The Agile CEO The Operating Model You Can’t Afford to Ignore with Matthew Jacobs, Chief Product Owner of Consulting at Scrum Inc. | The Agile CEO
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Sep 23, 2025 Matthew Jacobs, Chief Product Owner of Consulting at Scrum Inc., dives into the complexities of operating models and how they often fail in today’s fast-paced world. He emphasizes the need for simplicity and speed in organizational structures. Jacobs suggests aligning leadership with delivery teams to combat systemic blockers and advocates for treating transformations as Agile projects. He warns leaders to stay involved in designing their operating engines, while also balancing centralization and decentralization for optimal learning and innovation.
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Robotics Client Realized System Neglect
- A robotics client spent 98% of time on robots and 2% on the delivery system, which limited scale.
- Shifting to 80/20 system thinking unlocked a major organizational aha moment.
Conway's Law Reversed In Modern Orgs
- Organizations are beginning to mirror software architecture, designing people and teams like microservices.
- The centre coordinates while edges have independent paths to production and learning.
Sync Team Practices With The Operating Model
- Align the operating model with team-level agile practices so teams don't operate despite the system.
- Ensure teams are product-based and can deliver end-to-end before training them in new methods.