Agile for Humans with Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller

Agile for Humans, LLC

A Podcast Devoted to Agile Product Delivery

  • 5 minutes 36 seconds
    Scrum Myth or Fact #1 - The Scrum Master is responsible for the personal growth of the developers

    The video is part of a series in which hosts Todd Miller, and Ryan Ripley discuss common myths or facts about Scrum, encouraging viewers to participate by commenting on their opinions before watching the response.

    🔍 Today's Myth or Fact: "The Scrum Master is responsible for the personal growth of the developers."

    Todd and Ryan agree that the statement is a myth, emphasizing that personal growth and development are individual responsibilities, not the Scrum Master's.

    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    2 May 2024, 8:40 am
  • 15 minutes 8 seconds
    Lavaneesh Gautam's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

    Lavaneesh Gautam, a professional scrum trainer, shares his journey to becoming a Scrum Master on the "Becoming a Scrum Master" podcast with host Ryan Ripley.


    Gautam 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 methodology 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.


    🔔 Stay tuned for more episodes filled with expert knowledge and intriguing discussions. We encourage you to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Your input is valuable to our community, and we often feature your inquiries in our future videos!


    👍 Found this episode enlightening? Please LIKE and SHARE it with your network to spread the knowledge!


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 May 2024, 6:40 am
  • 9 minutes 21 seconds
    Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 13 - Self-Managing Teams Rock

    Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.


    The thirteenth statement from Ken:


    "Self-managing teams are extremely productive. When they work closely with the customer to derive the best solution to a need, they and the customer are even more productive."


    Self-Managing Teams' Productivity: The episode emphasizes that self-managing teams are highly productive, especially when they work closely with customers to find the best solutions. This collaboration enhances productivity for both the team and the customer.


    Autonomy and Team Ownership: The discussion highlights the benefits of autonomy in team settings. Teams that own their work without constant oversight tend to produce higher-quality results. This autonomy is linked to increased productivity and satisfaction.


    Resistance to Coercion in Workplaces: Current trends show resistance to coercive work environments, where employees are forced into specific work arrangements. Organizations enforcing strict mandates often face challenges like talent loss, emphasizing the need for trusting professional teams to self-organize and manage their work.


    Customer Inclusion and Empathy: It is vital to include customers in the development process. Direct interaction between teams and customers fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of real customer needs, leading to more effective solutions.


    Skill Development for Teamwork: The episode underscores the importance of developing teamwork skills. Teams need to learn how to self-manage effectively. While this isn't an inherent skill for everyone, with the right coaching and environment, teams can achieve high levels of productivity and impact.


    👉 Follow our journey through all 15 insights in Ken Schwaber's white paper, revealing the enduring relevance of Scrum principles.


    💬 Share your perspectives in the comments and remember to like and subscribe for more in-depth Scrum discussions. 🔔


    🔗 Here is the original white paper: https://www.verheulconsultants.nl/ScrumIsHardandDisruptive.pdf


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1




    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 April 2024, 7:00 am
  • 16 minutes 36 seconds
    John Riley's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

    Coming from a development background, John Riley first encountered scrum around 2004, initially attracted to it due to its focus on agility and better project outcomes. Despite an early failure in an agile transformation attempt due to limited understanding and lack of support, he remained interested in Scrum.


    Shift to Scrum Master Role: Riley's profound engagement with Scrum began in 2010 while working on a banking application. Impressed by the effectiveness of a scrum environment and inspired by the scrum master of his team, he decided to pursue the scrum master role himself, taking over after the departure of the original scrum master.


    Eureka Moment and Evolution in Approach: Riley's approach to scrum evolved significantly after a candid conversation with team members who felt he was too rigid in his methods. This led to his realization that scrum is a flexible framework rather than a strict set of rules, prompting him to adopt a more observational and indirect coaching style.


    Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters: He emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor for guidance and challenges, advocating for a mindset open to learning and adapting. Riley also suggests pairing up with someone experienced to better understand the agile and scrum mindsets.


