Scrum.org Community Podcast

Building on last week’s episode on AI and Operating Systems in SMBs, Dave West and PST Yuval Yeret dive into the challenges of scaling small and medium-sized businesses.Dave shares lessons from growing an organization from a small team to over 100 people—navigating silos, new stakeholders, and keeping teams outcome-focused. Yuval highlights common scaling pitfalls and explores frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and D4X, emphasizing vision, strategic goals, and evidence-based management.Learn how to maintain agility at scale, build cross-functional teams, and create an operating system that drives sustainable growth.

AI is forcing organizations to rethink how they operate. In this insightful conversation, Dave West and Yuval Yeret discuss the emerging need for a new organizational “operating system” that integrates AI into strategy, structure, and execution. They highlight the role of product thinking, OKRs, and continuous improvement in turning AI from hype into real business value.

In this special episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West sits down with Ken Schwaber, co-creator of Scrum, to celebrate 30 years since the initial introduction of Scrum at OOPSLA 1995, from which the paper, The Scrum Development Process was based.Ken reflects on the origins of Scrum, the cultural challenges faced during early adoption in large organizations, and the critical importance of transparency, honesty, and teamwork. He shares insights into how Scrum has influenced software development practices such as DevOps and continuous delivery, and offers his perspective on AI as a tool to support—rather than replace—human teams.From early pioneers to the modern evolution of Scrum, Ken shares stories, lessons, and hopes for the future: that Scrum will continue helping people and organizations achieve fulfillment, innovation, and success.Join us for a thoughtful, candid conversation with one of the foundational voices of Agile.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West is joined by Dr. Alan Brown—professor, executive advisor, and expert in AI and digital technologies—to explore how Agile teams can adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.Dr. Brown discusses the current state of AI adoption across industries and the need for thoughtful integration of AI into knowledge work. From model and prompt engineering to context and governance, he outlines the four key engineering disciplines that Scrum teams must understand. The conversation also highlights five critical pressure points organizations face—complexity, change management, alignment, value delivery, and people—and how Scrum can help teams respond to these challenges.Rather than replacing Agile, Dr. Brown argues, AI augments it—opening up new opportunities for delivering value, improving decision-making, and accelerating learning.Listen now to learn how to harness AI responsibly while staying true to Agile principles.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West and Dimitrios Dimitrelos, Business Agility Lead, Accenture Greece, PST, explore the powerful role incentives play in Agile transformations and the Agile Product Operating Model (APOM). Dimitris shares a striking story of QA teams inflating bug counts to meet performance metrics, highlighting how poorly designed incentives can undermine collaboration.They discuss strategies for balancing individual and team incentives, the limits of financial motivation, and how organizations can redesign performance management to support true Agile behaviors. Listen to learn practical insights for fostering collaboration, transparency, and sustainable motivation across your teams.Key Takeaways:How misaligned incentives can derail Agile transformationsBalancing individual vs. team incentives for collaborationUnderstanding motivation beyond money using Herzberg’s theoryPractical steps to redesign performance management systems

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Patricia Kong hosts a discussion with Elaine Lin Hering, author of  USA Today Best Selling Book "Unlearning Silence," and Ravi Verma, a Professional Scrum Trainer. They examine how workplace culture and cultural norms influence who speaks up and why intentional communication matters.Elaine explains that silence can be strategic or damaging, depending on context, and emphasizes the need for leaders to create environments where all voices are heard. Ravi shares his experiences with reactive versus reflective decision-making and the importance of transparency. They discuss practical strategies for encouraging voice and the significance of designing inclusive meeting practices.Tune in to this inspiring episode that anyone can relate to!Get more insights about Unlearning Silence in this article on the Professional Scrum Unlocked Substack!About Elaine Lin Hering:Elaine Lin Hering a facilitator, writer, and speaker. She works with organizations and individuals to build skills in communication, collaboration, and conflict management. She has worked on six continents and facilitated executive education at Harvard, Dartmouth, Tufts, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. She is the former Advanced Training Director for the Harvard Mediation Program and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. She has worked with coal miners at BHP Billiton,micro-finance organizers in East Africa, mental health professionals in China, and senior leadership at the US Department of Commerce. Her clients include American Express, Chevron, Google, Nike, Novartis, PayPal, Pixar, and the Red Cross. She is the author of the USA Today Bestselling book Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully (Penguin, 2024).About Ravi Verma:Ravi Verma is a Public Speaker, Agile Coach, Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainer, Evidence Based Management Consultant and Blogger with a passion for helping teams recapture the magic of making I.T. As the Founder and Chief Org Whisperer at The Org Whisperers, Ravi blends ideas from the world of Technology, Entrepreneurship and Organizational Development to develop strong teams and inspiring leaders at all levels of an organization. He recently co-founded his second startup - Al Dente, a platform that helps Agile Coach’s and organizations empirically improve business outcomes in tandem with Agile delivery frameworks like Scrum. 

Ryan Brook, a Professional Scrum Trainer and director of OptiLearn, shares his insights on agile leadership. He emphasizes the importance of vision-setting and accountability in new Agile teams. Listeners learn strategies for rebuilding trust with traditional managers and overcoming complacency among team members. Ryan also discusses managing change without burnout, the significance of clear communication in understaffed teams, and offers advice for breaking into Scrum roles without a technical background. His coaching experience enriches practical discussions, making agility approachable.

Ruud Adriaans, a Product Owner focused on enhancing product ownership, is joined by Linus Wiggers, an AI strategist at Productowner.nl. They dive deep into how AI is reshaping the role of product owners, highlighting practical steps for integrating AI tools to boost efficiency. The discussion emphasizes the importance of mastering AI prompting and learning through hands-on experiences like hackathons. They stress the need for product owners to embrace technology proactively while balancing quality and strategy in their decision-making.

Mirko Kleiner, President of the Lean Agile Procurement Alliance and author of Lean Agile Procurement, joins Simon Reindl, a Professional Scrum Trainer and consultant, to tackle the integration of procurement in Agile practices. They discuss the clash between traditional procurement and Agile’s iterative nature, advocating for early engagement and transparency among teams. Highlighting the benefits of goal-oriented contracts and cross-functional collaboration, they provide insights on transforming procurement processes for better agility and improved outcomes.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West is joined by Magdalena Firlit and Patricia Kong to explore the role of ethics in product management. They discuss why ethical frameworks matter, the impact of transparency and bias, and how ethical decision-making builds trust and resilience.Here is the link to the referenced white paper.