Being a great Scrum Master is all about balance. The Scrum Master coaches the team in self-management, but they also are responsible for helping the team focus on value by improving the adoption of the Scrum framework and removing organizational impediments. They ensure that the Scrum events are positive, productive and kept within the time box, but they don't have to attend every meeting.

A strong Product Owner can successfully work with multiple Scrum teams—especially when those teams are truly cross-functional and aligned around a shared product or value stream.

If your Product Backlog contains hundreds of items - many that are years old - and even the Product Owner isn’t sure what all is in there, it may be time to do some clean-up.

One of the great things about Scrum that is not talked about enough is the fact that — done well — Scrum is an engine for continuous improvement.

When a Product Owner spends most of their time writing detailed user stories, they may be focused too much on the tactical work of their job while neglecting product strategy.

If your AI has read-only access to your email, Teams messages, and calendar, try starting every morning with these questions:

I keep my "to do" list in AI

Great Scrum Masters pick their battles. You can’t fix everything at once. Sometimes you have to pace yourself. But where do you start? Here are some of the first things I look at when I am thinking about how to improve the adoption of Scrum. 1. The Scrum Values This one is the most important - even if it is a "soft" skill. Respect, Focus, Openness, Courage, and Commitment aren’t just words. They are the foundation that makes everything else possible. Because Scrum is a

When you modify Scrum, you’re usually hiding problems.

A fictional - but realistic "day in the life of a Product Owner" is provided below. Last night I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about how to get a key stakeholder on board with my proposed approach for the product. This morning I met with them. The meeting went well. They smiled, nodded, and said they agreed with the plan. By the afternoon, I found out they were already taking actions behind the scenes to undermine it. Welcome to being a Product Owner. The Real Work After th

The Product Owner exists for one reason: to maximize value. That means creating and maintaining a clear vision, setting strategy, making tough prioritization decisions, and ensuring the team is always working on the most important things. This is real strategic work. It’s hard to do it well when the role is treated as a part-time side job. You have an entire team of developers working full-time to build the product. Doesn’t it make sense to have someone fully focused on decid

Sprint after Sprint, a lot of work remained unfinished at the end of the Sprint. Instead of returning that work to the Product Backlog or discussing next steps at the following Sprint Planning event, the vendor simply left the previous Sprint open. At any given time there might be four or five Sprints open for the same Scrum team. Don’t do this!

If you’re bringing in an external vendor to do Agile software development, you need to set things up so that you’re not stuck with poor performance and big bills. Here are a few practical tips I’ve learned the hard way.

I used to roll my eyes when highly-paid consultants would stand in front of leadership and say things like “Agile is a mindset” or “We need an Agile mindset shift.” But damn it… they were right. There really is an Agile mindset. And if you’re using Scrum without it, you’re most likely just going through the motions. And you could be leaving a lot of value on the table - not to mention creating a lot of waste. So, what do I actually mean by “Agile mindset”? Let’s get specific

Catch Me If You Can (2002), DreamWorks Pictures, directed by Steven Spielberg When you are using AI to refine something, run it by an AI. And then ask another AI what it thinks of the deliverable. For example, if you are ordering your Product Backlog, or brainstorming on how to communicate your Product Vision, or planning the right meeting agenda, work with AI. Get some ideas. And then, when you have a good approach, run it by another AI for feedback. If you're working wit

Let’s walk through the types of questions showing up in Product Owner interviews today—and what they’re really testing.

Red flags I look for (and why I walk away) After more than 20 years coaching Scrum teams, I’ve learned the interview isn’t just about them judging me: I’m judging them right back. I’m looking for clues about whether this is a place where I can actually help teams improve, or if it's just not a good fit for me. Not every Scrum Master job is worth taking. Here are my Red Flags Culture, culture, culture If they casually mention burnout, blame, or constant fire-fighting but show

Here are some of the tougher questions that might actually come up. We've grouped them by category and shown what strong (and weak) answers look like.

Too many teams are still organized around silos. Business over here. Tech over there. Maybe design somewhere in the middle trying to translate. And when people can’t talk to each other just because they have different skill sets, you don’t really have a team: you have specialists in a vacuum.

Rebel Scrum is excited to announce Siva Balu as the afternoon keynote speaker for Scrum Day Madison 2026 , happening October 15, 2026, at the Madison Marriott West . This year’s theme, “Agility in the Age of AI,” comes to life through Siva’s keynote, “ From AI Hype to AI for Your Business .” Drawing from real-world experience at a Fortune 3 organization and beyond, Siva will share how leaders can cut through the noise, apply AI responsibly, and deliver meaningful business