
Mastering Agility
Why is it that products are so hard to develop and deliver?
How can we truly deliver value with so many different variables that can affect the outcome?
We are Sander Dur and Jim Sammons, professional consultants and trainers who support organizations in their pursuit of creating valuable products. Passionate about helping the community and practitioners apply the theory many authors and thought leaders bring to the industry, we started this podcast to make these concepts more accessible.
This podcast will change your career and organization. You’ll be entertained while learning about the industry’s leaders and other practitioners, and you’ll feel familiar with the situations discussed as we invite guests over and discuss tools, concepts, models, metrics, leadership, frameworks, and many more elements that help you deliver amazing products.
Both of us understand the many struggles, challenges, antipatterns, and dysfunctions many of us face in our daily working lives. We are here to provide actionable advice and strategies for you to create continuous improvement. You will find things that actually work for many organizations, as we and our guests have tried and tested them.
You will find a goldmine of actionable information from many fields, including the space industry, Formula 1, psychology, and Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurs. We break down these complex topics into easily digestible insights that you can start applying in your careers right away. The best part is that you can even join our live recordings to ask your most burning questions and get them answered based on your needs!
We dive deep into the world of business agility, product discovery, delivery, validation, product management, and product frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and many more. We’ll explore the benefits of decentralized decision-making, autonomous empowered teams, leadership, and much more. We empower you with the information you need to become the leaders your organization deserve.
Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Latest episodes

Aug 16, 2021 • 55min
S02 E01 Empirically Unfucking with John Riley
John Riley is the founder of ReadySetAgile and PST for Scrum.org. When I talked to him about the topic for this episode, he brought up to talk about empirically unfucking things. I have no clue what it meant, so I was eager to find out. Empirically unfucking things means getting out of a messed-up situation supported by empirical evidence. This might be harder than it sounds. How do return to a good state from a messy scenario? What you’ll discover in this show:- It could be helpful when Sprint financials are transparent - Competitors are stakeholders too- Therefore we can invite them to Sprint Reviews Speakers:John RileyPrincipal Agile Coach & Trainer at Ready Set Agile John Riley is an experienced Agile Coach, Professional Scrum Trainer, and community speaker helping others embrace the values and purposes of agility. He believes in the simple principles of continuous learning, a test-first mindset, and enabling teams to be self-organizing to foster creativity and continuously deliver the highest value to users. John's background in manufacturing and software delivery allows him to lead by example to coach individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve their highest abilities. Contact John Riley:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johril/ www.readysetagile.comSander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: https://www.readysetagile.com/Watch the Nordstrom Innovation Lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clo2t0QGmms&t=96s Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jul 26, 2021 • 43min
S01 E20 Continuous learning in Formula 1 with Jurriaan Kamer
Formula 1 is the world’s biggest traveling circus. Races are fast-paced, but so is learning. What you on screen is just one part, but the actual learning starts after the race. Hundreds of terabytes of data are collected each competitive weekend. But what do teams do with that data? How can they improve the way they work, ultimately to move up the field? Teams work with a massive amount of people, large budgets, and high pressure. Staying ahead of the competition is crucial. Jurriaan Kamer, co-author of Formula X talks about his insights.What you’ll discover in this show:- Bigger budgets don’t necessarily mean faster improvement- Autonomy and culture are critical to drive success- Even staggering amounts of people can work as one Speakers:Jurriaan KamerOrganization designer & transformation at The Ready | Author 'Formula X' | SpeakerThe forces of complexity, humanity, and technology are putting pressure on our organizations that can't be met by traditional ways of working. Our organizations need to be better for their people and better for the world. This requires a shift from 'plan & predict' to 'sense & respond'. I support leaders who want to make their organizations 'complexity conscious' and 'people positive'. More at: www.jurriaankamer.com Contact Jurriaan Kramer:https://www.jurriaankamer.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jurriaankamerhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1WPfl4intvNQy5_5bVBcwhttp://medium.com/@jurriaankamerhttps://twitter.com/jurriaankamerSander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Pick up a copy of the book Formula X: Available in Dutch (www.formule-x.nl), English (www.formula-x.co) or German (www.formel-x.de). Also available as audiobook. Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jul 21, 2021 • 43min
S01 E19 Embracing an innovation mindset with Jeff Gothelf
