Scrum.org Community Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

In this episode of the Scrum.org community podcast, host Dave West speaks with representatives from Easy Software, including CEO Filip Moravek, Product Owner Jan Řeřicha, and Professional Scrum Trainer Karel Smutný. Easy Software has been using Scrum to develop and improve their product, Redmine, a project management tool. The team discusses their journey with Scrum, including the implementation of Scrum boards. They also touch on their future plans, which include further AI integration into their product. The episode highlights the benefits of using Scrum not just for Developers but also for management and task management, and emphasizes the continuous improvement aspect of Scrum.