Embracing Agility: Understanding the Product Mindset vs. Project Mindset and Connection to Professional Scrum

In recent years, many companies have shifted to an agile (their) way of working. Often, the focus has been on implementing a framework over existing processes in hopes of quick fixes. Over time, this approach reveals underlying problems, leading companies to make one of two choices: either addressing symptoms without solving root causes or evolving by removing the framework altogether.

Companies should ask themselves, "What is agility, and why do we need it?"

To me, agility means creating an environment and opportunities to continuously make better decisions. However, adopting agility doesn’t provide a solution; rather, it makes you aware of the challenges while hopefully focusing you on opportunities as you continuously engage in the empirical cycle of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Project vs. Product Mindset

Project Mindset:

Definition: Success is defined by internal metrics such as budget, scope, and time.

Challenges: This approach can lead to task management issues, organizational hand-offs, and micromanagement.

Scrum Perspective: This mindset often stifles innovation and team ownership, as it emphasizes following a plan over responding to change.

Product Mindset:

Definition: Success is measured by delivering value through products, driven by external metrics like user adoption, revenue, and cost savings per feature.

Benefits: This approach fosters creativity, reduces waste, and encourages frequent releases. It prioritizes objectives over tasks, enabling teams to innovate and take ownership.

Scrum Perspective: This mindset aligns closely with Scrum’s emphasis on delivering value incrementally and empowering teams to adapt based on feedback. It is deeply rooted in empiricism, where decisions are continuously informed by what is known, enhancing adaptability and value delivery.

Integrating the Product Mindset with Scrum Practices

Furthermore, adopting a solution-focused language can shift the discussion from focusing on "challenges" to highlighting the "opportunities" that arise from a product mindset. This positive and proactive approach encourages teams to embrace change more effectively.

Finally, the product mindset should be closely linked to the empirical feedback loop through events, such as Sprint Retrospectives. These events emphasize regular reflection and adaptation, which are critical for maintaining agility and consistently delivering high-quality products.

By embracing a product mindset and focusing on delivering value, your company can create a more agile and innovative environment. This aligns with Scrum principles, fostering continuous improvement and ensuring that teams are empowered to deliver high-quality products.