top of page


The Purpose of the Five Scrum Events
There are five events in Scrum. But just going through the motions and having each of the events on the calendar is not enough. To get...

Mary Iqbal
May 30, 20224 min read


Scrum Events Reduce Meetings
One of the first things that I usually hear after describing the Scrum framework and its five events to someone new to Scrum is, “that’s...

Mary Iqbal
May 24, 20225 min read


The Power of the Sprint Retrospective
Every event in Scrum revolves around the Sprint, which is the heartbeat of Scrum. Each event is important. The Sprint Planning event...

Mary Iqbal
May 19, 20224 min read


How to create a point system for estimating in Scrum
According to the 2020 Scrum Guide, “Product Backlog items that can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint are deemed ready for...

Mary Iqbal
May 5, 20227 min read


Characteristics of a Great Product Owner
The Scrum Guide doesn't provide a complete list of the skills required for any of the accountabilities on a Scrum Team. For example, it...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 25, 20226 min read


Taking the First Step toward Scrum
Agile frameworks such as Scrum have continued to gain traction because of their ability to vastly improve business outcomes and employee...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 17, 20223 min read


Yes, Managers are needed for Scrum teams
"We need to bring the IT resource managers along," I said. "It's important that they understand their role in ensuring the success of...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 17, 20223 min read


Can Scrum Work for Hard Deadlines?
If you’ve ever wondered whether Scrum can work for hard deadlines, the answer is – yes! Not only can Scrum work in these situations, but...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 17, 20223 min read


Part II: When will we get there? Forecasting for Scrum teams.
When will we get there? It’s not just a question you might hear from the kids on the way to Grandma’s house for Easter. It’s something...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 17, 20225 min read


When will we get there? How to estimate in Scrum.
When will we get there? It’s not just something you might hear from the back seat of a car on a long road trip. It’s something that a...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 12, 20226 min read


5 things I learned about Scrum from Star Wars
If you are a Star Wars fan like me, then you know that Star Wars is more than a story; it’s an Epic which holds many important life...

Mary Iqbal
Apr 5, 20226 min read


Incremental Delivery and the Principles of the Agile Manifesto
The concept of iterative, incremental Product delivery is included in the Scrum guide. But did you know that the Agile Manifesto...

Mary Iqbal
Mar 28, 20223 min read


The Order of Events in Scrum Matters
Scrum’s power is in its simplicity. Rather than containing a set of work instructions, Scrum is a framework offering general...

Mary Iqbal
Mar 22, 20223 min read


Don't Mess with Scrum
Scrum is simple, but that simplicity means that each of its elements is essential. The values, accountabilities, artifacts and events...

Mary Iqbal
Mar 14, 20225 min read


Refinement Myths
With the rapid increase in the adoption of Scrum and other Agile frameworks over the past several years, I’m not surprised that a few...

Mary Iqbal
Mar 1, 20224 min read


Product Backlog refinement: How far is too far?
The Product Backlog is one of the three Scrum artifacts. It is the team’s to-do list that shows what to work on next. Each item on...

Mary Iqbal
Feb 22, 20226 min read


How to live the 4 values in the Agile Manifesto
The Agile Manifesto (penned in 2001) includes four values and 12 principles that describe a new approach to complex work. Agile is an...

Mary Iqbal
Feb 22, 20223 min read


Don't fall for these myths about refinement in Scrum
Many well-meaning practitioners have misconceptions about Scrum. Scrum is a framework for doing complex work, not a how-to playbook. ...

Mary Iqbal
Feb 13, 20225 min read


How the 12 Principles in the Agile Manifesto work in real life
Agile is an umbrella term encompassing a variety of frameworks and approaches to value delivery in complex environments. The word agile ...

Mary Iqbal
Feb 8, 202210 min read


The Scrum Values and the Real World
The 2020 Scrum Guide includes five values that are important to every successful implementation of Scrum. These values are courage,...

Mary Iqbal
Feb 8, 20225 min read
bottom of page
