Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Vasco Duarte, Agile Coach, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Product Owner
Every week day, Certified Scrum Master, Agile Coach and business consultant Vasco Duarte interviews Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches from all over the world to get you actionable advice, new tips and tricks, improve your craft as a Scrum Master with daily doses of inspiring conversations with Scrum Masters from the all over the world. Stay tuned for BONUS episodes when we interview Agile gurus and other thought leaders in the business space to bring you the Agile Business perspective you need to succeed as a Scrum Master.
Some of the topics we discuss include: Agile Business, Agile Strategy, Retrospectives, Team motivation, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Backlog Refinement, Scaling Scrum, Lean Startup, Test Driven Development (TDD), Behavior Driven Development (BDD), Paper Prototyping, QA in Scrum, the role of agile managers, servant leadership, agile coaching, and more!
Some of the topics we discuss include: Agile Business, Agile Strategy, Retrospectives, Team motivation, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Backlog Refinement, Scaling Scrum, Lean Startup, Test Driven Development (TDD), Behavior Driven Development (BDD), Paper Prototyping, QA in Scrum, the role of agile managers, servant leadership, agile coaching, and more!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 19, 2025 • 18min
Managing The Network of Promises in Lean Construction | Luca Cotta Ramusino
Luca Cotta Ramusino, a Lean advocate in construction guiding agile transformations, discusses the concept of the 'network of promises.' He defines success in Lean construction through metrics like the Percentage of Plan Complete and emphasizes the importance of clarity in project commitments. Luca introduces his unique 'Reflect and Disinfect' retrospective format, encouraging teams to learn from daily experiences. He highlights the need for a shared understanding of project completion to enhance collaboration and improve overall performance.
Jun 18, 2025 • 14min
The Parade of Trades—Teaching Flow in Construction | Luca Cotta Ramusino
Luca Cotta Ramusino, a Lean advocate with a rich background in construction, shares insights on agile transformation. He emphasizes the importance of buy-in from crews by demonstrating the personal benefits of Lean methods. His innovative 'Parade of Trades' simulation reveals how synchronization and predictability can outperform sheer speed in construction projects. Luca also discusses fostering team independence and internal expertise, cautioning against reliance on external consultants. His approach encourages self-reflection on making change practical and valuable.
Jun 17, 2025 • 19min
The Culture Shock of Applying Agile and Lean to Construction | Luca Cotta Ramusino
Luca Cotta Ramusino, a Lean advocate with a rich background in construction, shares his insights on integrating Agile methods into the industry. He discusses the initial culture shock he faced when adapting manufacturing principles to construction's unique challenges. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration over competition and how visual management can enhance efficiency. Luca emphasizes the need for shared goals among diverse teams to prioritize the customer’s needs, alongside the transformative power of Lean thinking in construction.
Jun 16, 2025 • 15min
Tackling the Specialist-silo Problem in Agile Construction | Luca Cotta Ramusino
Luca Cotta Ramusino, a Lean advocate with deep roots in the construction sector, shares fascinating insights from over 20 years in the industry. He reveals how crews often misidentify the real challenge, focusing on skills instead of readiness of the work environment. Emphasizing the chaos of multitasking jobs in construction, Luca discusses strategies for enhancing collaboration among siloed teams. He also highlights the importance of showing tradespeople the personal benefits of effective teamwork, ultimately leading to better project outcomes.
Jun 13, 2025 • 17min
The Ghost Product Owner vs. The Storytelling Master | Stuart Tipples
Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and Scrum Master, shares his insights on product ownership. He contrasts effective Product Owners with poor ones, like the 'Ghost with the Most,' who disappears during crucial meetings. The importance of storytelling shines through as he explains how one exceptional PO engaged the team by creating compelling narratives that clarified the project vision. Stuart emphasizes direct communication and regular check-ins as essential tools for Scrum Masters to enhance team dynamics and foster successful collaboration.
Jun 12, 2025 • 15min
Happy Teams Embrace Obstacles—Building Psychological Safety Through Retrospectives | Stuart Tipples
In this discussion with Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and Scrum Master, we dive into redefining success for Scrum Masters by prioritizing team dynamics over metrics. Stuart shares insights on the 4L's retrospective format, which balances warmth with honest feedback, promoting psychological safety and engagement. He emphasizes how happy teams embrace challenges and cultivate self-reflection to build trust. Happy teams, he argues, thrive by transforming obstacles into opportunities, fostering a culture of empowerment and collaboration.
Jun 11, 2025 • 16min
Leading Change Without Hierarchical Power | Stuart Tipples
Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and Scrum Master passionate about empowering teams, shares insights on leading change without hierarchical power. He discusses his experience building a community of practice and the effectiveness of engaging leadership in retrospectives, which inspired teams across the organization. Stuart emphasizes the contagion effect of change, highlighting the importance of daily presence as a change agent and fostering collaboration over isolation in leadership.
Jun 10, 2025 • 17min
Trust-Based Leadership and Team Implosion | Stuart Tipples
Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and Scrum Master, reveals his insights into team dynamics and trust-based leadership. He shares a cautionary tale of a seemingly functional team that fell into toxic positivity, masking critical issues until they erupted in conflict. Stuart emphasizes the necessity of psychological safety and normalizing disagreement to foster honest dialogue. He also recommends 'Trust Based Leadership' by Mike Ettore for its straightforward approach to building trust over mere compliance, essential for effective leadership.
Jun 9, 2025 • 15min
Breaking Free from Zombie Scrum | Stuart Tipples
In this enlightening discussion, Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and agile delivery expert, shares his insights on breaking free from 'zombie scrum.' He recounts his experience with teams stuck in performative practices and underscores the crucial shift from process compliance to genuine agile thinking. Stuart emphasizes the role of Scrum Masters in nurturing team dynamics and fostering collaboration. His mantra? Embrace agile values over rigid frameworks, ensuring real engagement rather than just going through the motions.
6 snips
Jun 6, 2025 • 19min
The No-Scroll Bar Rule—Empowering PO's Through Constraints | Joel Bancroft-Connors
Joel Bancroft-Connors, known as The Gorilla Coach, shares his expertise as a Certified Scrum Trainer and Agile disruptor. He discusses the transformative power of complementary skills in team dynamics, highlighting a successful collaboration between a business expert and a designer acting as Product Owner. Joel warns against the pitfalls of documentation-heavy approaches from Business Analysts, arguing that empowering developers to innovate is key. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding the 'why' behind Agile practices for effective implementation.