    Book Recommendation and Conclusion: Riley recommends "Drive" by Daniel Pink as a crucial read for scrum masters, highlighting its insights into leadership and motivation. He underscores the importance of intrinsic motivation in the scrum master role.

    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 April 2024, 9:40 am
  • 34 minutes 53 seconds
    Agile is Mostly Internally Focused

    Todd Miller, Will Seele, and Ryan Ripley discuss Agile's internal (organizational) focus and the gap left by not addressing the Value component of Product Management and delivery.


    In this Episode:


    Internal Focus of Agile: The discussion, led by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley, challenges the common perception of Agile as customer-centric and value-oriented, proposing instead that Agile is predominantly focused on internal processes and organizational matters rather than directly benefiting customers.


    Agile Manifesto Analysis: The Agile Manifesto and its principles, when examined, emphasize team interactions, working software, and adapting to change but lack explicit directives that prioritize customer value or tangible benefits for the customer.


    Evolution and Additions to Agile: Over time, various frameworks like Scrum, XP, Kanban, and others have evolved under the umbrella of Agile, incorporating aspects like customer centricity and iterative development. However, these are seen as additions to the core Agile philosophy, which remains internally focused.


    Evidence-Based Management Connection: The conversation transitions to evidence-based management and its potential integration with Agile. This approach aims to complement Agile by introducing a more outward, value-driven focus, assessing Agile’s impact on customers and market performance.


    Insufficiency of Agile Alone: The presenters conclude that while Agile methodologies are crucial, they are insufficient to ensure organizational success. They stress the need to balance Agile's internal process focus and external value delivery, advocating for a continuous evaluation of Agile's effectiveness and alignment with strategic goals.


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 April 2024, 8:00 am
  • 17 minutes 49 seconds
    Andrii Glushchenko's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

    Andrii Glushchenko shares his unconventional journey into Scrum mastery. Glushchenko became a Scrum Master at 20 while working in an outsourcing company during the 2014-2015 Ukraine war. Initially a recruiter, his interest in Scrum was piqued by parallels he drew between the Scrum Master role and his basketball point guard experience.


    Challenges of Starting Without Knowledge: Glushchenko candidly admits that starting as a Scrum Master without proper knowledge was not ideal, as it led to wasting company resources while he learned on the job. He emphasizes that this approach is not recommended and underscores the importance of having a technical background and understanding of Scrum principles.


    Evolution of Understanding and Practice: Over time, Glushchenko's perception and execution of the Scrum Master role evolved significantly. He initially thought the role was limited to ensuring Scrum works at the team level. Still, he later realized it encompasses helping the entire company achieve its goals through Scrum implementation, involving change and operational management.


    Continuous Learning and Impact-Driven Approach: He highlights the necessity of constant learning, celebrating small victories, and being impact-driven. Glushchenko shares how he approaches problems by assessing the cost of fixing them against the potential gain, focusing on impactful changes.


    Advice for Aspiring Scrum Masters and Further Insights: Glushchenko advises aspiring Scrum Masters to understand the accountability and dedication required for the role. He recommends being diligent and constantly improving oneself. He also stresses the importance of supporting Ukraine in its current crisis, linking his personal background to broader global issues.

    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1





    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 April 2024, 8:10 am
  • 20 minutes 39 seconds
    Becky Savill's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Becky Savill's journey to becoming a Scrum Master began nearly 10 years ago when, after six months of programming, her boss suggested she might be better suited to the role, despite her lack of prior knowledge about Scrum.


    Her boss recognized her passion lay not in coding but in solving team problems and working effectively together, leading her to dive deep into Scrum Mastering.


    A pivotal moment in Savill's career was during a Sprint retrospective, where a team member questioned the purpose of the meeting. The team's response, highlighting the positive changes and improvements made through Scrum, solidified her belief in Scrum's effectiveness.