As the world around is constantly changes, we need to innovate the way we work, as well as our products in order for us to survive in the long run. Classic cases like Nokia and Blockbuster made very clear what happens if you focus on the wrong things. However, it can be quite a challenge to move from our traditional cash cow and follow a path of more risk (but a higher potential margin). Stakeholders might be cautious of the fact that this might not bring them the ROI they expected. To inspire us in this week’s episode of Mastering Agility, Jeff Gothelf talks to us about his experience and ideas.What you’ll discover in this show:- Innovation is not something that’s just for the teams- It takes a lot of courage to innovate- Engagement across all levels in the organization is fundamental for success Speakers:Jeff GothelfDIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND BUSINESS AGILITYCOACHING, CONSULTING, TRAINING & KEYNOTESI believe humility and learning are in short supply. To improve that, I teach executives and teams -- through advising, workshops, keynotes, coaching & books -- to focus on their customers, learn from mistakes and create an agile culture that continuously improves their products and services and the way they work. More recently I've codified the principles of modern product development and applied them to building a platform of thought leadership and recognized expertise. I capture this approach in my latest book, Forever Employable. I'm excited to partner with executives and companies looking to improve not only their products but the culture that builds them. To learn more please reach out directly to me at jeff@gothelf.co. Contact Jeff Gothelf:https://jeffgothelf.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/gothelf/Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/Additional resources: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Employable-Stop-Looking-Work/dp/B087D2HHZX/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jeff+gothelf&qid=1626867560&sr=8-1https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Respond-audiobook/dp/B081ZFFRXZ/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=jeff+gothelf&qid=1626867571&sr=8-4Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jul 12, 2021 • 42min
S01 E18 Answering listeners questions with Mike Cohn
Estimation is hard. We forecast how much work we can take into the Sprint during Sprint Planning, but is still is exactly that: a forecast. We don’t know if we are correct. That’s the beauty of empiricism. We won’t know if we’re right or wrong until we observe the outcomes. And that is what makes this such a widely discussed topic. We always seem to have a need of being correct on forehand. We give listeners the opportunity to send in questions regarding planning and estimation, that Agile Royalty (according to Jeff Gothelf) Mike Cohn will answer! Listen now and find out!What you’ll discover in this show:- Velocity is not a metric that displays quality or value- I find Krupananda Mannekunta’s name pretty hard to pronounce- Estimates can be useful to give a relative timeframe for long-term planning too Speakers:Mike CohnOwner of Mountain Goat Software, author, speaker, and consultantAs an in-demand agile and Scrum instructor, I train groups all over the world on how to adopt and succeed with agile software development using the Scrum framework. As an author, I've written three popular books on Scrum and agile: "Succeeding with Agile," "Agile Estimating and Planning" and "User Stories Applied for Agile Software Development." I'm co-founder and past chairperson of the non-profit Agile Alliance, and also co-founded and served on the board of directors of the non-profit Scrum Alliance. I started running projects with Scrum in 1995, working in domains from banking to aerospace to video game development, with companies ranging in size from 1 to 400,000. I served as VP of development at four different companies where agile was instrumental to their success. Three of those companies were startups, and the other was a Fortune 40 company. My hands-on experience means my Scrum and agile training and coaching is relevant to the real business world and not just theory. Contact Mike Cohn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewcohn/https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jul 5, 2021 • 43min
S01 E17 Remote after Covid with Chris Stone
The pandemic has made a tremendous impact all around the world. We needed to adapt our ways of working, how we approach problems, find out a new work-life balance. Now that vaccinations are getting up to speed, and more and more people are getting vaccinated, the world is slowly reopening. After working from home for such a long time, going back to what we’re used to will pose a whole new set of challenges. What did we learn? What challenges can we expect? Will we ever go back to the office full-time again? Chris Stone has been working remotely even before the pandemic hit. He’s the right guy to talk about this. What you’ll discover in this show:- Employers will now have to convince employees to work from the office, instead of the other way around- Remote is here to stay- Not being limited to a physical office creates a new range of audience and employees Speakers:Chris StoneVirtual Agile CoachFor eight years now I've been fostering an environment for the success of high-performing teams and organizations through the use of agility. I've worked across a wide range of industries and with some of the largest organizations in the world, as well as with smaller, more lean enterprises.As The Virtual Agile coach, I intend to enable frictionless innovation, regardless of location. I'm therefore a firm believer in enabling agility whilst working virtually. Through this platform, I'll share my advice, guidance, coaching, mentoring, and training, along with a series of actionable experiments for you to try. Contact Chris Stone:https://www.thevirtualagilecoach.co.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thevirtualagilecoach/ Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jun 28, 2021 • 50min
