Agile transformation gone wrong? Learn how organizations often misuse the Scrum framework and end up demoralizing their teams.
Is Scrum Master a Full-Time Role?
Scrum Master… is it a full-time role? Discover what determines the answer and learn why it matters for a Scrum Team’s success.
What Does a Scrum Master Really Do?
Discover the role of a Scrum Master, and how they help Scrum Teams teams build products with the world’s most widely used agile framework.
Should Scrum Masters Assign Tasks?
Scrum Masters shouldn’t be micromanagers. Discover the hidden dangers of task assignment and the real role of a Scrum Master in the team.
Should Scrum Masters Create Tickets?
The relationship between Scrum Masters, self-organization of the Scrum Team, and the creation of stories and tasks.
Should Scrum Masters Know How to Code?
Should every Scrum Master know how to code? If you found yourself wondering about this question, here’s our expert take on the matter.
Do Product Owners Write User Stories?
Is the Product Owner the only one in charge of user stories? Get the inside scoop on who does what when it comes to backlog items.
When Should the Product Owner Accept User Stories?
Get the skinny on when to accept user stories as a Product Owner in a Scrum Team.
What Every Product Owner Should Know
Being a product owner can be tough, but with our guide to the competencies you need, you’ll be unstoppable.
The Definition of Done (DoD), Explained
If you want to learn about the Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum, we’ve broken it all down for you in this post.
What Does a Program Manager Do?
Want to learn about program management? We dive into the responsibilities, the skills, and the attributes of a program manager.
Director vs. Manager (The Differences)
Confused about the difference between a director and a manager? We may just have a good analogy to help you figure it out.
The 12 Agile Principles, Explained
Get your agile game on point with our breakdown of the 12 principles from the Agile Manifesto.
Should the Product Owner Attend the Daily Standup?
In this article, we’ll explore the question of whether or not the product owner should attend the daily standup in Scrum.
About the Definition of Ready
The Definition of Ready (DoR), explained. Here’s how to use and make the most of the DoR for your team.
What Are Story Points in Scrum?
Story points and velocity in Scrum, explained. Learn new ways to estimate effort and plan out your sprints.
Iterate vs. Increment: What You Need to Know
Learn about the difference between iteration and incrementation, and how the two play together in agile development.
How to Export Your Jira Backlog to Excel
We show you how to export your Jira project’s backlog in an Excel-friendly .CSV file, step by step and with screenshots.
How to Disable the Kanban Backlog in Jira
Here’s how to disable the Kanban backlog for your Jira project, step by step.
How to Show Sub-Tasks on Your Jira Board
Sub-tasks not showing up under your project’s stories? These fixes usually help.
Backlog Not Showing in Jira? (What to Do)
Whether you just created a Kanban project or changed your existing project and can’t see the link to the backlog in the sidebar, we’ve got you covered.
Tips for Cleaning Up Your Jira Backlog
That product backlog of yours is getting cluttered, huh? A power user shares his best tips for cleaning things up without making a mess.
How Big Should a Backlog Be?
Your backlog should be as big as you and your team need it to be. The real question is, how big does it need to be? How to find out.
How to Hide Completed Issues in Jira
Learn how to hide completed issues from your Jira backlog and boards, both automatically and manually.
Can You Have Two Backlogs in Jira?
To give you the long story short, you can’t. So let’s talk about your options, and when and how to use them.
Do Leaders Need Technical Skills?
Not necessarily. And yet having technical skills can help you be a better leader in more than one way… as long as you don’t let it get in your way!
Are Jira and Confluence the Same Thing?
Sometimes, you only need Jira. Other times, you want to use Jira and Confluence. Here’s why and when.
How to Run Parallel Sprints in Jira
Do you have two or more Scrum Teams working on the same backlog? Jira’s parallel sprints feature may come in handy.
Are Managers Intimidated by Smart Employees?
Managers shouldn’t be intimidated by smart employees, really. But that doesn’t mean that most don’t.
When Is the Best Time to Have a Meeting?
