scrum

Education is a vital ingredient in transformations, and it should be one of the first steps you take in moving to agile. Regardless of anyone’s level of agile experience, everyone should go through the same training because the real value of training isn't the lesson plan; it's the shared experience. Everyone across teams having the same foundation is essential.

There is no question that agile has gone mainstream. If you aren't already using at least some agile methods, you soon will be. TechWell took a look at which topics the growing agile community cares most about and put together a list of the most popular AgileConnection stories and interviews of 2016. From failing Scrum teams and successful agile communication to facilitating feedback and simplifying user stories, we've curated the content you need to read as we head into a new year.

The core of the Scrum framework for managing product development is the three key roles: ScrumMaster, product owner, and the development team. This triad is what makes Scrum so successful—when it works. However, it is the absence of these three roles that is the root cause of the majority of unsuccessful adoptions.

Making the transition to agile can be difficult for teams that are used to working in large groups and reporting to a single manager. Kris Hatcher suggests a new way to work: in smaller teams called code factories, which are created to stick with a specific product throughout its lifetime.