S01 E16 Talking Tech Debt with Steve Porter
Technical debt is one of those things that can really bite your ass when you're not taking care of it. Tech debt sneaks in and before you know it, you’re spending more time repaying that debt rather than delivering actual value. But not all tech debt is wrong. And not everything that is perceived as tech debt is actually that. What about undone work? And what can we do to prevent this from accumulating? To what extent do we need to be transparent about it? Steve Porter, Scrum.org’s Professional Series Manager and developer at heart, joins us in this episode of Mastering Agility to discuss this.What you’ll discover in this show:- Introducing tech debt might be a good thing- There is a difference between tech debt and work that is just not done- Estimation of effort is still needed. Also discussing what has been done to remove it could be good to do during Sprint Reviews Speakers:Steve PorterSupporting the Professional Scrum Trainer communitySteve Porter works with the Scrum.org team of experts and its wider trainer community to create and maintain its Professional Series of courses and assessments. Steve guides this collaborative process to ensure training is current and meets the needs of the professional Scrum community. Before joining Scrum.org, Steve was the product owner for TeamPulse, Telerik’s agile project management tool. He has also provided application lifecycle management (ALM) consulting services for organizations around the globe. At his core, Steve is still a developer. He taught himself how to code at an early age and has spent years turning ephemeral ideas into functioning software. It's the joy of this craft that Steve brings to all his interactions at Scrum.org. Contact Steve Porter:https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog?uid=119https://twitter.com/stevevrporterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stevevrporter/ Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander has the drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jun 21, 2021 • 39min
S01 E15 Adding Playfulness with Carsten Lutzen
Working environments can benefit greatly by having playful environments. But to have playful environments, you need those frontrunners that will take you there. Carsten Lutzen is the right guy for the job. His LinkedIn page and YouTube channel (see for details below) radiate creativity and he helps you get there. Working at the LEGO group, he is constantly surrounded by playful, but serious products. Let’s listen to his experience as the Playful Agile Coach. And, we’re giving away a LEGO set! Go to http://masteringagility.org/index.php/give-aways/ to found out how you can enter!What you’ll discover in this show:- Humor breaks the tension- Liberating Structures and icebreakers are great for starting and fostering collaborative discussions- LEGO is still hiring! Speakers:Carsten LutzenAgile Coach in The LEGO GroupI like motivating people and helping them achieve their goals and to make sure that the team performs well. I love to look at processes and try to improve them using the tools in my (agile) toolbox. I don't believe that one methodology exists that will work on all projects, hence we need to tweak the tools for every single project and take the things that works and skip the things does not. Another love of mine is making software that needs to be performant using clever software architecture combined with heavy computer science theory within the field of performance and optimization techniques. Combining these two things it is possible to create user-centric software and experiences. I have facilitated a lot of different workshops on agile thinking, agile mindset/behavior and how to find the balance between agility and a plan oriented apporaches. I have taught more than 300 people in different sessions where we have worked on mindset, when to use agile tools and when not to use them. Contact Carsten Lutzen: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarstenLutzenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/carstenlutzen/Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement or psychological safety, Sander has a drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: https://www.lego.com/aboutus/careers Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jun 14, 2021 • 59min
S01 E14 Going to Mars, AI and ML, and being an author with Joe Justice
Joe Justice is an interesting man. Famous for building electrical cars, while combining Scrum for both soft- and hardware, Joe has been all over the globe for anything you can think of. In this episode, he’s talking to us about his experience in different countries, his thoughts on humanity going to Mars, the future state of machine learning and artificial intelligence, but he’s also giving away a signed copy of his book Scrum Master: The Agile Training Seminar for Business Performance. Give Joe one word, and he just takes off.What you’ll discover in this show:- Japan has created a high-level state of safety and honor.