Tag: Scrum

  • Streamlining Backlog Refinement with Azure DevOps

    Streamlining Backlog Refinement with Azure DevOps

    Scrum product backlog refinement with Azure DevOps can be greatly improved just by adding a couple of extra states to the Product Backlog Item or User Story work item types. Here’s how to do it.

  • “I’m Not Getting Anything Done”

    “I’m Not Getting Anything Done”

    I’ve given the same advice to almost all of my clients — “you need a clearer product backlog”, “you’re working really hard but you’re not getting anything done”, and “you need to cut scope, launch your product with a more focused scope, launch it, and then get feedback.” It’s always seemed so simple to me:…

  • Sleeping Your Way to a Better Backlog

    Sleeping Your Way to a Better Backlog

    TL;DR – Your Sprint Planning Meetings don’t have to be a chore. Your Sprint Backlog doesn’t have to be a mess. Do short backlog refinement meetings twice a week and sleep a lot. Our Hero Takes a Nap I was working on a performance problem in some code last week. An operation that gets run…

  • Rebooting Your Agile Transformation using Empathy: Slides from Pluralsight Live 2018

    Rebooting Your Agile Transformation using Empathy: Slides from Pluralsight Live 2018

    I spoke at Pluralsight Live 2018 at the end of August and I just realized that I hadn’t ever posted my slides. The talk was about how to restart a failed or floundering Agile/Scrum transformation by taking a step back and thinking about what you want as a leader and how you choose to say it. …

  • Slides from VSLive Chicago 2018: “Real World Scrum with Azure DevOps & TFS”

    Slides from VSLive Chicago 2018: “Real World Scrum with Azure DevOps & TFS”

    As promised, here are the slides from my Real World Scrum with TFS2018 and Azure DevOps talk at VSLive Chicago 2018. Real World Scrum with Team Foundation Server 2018 & Azure DevOps (aka. Visual Studio Team Services) You’ve got Team Foundation Server 2018 or Azure DevOps and you’re looking to do Scrum.  Ok.  Great.  Now…

  • Slides from VSLive Austin 2018: “Coaching Skills for Scrum Masters”

    Slides from VSLive Austin 2018: “Coaching Skills for Scrum Masters”

    Just got back from speaking at VSLive Austin 2018.  As promised, here are my slides for that talk. Coaching Skills for Scrum Masters & The Self-Organizing Team Scrum works best with — arguably, requires — a self-organizing team. If you want a high-performing and self-organizing team, it helps if your Scrum Master thinks like a…

  • Case Study: Scrum @ Intralinks

    Case Study: Scrum @ Intralinks

    A while back, we helped out at Intralinks to help them revive & reinvigorate their use of Scrum for delivering done, working software.  Our part of the effort was to train approximately 200 of their software developers, software testers, and managers.  This was all done over a couple months using Scrum.org’s Professional Scrum Foundations for…

  • VSLive Orlando 2017: Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master

    VSLive Orlando 2017: Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master

    As promised, here are the slides from the Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master talk at VSLive Orlando 2017. Here’s the abstract: The Scrum Master role in an organization can be difficult. You live between a rock and a hard place. You’re influential but you probably don’t have any real power.…

  • VSLive Anaheim 2017: Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master

    VSLive Anaheim 2017: Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master

    As promised, here are the slides from the Top 10 Ways to Go from Good to Great Scrum Master talk at VSLive Anaheim 2017. Here’s the abstract: The Scrum Master role in an organization can be difficult. You live between a rock and a hard place. You’re influential but you probably don’t have any real power.…

  • New Pluralsight Course: DevOps Skills for Developers with Visual Studio and TFS 2017

    New Pluralsight Course: DevOps Skills for Developers with Visual Studio and TFS 2017

    My latest Pluralsight course just went live last night.  It’s been a long time coming and a ton of work.  I hope you all like it. DevOps Skills for Developers with Visual Studio & TFS 2017 There’s a huge divide between software that’s developed and software that’s delivered. DevOps helps you bridge that divide. It’s…