Should companies be outsourcing their product development? Join us as we explore the potential solutions for developing core product development. We also explore if it is possible to maintain agility while outsourcing. Tune in to discover the verdict!

The differences between Agile and Waterfall are well understood, but making them work together is still a challenge. Tune in to hear recommendations on how to integrate Agile and Waterfall teams effectively.

Psychological safety is foundational in the success of any team, and it becomes even more challenging to establish when work is sent abroad. In this episode, your hosts share their experiences working with dynamic offshore teams, and some tips on increasing that psychological safety.

A difficult question for organizations is how to maintain an Agile approach while outsourcing development. In this episode, the agilityIRL team discusses challenges with outsourcing and some ways to make it work better.

We see many of the same Agile anti-patterns repeat themselves. Hear about common failures in Agile implementations and learn how to avoid them in this episode of the take5IRL podcast.

Before changing their way of working, organizations should know first what business outcomes they want to achieve - which will be unique to each organization. Discover why focusing on Agile practices alone could lead you astray from the ultimate goal: achieving tangible and strategic business success.

In this episode, Mike, Jeff and Pat predict 2024 trends in the Agile world.

When using Scrum for a single team, it's important to prioritize Agile principles, business outcomes and team success. The same is true when scaling to include multiple teams. Learn more in this week's podcast!

Definition of Done is one of the most misunderstood concepts for people attending our Scrum training classes. It’s probably also understood by people in your organization. In this episode, we share how two Scrum trainers explain it in their classes.

Not all stakeholders are the same. To be a great Product Owner, you must understand their needs and segment them accordingly. Tune in to this episode as Jeff and Mike share strategies in ways Product Owners can manage and build relationships with their stakeholders, delivering more value with less friction.

It’s more than just ordering the work for a team. A great Product Owner must have hard skills to make them more effective at working with stakeholders and managing a Product Backlog.

In this episode of the take5IRL Podcast, learn what good coaches do and more importantly, what they don't do.

Create focus for your team and get more done by breaking down work. In this episode, Jeff and Mike explore the transformative impact of aligning teams to a Product Vision and creating incremental goals that bring your product toward that vision.

Scrum Masters need to have technical skills, but they aren't the same skills that the Developers on their Scrum Teams need. Discover the benefits of a Scrum Master's technical toolkit.

Thin slicing helps Scrum Teams to learn quickly and build working product every Sprint. Learn some tips on how to do it in this episode of the take5IRL podcast.

The term Minimum Viable Product means different things to different people.  Is your company using it to define the first of a series of fixed scope, fixed date projects?  If so, you're probably not using it right.

Join Jeff and Mike as they unravel the complexities of spikes, transitioning from uncertainty to wisdom in Agile, and the essential mindset shift needed for teams to “get things done”.

In this episode of take5IRL Podcast, hosts Jeff and Mike explore strategies for effective Product Backlog Management and debunk common misconceptions.

Do you know the answers to common Product Backlog questions from students in Scrum classes? View the podcast and see if you can go 3 for 3.

Product Owners are accountable to provide stakeholders have a clear understanding of the product's direction. In this new episode of the take5IRL podcast, Jeff and Mike explore methods for enhancing transparency. Discover how providing transparency to the Product Backlog can foster a shared vision and facilitate meaningful collaboration with stakeholders.

Before going all-in on Agile, it's important to know the outcomes you want to achieve, the business value you want to create, and the leadership alignment you need to succeed.

We have seen many Scrum teams attempt to resolve challenges by giving up and moving to Kanban. However, the decision to switch from Scrum to Kanban typically arises not from Scrum shortcomings, but rather from challenges in its implementation. In this episode, Jeff and Mike explore misguided reasons to move away from Scrum and things to consider before making that move.

Scrum Masters are like great white sharks, if they stop swimming, they die. (Just metaphorically, thankfully.). Keep learning, Scrum Masters!

This episode focuses on way to avoid robotic Scrum and make the Daily Scrum come to life!

Jeff and Mike discuss guaranteed ways to make a Scrum Master fail. Do the opposite to aid in their success!

There are many sources for unplanned work: production support, developer pet projects and management requests, to name a few. What is a Scrum Team to do?

Organizations have a habit of setting Product Owners up for failure. In this episode, Jeff and Mike discuss common anti-patterns and what to do about them.

Does your Scrum Team often find itself with carryover work from the previous Sprint? Does that make your team an unproductive one? Whose fault is it? In this episode, Jeff and Mike share how to limit sprint-to-sprint carryover.  Listen and share with your team so things get DONE.

Agile cannot be implemented effectively if the culture of the organization doesn’t evolve with the process. In this episode we invite a special guest, Jim Ruprecht (an agilityIRL founder), to share why and how organizational culture is so important.

Despite the headline, Agile transformations and evolutions can also succeed! Key ingredients include getting the right level of leadership involvement and an organizational commitment to learning.

In our latest episode, I refer to a former client who did an amazing job at making production outage retrospectives a safe space to learn. Hopefully sharing your story helps others to do the same.

Have a good team working agreement is great, but don't let it get in the way of effective collaboration.

We have some verbiage ideas, but we find that the reasons people have for changing Scrum are rooted in misconceptions.

We all know it does. Hear how team size relates to agility and some tips to know if your team is the right size.

User Stories are a vehicle for communication, not an excuse to make contracts within a team.

No, we can't cancel the Sprint Retrospective. Here's why.

Conflict in Scrum Teams will happen. Here are some tips for making it positive.

In this episode, Jeff and Mike share some tips on how you can get the most out of your time!

Sprint Reviews are a chance to inspect and adapt. We want feedback!

Yes! Scrum Teams can be effective when working remotely. However, it takes intentionally effort and discipline to break down the barriers that are inherent in remote work.

Learn from your colleagues. It's approved every time!

Don't be afraid to hurry up and get started!

Would Wayne be a good Scrum Master? If you're familiar with the Hulu show "Letterkenny", then you most likely already have an opinion. You be the judge on if Wayne's catchphrases set him up for success in his interview for a Scrum Master role.