- Artificial intelligence and machine learning can be incredibly useful in the future for predicting business opportunities- Epameinondas Anastasiou is a really hard name to pronounce for Joe Speakers:Joe JusticeAuthor of Scrum Master - The Agile Training Seminar for Business PerformanceJoe applied agile to automotive manufacturing in 2006, founding Team WIKISPEED, and set 4 world records. WIKISPEED became the first automotive manufacturer to accept Bitcoin in 2012, and was featured on the cover of Bitcoin Magazine issue #3. Joe Justice joined Tesla in 2020, where Joe operated Agile@Tesla from the company headquarters. Joe Justice is a TED.com speaker, guest lecturer at both MIT and Oxford University in England, featured in Forbes 5 times to date including as owner of a "Company to watch" by Forbes Billionaire Club, cited in more than 8 business paperbacks and hardcovers, the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary for his work creating the disciplines Extreme Manufacturing, Scrum@Hardware, and The Justice Method. Joe Justice founded WIKISPEED and operated Agile@Tesla from Tesla's Fremont, California global headquarters. Joe has worked with all 3 of the largest military and defense contractors, autonomous and smart road technologies, ultra-lightweight structures, AI labs, guest lectured at UC Berkeley, MIT, on behalf of Carnegie Melon, CU Denver, The University of Washington, spoken at Google, Microsoft, Zynga, Lockheed Martin, HP Labs, The Royal Bank of Canada, Pictet bank, and others. Joe's work has been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, CNN Money, the Discovery Channel, and others. Contact Joe Justice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joejustice/ Sander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is a business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement, or psychological safety, Sander is driven to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches, and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Find his book right here: https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Justice/e/B08RW4P8YN%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Watch Joe’s Tedx talk onSupport the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jun 9, 2021 • 52min
S01 E13 SPECIAL: Hard topics: beyond shame, trust, and burnouts with Patricia Kong
Abstract:In this special episode of the ‘Mastering Agility’ podcast, Patricia Kong and I have a conversation about topics that are close to both our hearts; shame, trust, and the experience of burning out. It seems that is the social standard to always say that everything is great, when asked how you’re doing. That real life should be like Instagram. The truth is; it’s not. Far from that. Working remotely impacts trust within teams. Shame affects your overall self-esteem. Burnouts are increasingly more common. Patricia is ruthlessly honest about her views and experience.What you’ll discover in this show:- Being open and transparent about how you feel is powerful- Understanding what feeds you energy on the workspace can prevent burnouts- The way others treat you might say more about them, than it says about you Speakers:Patricia KongOrganizational Agility, Innovation, Product Ownership | Speaker * Author * Coach * InstructorPatricia Kong is co-author of "The Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum" published by Pearson and a well-known public speaker and mentor. She is a co-developer of the Evidence-Based Management Framework for Business Agility and Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum. Patricia helps organizations thrive in a complex world by focusing on enterprise innovation and leadership and teams. She is a people advocate and fascinated by organizational behavior and misbehaviors. She emerged through the financial services industry and has led product development, product management and marketing for several early stage companies in the US and Europe. Patricia is experienced working with 1$B+ clients focusing on business development and delivery engagements. Patricia lived in France and now lives in her hometown of Boston. Patricia is fluent in 4 languages. Contact Patricia Kong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-kong-2238232/ https://twitter.com/pmoonk88?lang=enSander Dur (host)Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and podcast host for ‘Mastering Agility”Sander Dur is business agility enthusiast, with a passion for people. Whether it’s healthy product development, agile leadership, measurement or psychological safety, Sander has a drive to enable organizations to the best of their abilities. He is an avid article writer, working on a book about Scrum Mastery from the Trenches and is connecting listeners with the most influential people in the industry. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/ https://agilitymasters.com/en https://sander-dur.medium.com/ Additional resources: Join our respective talks at Scrum Day Europe! Feel free to reach out any time.Tickets available right here:https://www.scrumdayeurope.com/ Support the showContact us at:Masteringagility.orghttps://xebia.com/academy/nl/trainers/sander-durhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessammons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderdur/Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

7 snips
Jun 7, 2021 • 46min
S01 E12 Evidence Based Management with Patricia Kong
Patricia Kong, co-author of 'The Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum' and a speaker on enterprise innovation, discusses the transformative power of Evidence-Based Management (EBM) in agile organizations. She highlights the importance of frequent inspections and data collection for informed decision-making. Patricia explores how the pandemic reshaped community engagement and the role of coaching during crises. She emphasizes user behavior and employee well-being over mere feature additions, advocating for a culture of trust and collaboration to drive innovation and value.