Trying to schedule a meeting with clients or coworkers across time zones? Here’s how to find the best time.
Do Leaders Need to Know Everything?
Why being a leader requires you to know what you know and know what you don’t know.
Can You Be a Manager Without Being a Leader?
Yes, you can. But then you have to focus on being a really good manager. So let’s talk about what it takes to do get there.
Can You Be a Leader and a Team Player?
You are a leader. And also a team player. But you’re not an individual contributor. Here’s why.
The Product Owner’s Career Path
From Jr. Product Owner to Chief Product Officer, we help you envision the path to career success.
Can You Be a Product Owner for Multiple Teams?
You can’t clone yourself, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work.
Should the Sprint Cadences in Scrum Overlap?
There’s a case for, and a case against, the Sprints of Scrum Teams overlapping. Here’s why—and how to decide.
Scrum Without a Product Owner (Mission: Impossible?)
Some situations are not prescribed in the Scrum Guide, but they still happen.
From Developer to Product Owner
It’s a change in mindset, approach, and the expectations toward you. Choose carefully.
Product Manager vs. Product Owner
On the product manager who got product ownership, and vice versa.
The 9 Most Insightful Metrics for Product Owners
These metrics will help you know your numbers and understand your customers.
Product Owner vs. Business Owner
One is accountable for the delivery of value; the other has a stake in its delivery.
Business Analyst vs. Product Owner
One role is for the analytical, and the other is for the decisive. Here’s why this matters, and why teams can benefit from having both.
Is Agile Only for Product Development?
The agile mindset is applicable to any product, service, or process. We explore why that is, and how it can be done.
Product Owner vs. Solution Architect
It’s time to demystify the roles of, and the relationship between, the Product Owner and Solution Architect in a Scrum Team.
A Day in the Life of a Product Owner
So you want to be a Product Owner? Here’s what your work life will look like on a Monday.
The Best Books on Agile Transformation
We’ve compiled this list of the absolute best books on agile transformation to assist you in your journey.
Should the Product Owner Be Technical?
Most Product Owners are not technical. But there’s an exception to every rule. Here’s when—and why—technicality becomes a requirement.
Can the Product Owner Be a Developer?
Yes, the Product Owner can also be a Developer in a Scrum Team. But it can create challenges for them and for their teammates.
Can the Product Owner Also Be the Scrum Master?
The Scrum Guide doesn’t explicitly forbid it. Nor does it endorse it as possible or best practice. Here’s our best thoughts on the topic.
Is Agile Timeboxed? (The Keys to Timeboxing)
Yes, agile is timeboxed. Timeboxing is the agile practice that makes the agile approach iterative in the first place. Here’s how it works.
Is the Product Owner the Customer of a Scrum Team?
The Product Owner is accountable to maximize the value of the work done. That doesn’t necessarily make them the customer. Here’s why.
Is Agile Training Worth It? (An Honest Take)
Yes, it is. As long as you pick the right trainer and group—and go into the course with your best attitude. Here’s why (and how).
Why Agile Isn’t a Silver Bullet
One of our many biases as human beings is to, every now and then, confuse the means (the approach; what we need to get somewhere) with the ends (the destination;…
The 8 Best Books on Agile (Our Favorite Picks)
When I talk about agile with friends and peers, I often get asked, “If you could recommend one book on the topic to me, which one would it be?” Indeed,…
How Kanban Works (The Only Introduction You’ll Ever Need)
Kanban is a process improvement method that can help you to visualize your workflow and the work items that pass through it. Here’s how.
Can Agile Only Be Used for Software Development?
If you’re just getting started with agile and you don’t work in IT, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, “Can agile only be used for software…
Can the Product Owner Change the Sprint Backlog?
One of the long-standing myths among agilists is that the Sprint Backlog can’t change during an active sprint. Once it has been agreed on between the Product Owner and the…
How Leadership Can Embrace Agile
In organizations who are well ahead on their agile journeys, a network of self-organized teams aligns and delivers toward a common set of vision, mission, and goals—which are set and…
A List of 50+ Agile Practices
From OKRs and value streams to epics, themes, and stories, we compiled a list of over 50 agile practices that you—and your team—need to know about.
