Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Release Date: 05/02/2025
BONUS The Human Side of Software Development With Jussi Mononen
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
CTO Series: Jussi Mononen on the Human Side of Software Development and Technical Leadership In this episode, we explore the intersection of technology and people with Jussi Mononen, CTO of . Drawing from his extensive experience as an Agile practitioner and technical leader, Jussi shares valuable insights on effective software development, technical strategy alignment, and the critical human elements that drive successful technology implementations. The Transformative Power of Agile "It's all about people." Jussi's journey as a technology leader was fundamentally shaped when he...
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BONUS: From Waterfall to Flow—Rethinking Mental Models in Software Delivery | Henrik Mårtensson
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: From Waterfall to Flow—Rethinking Mental Models in Software Delivery With Henrik Mårtensson In this BONUS episode, we explore the origins and persistence of waterfall methodology in software development with management consultant Henrik Mårtensson. , Henrik explains the historical context of waterfall, challenges the mental models that keep it alive in modern organizations, and offers insights into how systems thinking can transform our approach to software delivery. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to understand why outdated methodologies persist and how to...
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Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! | John Crickett
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! With John Crickett In this BONUS episode, we explore a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by John Crickett that challenges a fundamental misconception in software engineering. John shares insights on why engineers should focus on problem-solving rather than just coding, how to develop business context understanding, and why this shift in perspective is crucial in the age of AI. Beyond Writing Code: Understanding the True Value of Software Engineering "A lot of us come to software engineering because we care about...
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BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility | Erwin Verweij
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Beyond Frameworks, A Provocative Guide to Real Agility With Erwin Verweij In this BONUS episode, we dive into the provocative world of ' Erwin shares his journey from frustration to clarity as he witnesses organizations adopting Agile frameworks without understanding their purpose. With candid stories from his coaching experiences, Erwin reveals what happens when teams wake up to real agility beyond dogmatic practices and how organizations can find their own path to meaningful change. The Wake-Up Call for Agile Adoption "What the f*ck dude! Do you even know what it means? Do you...
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BONUS Creating Delightful Products With Nesrine Changuel
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
BONUS: Nesrine Changuel shares how to create emotionally connected, delightful products! In this BONUS episode, we explore the concept of product delight with Nesrine Changuel. Nesrine shares insights from her extensive experience at companies like Skype, Spotify, Google Meet, and Chrome to help us understand how to create lovable tech experiences that drive user loyalty and differentiation. We explore the Delight Grid Framework she created, and discuss the importance of emotional connection in product design. We also touch on practical ways to incorporate delight into everyday product...
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Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration The Great Product Owner: Standing with the Team Carmen shares that the best Product Owners she's encountered are those who stand with their teams. Drawing from her own recent experience as a Product Owner, she emphasizes the importance of being there for your team, recognizing that they make you look good. Great Product Owners understand that achievements are team efforts, not individual accomplishments. Carmen also highlights that exemplary Product Owners have a deep understanding of the goals,...
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The Power of Constructive Feedback in Building Trust in Agile Teams | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: The Power of Constructive Feedback in Building Trust in Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen identifies the hallmark of a successful team as one that allows itself to be vulnerable. Success isn't just about positive feedback but creating an environment where team members feel safe to discuss mistakes openly. She shares an experience where a team member made an error that caused a significant project delay, prompting other team members to...
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Lean Change Management, How to Design Change with Those Affected | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Lean Change Management, How to Design Change with Those Affected Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen discusses the critical mistakes organizations make when implementing change without adequate communication and employee involvement. She highlights how employees are often simply informed of new methods without any prior communication, creating resistance and disengagement. Carmen advocates for involving employees early in the change process,...
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The Power of Being Heard, Turning Critics Into Agile Advocates | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: The Power of Being Heard, Turning Critics Into Agile Advocates Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen shares how she was asked to step in as a Scrum Master for a struggling team that had a particularly vocal and critical lead developer. This developer had experienced multiple transitions and transformations, leading to significant resistance that was affecting the entire team's morale and creating unresolved conflicts. Carmen focused on building...
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Scrum Masters, Your Team Needs to Know Which Hat You're Wearing | Carmen Jurado
Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches
Carmen Jurado: Scrum Masters, Your Team Needs to Know Which Hat You're Wearing Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: . Carmen shares a valuable learning experience from her early days as a Scrum Master when she was assigned the additional responsibility of being a compliance officer for her team. During a retrospective, she noticed an uncomfortable atmosphere but didn't address it. After the session, the team requested a private meeting where they expressed their discomfort,...
info_outlineCarmen Jurado: Beyond the Backlog—How Great Product Owners Embrace Team Collaboration
The Great Product Owner: Standing with the Team
Carmen shares that the best Product Owners she's encountered are those who stand with their teams. Drawing from her own recent experience as a Product Owner, she emphasizes the importance of being there for your team, recognizing that they make you look good. Great Product Owners understand that achievements are team efforts, not individual accomplishments. Carmen also highlights that exemplary Product Owners have a deep understanding of the goals, values, and principles of Agile methodologies, allowing them to better support their teams and leverage agile practices effectively.
In this segment we refer to the book Generative AI in a Nutshell.
The Bad Product Owner: The Novice Who Does Everything
Carmen describes a common anti-pattern she encountered: the inexperienced Product Owner who attempts to handle everything independently. This particular PO was preparing reviews and planning sessions alone, feeling that these events wouldn't happen otherwise. The team wasn't engaged, and the backlog had ballooned to over 300 items. Carmen helped this PO sort through the backlog to start with a clean slate and conducted a stakeholder mapping session to manage difficult stakeholders, particularly a CFO who was treating the PO as merely a scribe. They also worked to involve the team in Scrum events, reducing the burden on the PO. Carmen emphasizes the importance of keeping the team updated on process changes and the value of having a PO who can openly discuss their challenges.
Self-reflection Question: As a Scrum Master, how can you help both experienced and novice Product Owners find the right balance between taking ownership and enabling team participation?
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About Carmen Jurado
Carmen describes herself as an "agile storyteller" and has spoken at multiple agile conferences, covering topics such as psychological safety and imposter syndrome. Known for her enthusiasm and creativity, Carmen enjoys designing her own gamified retrospectives. She is an agile coach and business agility trainer, and is also active in the non-profit organization Women in Agile.
You can link with Carmen on LinkedIn.