach incorporating other frameworks like Kanban to achieve better results.
5/21/24 • 25:30
In this episode Dave West and PST Sam Falco discuss the confusion surrounding Scrum Master job titles and Accountabilities, emphasizing the need to broaden one's perspective beyond the team level to understand the organization's strategic goals. They discuss the roles and accountabilities of Product Owners and Scrum Masters in agile development, highlighting the importance of a Product Owner with a clear vision for improvement and the ability to validate that vision through increments, as well as the Scrum Master's role in facilitating the Scrum framework and ensuring effective Product Ownership.
5/15/24 • 30:24
In this PST Spotlight episode guest hosted by PST Ryan Ripley, PST David Sabine shares his first exposure to Scrum in 2007 during a two-day training seminar organized by his then-employer. This led him and his colleagues to experiment with Scrum in their workplace, with David volunteering to be the Scrum Master.Application and Evolution of Scrum Mastery: David discusses applying Scrum principles both in an academic setting and later as a Product Owner in a Toronto startup. He reflects on the evolution of his understanding of the Scrum Master role, emphasizing its complexity and the importance of having positional authority and experience in technology and business domains.Insights on the Scrum Master Role: The conversation delves into the changing perceptions of the Scrum Master role, with both agreeing it's not an entry-level position but one requiring experience and authority. They note a trend where the role has been misunderstood and diminished, advocating for a return to viewing it as a leadership position.
5/13/24 • 16:33
Lavaneesh Gautam, a professional scrum trainer, shares his journey to becoming a Scrum Master and PST with guest host PST Ryan RipleyGautam first encountered Scrum while working as a developer/business analyst in a fintech company in 2011. He appreciated its transparency and visual management, which motivated him to become a Scrum Master in 2014.His interest in Scrum was sparked by the limitations he observed in the waterfall method, particularly its command-and-control culture, which diminished job satisfaction.Gautam highlights a pivotal experience in an automotive company where a project failure due to a lack of agile practices made him realize the importance of iterative and incremental work and understanding the underlying needs behind requirements.He advises aspiring Scrum Masters to continually learn and explore beyond formal training, emphasizing the importance of mindset, experimentation, and understanding broader aspects of product management and team dynamics.
5/9/24 • 13:35
In this episode of Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer, the audience asked PST Mehdi Hoseini questions about using Scrum at home, estimation, Sprint Goals, transitioning from Waterfall to Scrum and more!
5/7/24 • 52:32
