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The Product Owner is Not Your Jira Jockey
In many organizations, the Product Owner’s accountability in Scrum is often misunderstood or undervalued. Some see the Product Owner as...
Mary Iqbal
Oct 13, 20243 min read


The Case for Flow Metrics
Agile teams often struggle with how to size and forecast upcoming work. Flow metrics offer a simple, effective way to solve that problem...
Mary Iqbal
Oct 6, 20242 min read


Who Creates the Definition of Done?
In Scrum, the Definition of Done (DoD) plays a critical role in ensuring quality and transparency. But who defines this important...
Mary Iqbal
Oct 2, 20243 min read


The 5 Worst Agile Mistakes I’ve Made
I hope sharing mine will help you avoid making the same ones.
Mary Iqbal
Oct 1, 20244 min read


The Wisdom of Incremental Delivery
Incremental delivery is what makes Scrum work.
Mary Iqbal
Sep 22, 20243 min read


It’s Okay for the Roadmap to Change
A roadmap is a visualization of the Product Owner’s plan to deliver the product goal and fulfill the product vision. But in the real world,
Mary Iqbal
Sep 18, 20242 min read


What Happens without Trust in Scrum
Scrum is based on Empiricism, but what does that mean? Empiricism means that we should make decisions based on what is known. To do...
Mary Iqbal
Sep 9, 20243 min read


Why “I Don’t Know” is a Game-Changer
As a Scrum Master, it can be hard to admit when you don't know something. But that moment of vulnerability can be an opportunity. ...
Mary Iqbal
Sep 3, 20243 min read


Why Goals Matter in Scrum
Goals are the backbone of the Scrum framework, guiding teams through the complexities of product development.
Mary Iqbal
Aug 28, 20242 min read


When Developers Decide
One of the great strengths of Scrum is its clear accountabilities: the Product Owner decides what the team works on, Developers decide...
Mary Iqbal
Aug 18, 20243 min read


Myth: Scrum Masters Must Attend the Daily Scrum
Many people believe that the Scrum Master must facilitate all Scrum Events in order to be effective. In reality, while the Scrum Master...
Mary Iqbal
Aug 18, 20242 min read


Ask a different question at the Daily Scrum
Over time, the Daily Scrum can start to get a little repetitive. One way to re-invigorate your Daily Scrum is to ask a different question....
Mary Iqbal
Aug 10, 20242 min read


Can Projects be delivered with Scrum?
The short answer is yes, they can. First, what's the difference between a Scrum team, a Project team and a Product team? A Scrum team...
Mary Iqbal
Aug 7, 20242 min read


That's the Power of Scrum
The so-called incompleteness of Scrum is actually its strength. That's why Scrum can be used for anything from software to fighter jets to
Mary Iqbal
Jul 25, 20242 min read


The 'right' amount of information
What is the right amount of information to include on a Product Backlog item?
Mary Iqbal
Jul 25, 20243 min read


4 Red Flags Your Agile Team May Not Fully Embrace Incremental Delivery
I write a lot about incremental delivery because it is so central to the success of Agile teams. And - like the Scrum framework itself - it
Mary Iqbal
Jul 22, 20244 min read


Benefits of the Sprint Timebox
The Sprint timebox is the source of many of the benefits of Scrum.
Mary Iqbal
Jul 15, 20242 min read


Scrum Beyond Software Development
The Operations sector has witnessed the most remarkable growth in Agile adoption, with a tenfold increase from 2019 to 2022.
Mary Iqbal
Jul 12, 20242 min read


The User Story Format
User stories are particularly useful for features and functionalities that directly impact the end-user experience.
Mary Iqbal
Jul 7, 20243 min read


You can't skip Refinement
Some teams think that if they skip refinement, they're saving time, but that's not true at all.
Mary Iqbal
Jul 1, 20244 min read
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