All You Could Possibly Want to Know About Scrum
We answer the most searched-for questions about the Scrum framework on the Internet. And give you our 2¢ on how to best use it.
Is Agile Coach and Scrum Master the Same Role?
Though both of them do agile coaching, there some very important differences between their scope and experience. Here’s what they are.
How Can an Agile Team Be Customer Value Focused?
Though there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to delivering customer value, here are the best ones that you can use to get started.
What Is the Role of the Business Analyst in Agile?
The Business Analyst helps the agile team to elicit, analyze, and capture business needs and customer requirements. Here’s how.
Can Agile and Waterfall Co-Exist?
The reality in many organizations is that they already do. Here’s how leaders can make the best of both project management worlds.
Agile Development Can Be Scaled (And Here’s How)
One of the myths in the agile community is that agile development cannot be scaled. Just look up the topic online, and you’ll come across heated debates about whether or…
Is Kaizen Agile? (The Agilist’s Guide to Kaizen)
Kaizen is a practice that comes from lean manufacturing. And it translates to continuous improvement in agile. Here’s how to use it.
What Is Agile Leadership? (The Agile Leader’s Guide)
Agile leadership is about letting go of traditional top-down, command-control management. Here’s where (and how) to get started.
Can You Use Agile and Scrum Interchangeably?
Here’s an interesting question that I got asked recently: “Can agile and Scrum be used interchangeably?” Based on how much you know about agile and Scrum, and who you’re reading,…
Can Agile Apply to IT Outsourcing?
Many companies right now are going through agile transformations. The goal of practically every agile transformation is to create a network of self-organised teams that work in an iterative and…
Can Agile Have Deadlines?
Many agile practitioners think that an agile approach isn’t useful for deadlines and target/delivery dates. Why that’s not quite the case.
What Can Agile Methods Be Used For?
One thing people often get wrong about agile is that it’s an approach created by the software development community that only software developers and technology companies can use. To say…
Can You Do Agile Without Scrum?
Yes, you can do agile without Scrum. Agile is a mindset, whereas Scrum is a framework — and one of the ways in which to practice agile.
Can a Sprint Be Extended in Scrum? (Is It Agile to Do So?)
No, an active sprint can’t be extended. Like the hours on a clock or dates on a calendar, the sprint is just a timebox. What to do instead.
How an Agile Mindset Can Help a Company Succeed
Agile is a mindset that consists of 4 values and 12 principles, which give birth to an infinite number of practices. Agile began in 2001, when 17 software development thought…
So How New Is Agile, Actually?
Agile started in 2001 and quickly grew into the de-facto software development and management organizational paradigm.
Is Agile a Framework or Methodology?
Agile is everywhere. Top consulting firms like McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group are helping some of the biggest companies in the world go through agile transformations. The fastest-growing…
Can Agile Be Used in Operations?
I recently coached someone who had achieved great results as a Product Owner in their company. Thanks to a reorg, they recently got promoted to a role in charge for…
Who Can Learn Agile? Is It Only for Software Developers?
One question I often get asked when speaking about agile with others, especially when they don’t work in IT, is “Who can learn agile? Is it just for software developers?”
Can Agile Be Used for Production Support?
Can agile be used for production support? I once got asked this question as I was working with an IT service team that was tasked to keep several business-critical systems…
Is Agile Coach a Good Career? (What You Need to Know)
Someone asked on an internet forum I follow if becoming an Agile Coach is a good career move. I think it’s a very reasonable question. Making a career move is…
Is Agile Hype? What They Won’t Tell You About Agile
On the cover of every business magazine is a CEO who wants to make their company more adaptive and innovative. In every boardroom is a consultant from the Big Three…
What Is Agile Experience? Prepare for Your Next Interview
If you’re applying for a job that has anything to do with agile, especially in the Information Technology (IT) field, you’ll see this requirement on almost every posting: “the candidate…
