Food for Agile Thought #443: Scrum Theory, Beating the Feature Factory, We’re All Product Managers Now
Stefan Wolpers
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TL; DR: Scrum Theory?—?Food for Agile Thought?#443
Welcome to the 443rd edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 42,551 peers. This week, Francis Laleman reconsiders Scrum’s theory, appreciating its robust foundation in empiricism and lean thinking, and Jeff Putz advocates for Agile’s practical value over procedural adherence. Also, Todd Lankford outlines steps to enhance team autonomy and leadership. Verena Schwarzer discusses Agile’s challenges in large organizations, while Chris Matts critiques superficial Agile implementations, particularly the ineffective “Go/No Go” meetings that typify “Agile Kabuki.”
Then, Melissa Perri and Stephen Bungay apply military tactics to product management strategy, discussing daily challenges and solutions, and David Pereira and Maarten Dalmijn advocate for impactful, humble planning over quantity to escape the feature factory trap. Moreover, Michael H. Goitein highlights strategy as crucial for business agility, citing Nokia’s focus on Agile without a strategic foundation as a cautionary tale. Jeff Gothelf argues for unifying roles in product development, suggesting everyone should be a product manager to enhance collaboration.
Lastly, John Cutler interviews Gene Kim about his latest work, ‘Wiring the Winning Organization,’ focusing on simplification and impactful change themes. Lena Reinhard offers strategies for leaders to manage overwhelming workloads, and Simone Cicero presents a manifesto for adaptable, innovative platform organizations suited for the 21st century. Also, Shane Parrish discusses how the differing schedules of Haruki Murakami and Gary Vaynerchuk reflect their unique professional demands. Finally, Andrew Chen critiques the tech industry’s “Dopamine Culture,” highlighting the challenge of balancing instant engagement with lasting retention.
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?? The Tip of the Week: Scrum?Theory
(via Medium): About the Theory of Scrum. (according to The Scrum?Guide)
Initially, Francis Laleman dismisses Scrum as flimsy due to its simplicity but later realizes its foundation on empiricism and lean thinking provides a robust framework for adaptive, value-driven teamwork.
?? Lemon of the?Week
(via CIO.com): Scrum master certification: Top 13 certs for agile?pros
The authors claim a Scrum Master certification proves your ability to lead Agile teams. They list the top 13 certifications but fail to mention that true agility isn’t about certificates.
? Agile &?Scrum
Jeff Putz: I was wrong about ‘agile’ software development
Jeff Putz reflects on Agile software development, criticizing its formalized processes and advocating for practical, value-driven approaches that prioritize delivery over ceremony and emphasize adaptability, estimation accuracy, and context.
Author: Jeff Putz
Todd Lankford (via Medium): How I Overcame a Toxic Management Belief to Unleash Team?Autonomy
Todd Lankford shares five steps to build a problem-solving culture by promoting team autonomy: celebrate problems, visit team spaces, model problem-solving, practice collaboratively, and implement intent-driven leadership.
Author: Todd Lankford
(via ThoughtWorks): Ineffective scaled agile: How to ensure agile delivers in complex?systems
Verena Schwarzer highlights the challenges of agile delivery in large organizations, recommending avoiding technical-focused requirements, aligning team structures with value creation, empowering product owners, and tracking outcomes through lightweight governance.
Simone Cicero (via Boundaryless): A Manifesto for the Platform Organization
Simone Cicero outlines a manifesto for platform organizations, emphasizing four beliefs and eleven design principles to foster adaptability, innovation, and an entrepreneurial spirit, which are essential for thriving in 21st-century markets.
Author: Simone Cicero
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?? Stephen Bungay and Melissa Perri (via Produx Labs): Applying Military Tactics to Strategy Execution with Author Stephen?Bungay
Melissa Perri and Stephen Bungay discuss applying military tactics to strategy execution, addressing everyday struggles and solutions for product management teams.
Authors: Stephen Bungay and Melissa Perri
?? David Pereira and Maarten Dalmijn: How Humble Plans Can Beat the Feature?Factory
David Pereira and Maarten Dalmijn discuss how humble planning and focusing on impact over quantity can help product teams overcome the feature factory mindset. They emphasize proactive relationships, focused Sprint Goals, and fast iteration.
Authors: David Pereira and Maarten Dalmijn
Michael Goitein (via Medium): Here’s why Strategy, not Agile, is the missing key to Business?Agility
Michael H. Goitein argues that strategy, not Agile, is key to business agility. Nokia’s downfall illustrates how focusing solely on Agile can lead to failure without a solid strategic foundation.
Author: Michael Goitein
Jeff Gothelf: We are all product managers?now
Jeff Gothelf argues that dividing roles between product managers, Product Owners, and business analysts reduces collaboration and shared understanding. Today, everyone involved in product development should be considered a product manager.
Source: We are all product managers now
Author: Jeff Gothelf
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?? Concepts, Tools & Measuring
?? John Cutler and Gene Kim: Sociotechnical Maestros
John Cutler interviews Gene Kim. They discuss his latest book ‘Wiring the Winning Organization,’ co-written with Steven Spear, and its impactful themes of slowification, simplification, and amplification.
Source: ?? Sociotechnical Maestros
Authors: John Cutler and Gene Kim
(via The New Stack): Dealing With Chaos: A Guide for Leaders Feeling Overwhelmed at?Work
Lena Reinhard provides tips for leaders feeling overwhelmed by urgent tasks, constant meetings, and high ambiguity. She suggests identifying core needs, managing energy, and seeking support to handle chaos effectively.
Shane Parrish (via Farnam Street): Maker vs. Manager: How Your Schedule Can Make or Break?You
Shane Parrish contrasts the schedules of novelist Haruki Murakami and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk to illustrate how different work requires different time management strategies for success.
Author: Shane Parrish
Chris Matts: Failureship and Risk Management Theatre
Chris Matts highlights “Agile Kabuki,” where agile techniques reveal issues but are ignored, exemplified by “Go/No Go” meetings that delay progress without real impact, showcasing ineffective risk management theater.
Author: Chris Matts
?? Encore
Andrew Chen: How novelty effects and Dopamine Culture rule the tech?industry
Andrew Chen explores how the tech industry’s “Dopamine Culture” and novelty effects drive short-term engagement but often result in poor retention, urging tech products to balance instant gratification with long-term usefulness.
Author: Andrew Chen
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?? I help Product Owners, Product Managers, Scrum Masters & Agile Coaches Grow w/ Classes, Courses, Books & Community. ?? Author of the ”Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide;” ??Trainer at Scrum.org; ?? Book a 1-on-1; talk chances!
4 个月Michael Goitein, Francis Laleman, Todd Lankford, and Simone Cicero, thank you so much for your work! ??
Product, Strategy, Continuous Discovery & Content
4 个月Thanks for including my latest in this roundup of stellar thought leadership, Stefan Wolpers ??
conceptual art and experience design practitioner & teacher, participatory design, cooperative learning, non-conventional facilitation, systems, agile communities, Sanskrit & Pali studies
4 个月Thank you for curating these insightful lists of yours, and for appreciating my piece on the Scrum Theory chapter in The Scrum Guide, Stefan Wolpers, much appreciated.
CEO at Boundaryless | Business Strategy, Organization Design | Creator of the Platform Design Toolkit in 2013 | Thinkers50 Radar 2020
4 个月Thanks, Stefan! much appreciated :)
On the Relentless Pursuit of Lean Leverage | Driven to help managers and their product teams maximize outcomes while respecting people.
4 个月Thank you for including my article on overcoming a toxic management belief to build team autonomy. I’m honored!