    Over the years, Savill's understanding of being a Scrum Master evolved from focusing on the mechanics of Scrum to understanding its deeper purpose and ensuring it becomes a sustainable practice within teams.


    Savill emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and practical application in the Scrum Master role, advising aspiring Scrum Masters to engage actively in their professional development beyond just consuming knowledge.


    🔔 Stay tuned for more episodes filled with expert knowledge and intriguing discussions. We encourage you to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Your input is valuable to our community, and we often feature your inquiries in our future videos!


    👍 Found this episode enlightening? Please LIKE and SHARE it with your network to spread the knowledge!


    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 April 2024, 9:10 am
  • 9 minutes 30 seconds
    Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 12 - Maximize Value

    Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.


    The twelfth statement from Ken:


    "Managing a release or project to deliver only the highest value functionality and not deliver the rest optimizes value [and] is the job of product management and customers."


    The 12th episode of "Scrum is Hard and Disruptive" discusses the importance of delivering only high-value functionality in project management, emphasizing the role of product management and customer input.


    The hosts, Todd and Ryan, stress the need for product owners to say "no" to unnecessary features, highlighting the importance of avoiding waste and focusing on what's truly needed.


    They discuss using Evidence-Based Management (EBM) to validate the usefulness of features in production and advocate for objective decision-making in product development.


    The episode touches on the customer's responsibility in the development process, encouraging their involvement and accountability in deciding the essential features.


    The conversation also covers the importance of being ruthless in backlog management, akin to Steve Jobs with the iPhone, and the value of saying "not yet" to lower-priority items to maximize return on investment.


    👉 Follow our journey through all 15 insights in Ken Schwaber's white paper, revealing the enduring relevance of Scrum principles.


    💬 Share your perspectives in the comments and remember to like and subscribe for more in-depth Scrum discussions. 🔔


    🔗 Here is the original white paper: https://www.verheulconsultants.nl/ScrumIsHardandDisruptive.pdf


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 April 2024, 9:50 am
  • 15 minutes 53 seconds
    Jenny Tarwater's Journey to Scrum Mastery | Expert Insights & Tips

    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org training courses: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc


    Jenny Tarwater shares her journey into Scrum during an episode of "Becoming a Scrum Master" hosted by Ryan Ripley. She recalls her initial struggles at a large telecommunication company, where her early approach nearly led to her dismissal. Discovering a book on Scrum and Agile, she began applying these methodologies, transforming chaos into order with seven teams and exceeding stakeholder expectations within three sprints.


    Tarwater emphasizes the importance of collaboration and listening. She recounts a pivotal moment in a coaching class when she learned the value of not just being an expert but also understanding the perspectives of those within the organization. This experience shaped her approach to Scrum, highlighting the necessity of teamwork and context.


    Her perspective on the Scrum Master role evolved over time, and she stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different organizations have varying needs, such as predictability, innovation, or quality, which require tailored approaches. She notes the challenge of adapting to other organizational structures and understanding each organization's problems.


    Tarwater advises aspiring Scrum Masters to prioritize continual learning and listening. She emphasizes the ever-evolving nature of knowledge in the field, suggesting that one should never stop learning and adapting.


    She recommends two books: "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" for its insights into team dynamics and another unnamed but highly recommended book for Scrum Masters.


    🔔 Stay tuned for more episodes filled with expert knowledge and intriguing discussions. We encourage you to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Your input is valuable to our community, and we often feature your inquiries in our future videos!


    👍 Found this episode enlightening? Please LIKE and SHARE it with your network to spread the knowledge!


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 April 2024, 8:20 am
  • 8 minutes 18 seconds
    Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 11 - Scrum is Harder than Waterfall

    Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.


    The eleventh statement from Ken:


    "Iterative, incremental development is much harder than waterfall development; everything that was hard in waterfall engineering practices now has to be done every iteration, which is incredibly hard. It is not impossible, but has to be worked toward over time."


