Scrum.org Community Podcast

David Spinks, a Professional Scrum Trainer and expert on transparency in organizational cultures, joins the discussion on the delicate balance of openness in toxic workplaces. He reveals how pushing for transparency can backfire and shares strategies for fostering trust and psychological safety gradually. The conversation highlights the Scrum Master's role as a change agent, offering adaptable methods to communicate transparently while respecting personal boundaries. Spinks emphasizes that transforming organizational culture requires collective effort and consistent leadership.

In this "Value Delivered" episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West and PST Jay Rahman, Founder of Fractal Systems discuss how agile principles helped a large investment bank turn a struggling multi-million dollar project into a success. By applying Scrum at multiple levels, the organization improved leadership alignment, enhanced collaboration, and reduced risks tremendously—ultimately accelerating delivery and achieving better outcomes. Listen in to discover how Scrum can create transparency, alignment, and value at scale.

In this Ask a PST episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina is joined by Professional Scrum Trainer Dominik Maximini to answer listener questions about forecasting and release planning. Dominik shares practical insights on estimation, using burn-down charts, managing dependencies with joint roadmaps, and aligning with stakeholder expectations. He explains why normalizing velocity across teams can be counterproductive and stresses the importance of a clear Definition of Done when planning releases. Tune in for actionable advice rooted in experience, pragmatism, and common sense.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West and Brendan Mcsheffrey, Managing Partner at Kendall AI explore the Kendall Framework—a method for training AI using principles from lean, agile, and design thinking. They discuss how clear problem definition and context blocks like roles, capabilities, and processes dramatically improve AI accuracy. Learn how Scrum Teams can get better results from AI and make this powerful technology more accessible to everyone.

In this "Value Delivered" episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Dave West speaks with Andre Bohn of ambarics and Professional Scrum Trainer Alex Hardt about how combining Professional Scrum and Kanban helped ambarics streamline ERP software support. Learn how greater transparency, limiting work in progress, and visualizing work item age enabled the team to better manage unplanned work, reduce escalations, and increase customer satisfaction.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, Patricia Kong talks with Professional Scrum Trainer Joanna Plaskonka about why psychological safety is critical for effective Scrum Teams. Joanna explains how it fuels openness, innovation, and accountability—while its absence leads to poor collaboration, low morale, and missed opportunities. Through real-world examples, she dispels common myths and shares how leaders can foster a culture where teams feel safe to take risks, challenge ideas, and grow. This conversation highlights that psychological safety isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for delivering real value.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast – Value Delivered Series, host Dave West is joined by Carmit Ophir, Senior Director at StoreDot, and Professional Scrum Trainer Michal Epstein to explore how StoreDot leveraged Professional Scrum to tackle the complex challenges of developing ultra-fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles.Faced with low collaboration and siloed teams of chemists, engineers, and system experts, StoreDot turned to Scrum to foster transparency, cross-functional teamwork, and faster feedback loops. The results? Accelerated innovation, milestones delivered ahead of schedule, and a cultural shift driven by leadership support and a commitment to continuous improvement.Whether you’re navigating R&D in a highly technical space or looking to drive transformation in your organization, this conversation is full of insights and practical advice. Key Takeaways:Why R&D teams can embrace agilityThe importance of leadership support in Scrum adoptionHow a culture of feedback and experimentation accelerates value delivery Tune in to hear how StoreDot is literally charging ahead with Scrum.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina welcomes Professional Scrum Trainer Simon Reindl to answer listener questions from his recent webinar, “How do the Scrum Accountabilities Work at Scale – Practical Steps for Delivery.”Drawing on years of hands-on experience, Simon breaks down Scaled Scrum and portfolio management, explores how many Scrum Masters you really need, and offers guidance on applying frameworks like Nexus, Scrum at Scale, and even SAFe with intention—not dogma.From structuring teams to improving flow and making value measurable, Simon shares practical insights to help organizations scale Scrum without losing sight of what really matters: delivering value through empowered teams and continuous learning.Key Topics:Scaled Scrum and Portfolio ManagementHow many Scrum Masters? It depends.Value Stream Mapping to uncover flow and bottlenecksUsing metrics that matter (hint: it’s not velocity)The art of being a persistent (and sometimes annoying) Scrum MasterWhether you're scaling up or just getting started, this conversation will help you do it with clarity and purpose.

In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, guest host Lindsay Velecina is joined by Professional Scrum Trainer Joanna Plaskonka to answer lingering questions from her recent webinar on psychological safety in Scrum Teams. Joanna shares practical insights on measuring psychological safety using Amy Edmondson’s model, handling micromanagement, and fostering safe environments even in challenging cultures. From using behavioral questions and action learning to creating psychologically safe retrospectives, this episode is packed with actionable ideas for Scrum Masters, leaders, and teams seeking high performance through trust and openness! 

Lucas Smith, Director of Agile Program & Services at Toyota Connected, dives into how Toyota applies Agile Product Operating Model principles to portfolio management. He discusses the delicate balance between agility and control, ensuring teams can innovate while remaining aligned with strategic goals. Topics include managing product complexity in connected vehicles, the intricacies of product life cycles, funding strategies, and overcoming challenges of software longevity and technical debt. Tune in to discover Toyota's innovative approaches to enhancing collaboration and efficiency!