Agile Bites

If you do Scrum, you know that the sprint is the heartbeat of your process. They're what many aspects of a Scrum team are based around. But Scrum often gets criticized for seemingly arbitrary time boxes around getting work done. While we usually do love an opportunity to criticize Scrum, we don't think it's exactly fair to criticize it from a flow-based methodology perspective. Scrum and its time-boxed Sprint method are great tools…when used in the right scenario.  In this episode, Host Phil Ledgerwood explains why sprints have their place, the utility behind them, and for which scenarios they're best suited.

There’s a prevalent idea that Scrum is a good way to introduce a team to agility. But at the same time, a lot of teams are really struggling with Scrum. So is Scrum really a great place to start for a team new to agility?  In this episode, hear from host Phil Ledgerwood why Scrum was created in the first place, what type of teams it was intended for, and why it's most likely not the right place for a team to start.

Oftentimes in organizations shifting to be more agile and focusing on team-oriented operations and production, the question inevitably arises, “How do we deal with individual performance?” Performance happens at various levels of an organization. To only focus on individual performance (and not the performance of the systems those individuals are working in) only tells part of the story - the least important part, really.  In this episode, host Phil Ledgerwood shares ways of measuring performance at the various levels operating in an agile organization and why it's important to do so. ➡️ Connect with Agile Bites Host Phil Ledgerwood on LinkedIn ➡️ Visit our website

The title to this episode may seem like a question with an obvious answer. But we think it's important to discuss why it's a question at all, and why somebody might even think differently about it (because there are some good reasons). The more you understand the issues associated with this question, the better off  you're going to be strategically when you try to move your own organization to greater agility.  So tune in as we unpack this loaded question and look at how speed impacts agility. ➡️ Connect with Agile Bites Host Phil Ledgerwood on LinkedIn ➡️ Visit our website

Software release cycles are crucial for agility. The discussion emphasizes adopting smaller, more frequent releases to minimize risks and enhance customer feedback. It also explores how a culture of frequent delivery can elevate product quality through iterative improvements. Plus, the benefits of automation in making the release process more resilient are highlighted. Tune in to discover how transforming your release strategy could revolutionize your team's approach to delivering value.

So you've identified the constraint. You've optimized your constraint. You've learned to subordinate to your constraint. Assuming you haven't skipped any of these important steps (if you have, go back and listen to those episodes!), now it's time to elevate your constraint.  In this episode, host Phil Ledgerwood discusses ways to get the most efficiency out of your constraint and increase its capacity to keep work moving forward. ➡️ Connect with Agile Bites Host Phil Ledgerwood on LinkedIn ➡️ Visit our website

When you're starting to build an application, at what point should the database be designed? (To our non-developer listeners, hang in there—this is relevant to you!)  There are a lot of opinions on this topic in the software community, and many say the database should come first. But if you're building an application in an agile manner, why would you start with a piece of the project that the user can't interact with and give feedback on? In this episode, host Phil Ledgerwood discusses why he thinks starting with the database can not only hold back your team's agility but also negatively affect the quality of the application in the long run. And he'll be giving some suggestions for better places to start that will help you create a more useful app for your users. ➡️ Connect with Agile Bites Host Phil Ledgerwood on LinkedIn ➡️ Visit our website

Explore the hidden strategies within Scrum to limit work in process and boost delivery rates. Discover how excessive multitasking can hinder team performance and morale. Learn the importance of clear sprint goals and backlog selection. The conversation offers practical tips for effective sprint planning and emphasizes collaboration among team members to enhance productivity.

Can you be a good scrum master or agile coach without experience in the domain you work on? There are several schools of thought when it comes to this controversial question. Some say yes, some say no, and some say that technical knowledge can actually make you worse at your job.  What should actually be the standard? Who's to say? But in this episode, we're going over the different perspectives we've come across and sharing our viewpoint on the matter. Connect with Agile Bites Host Phil Ledgerwood on LinkedIn Visit our website

Discover the surprising benefits of 'working less' to boost your team's agility. Learn about the critical role of identifying constraints in production systems for maintaining team performance. The conversation shifts focus to maximizing value by adapting to these constraints, promoting a seamless flow of work instead of isolated tasks. It’s all about rethinking how we deliver value efficiently, transforming the way teams collaborate.