    Iterative and incremental development in Scrum is more challenging than traditional waterfall development, requiring constant attention to engineering practices and frequent iterations.


    Extensive upfront design and architecture planning in waterfall development is believed to reduce future risks. However, software development often leads to outdated designs as customer needs and market conditions change over time.


    Scrum emphasizes quick decision-making on basic architecture, like frameworks and databases, while building the product incrementally. It demands disciplined, professional attention to ongoing architectural and design decisions in response to evolving customer demands.


    The Scrum approach challenges traditional development models like waterfall, where work often expands to fill the allotted time, leading to over-engineered solutions. Scrum requires a shift in mindset, focusing more on doing and building features rather than extensive planning and discussion.


    Adopting Scrum effectively requires gradual, sustained effort to improve engineering practices and architecture. Teams and organizations need to develop this skill set over time, including a solid understanding of their definition of "done" to reflect the maturity of their Scrum implementation.


    👉 Follow our journey through all 15 insights in Ken Schwaber's white paper, revealing the enduring relevance of Scrum principles.


    💬 Share your perspectives in the comments and remember to like and subscribe for more in-depth Scrum discussions. 🔔


    🔗 Here is the original white paper: https://www.verheulconsultants.nl/ScrumIsHardandDisruptive.pdf


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 April 2024, 8:00 am
  • 8 minutes 35 seconds
    Scrum is Hard and Disruptive 10 - Leave Scrum Along

    Ryan and Todd look back at a 2006 post by Ken Schwaber, which covers 15 ways Scrum is both hard and disruptive.


    The tenth statement from Ken:


    "Scrum is not a methodology that needs enhancing. That is how we got into trouble in the first place, thinking that the problem was not having a perfect methodology. Effort centers on the changes in the enterprise that is needed."


    Scrum's Nature and Misunderstandings: The discussion emphasizes that Scrum is not a methodology needing enhancement, as attempting to perfect it led to initial troubles. It’s highlighted that Scrum is a framework, not a methodology, and should not be altered excessively.


    Scrum's Simplicity and Accessibility: When Compared to more complex methodologies and frameworks, Scrum’s guide is concise (13 pages), making it easily understandable without the need for extensive training, unlike more elaborate methods that require significant learning and interpretation.


    Adaptability and Contextual Use of Scrum: The speakers discuss the importance of adapting Scrum practices based on specific team and project contexts. They share personal experiences where certain practices were effective in one situation but not in another, illustrating Scrum’s flexibility and the need for situational awareness.


    Evolution of the Scrum Framework: The evolution of Scrum is discussed, noting that over time, the framework has become more streamlined, with a focus on removing unnecessary elements rather than adding new ones. This evolution aims to prevent dogmatic adherence to processes and encourage teams to focus on the intent of each Scrum event.


    Focus on Organizational Change Over Scrum Modification: The conversation shifts to the idea that efforts should be directed toward changing organizational structures and practices that hinder agility, rather than trying to improve Scrum itself. Emphasis is placed on overcoming organizational impediments to enhance the delivery of value to customers and gain competitive advantages.


    👉 Follow our journey through all 15 insights in Ken Schwaber's white paper, revealing the enduring relevance of Scrum principles.


    💬 Share your perspectives in the comments and remember to like and subscribe for more in-depth Scrum discussions. 🔔


    🔗 Here is the original white paper: https://www.verheulconsultants.nl/ScrumIsHardandDisruptive.pdf


    🔗 Join Ryan & Todd's Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc

    Explore more:

    📖 "Unlocking Business Agility with Evidence-Based Management: Satisfy Customers and Improve Organizational Effectiveness" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/4690qJy

    📖 "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" on Amazon -- https://amzn.to/46dAQTC

    ✅ Subscribe to this channel for Agile, Scrum, and Kanban insights: https://www.youtube.com/agileforhumans?sub_confirmation=1


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 April 2024, 7:30 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App
© MoonFM 2024. All rights reserved.