Agile Methodologies Guide

“Loop engineering” is a hot buzzphrase after mentions of it by Boris Cherny (Claude Code’s creator) and Peter Steinberger (OpenClaw's creator) went viral on social media. Loops are now a key part of how we get AI agents to iterate at length to build software. In this letter, I’d like to share my 3 key loops, shown in the image below, for building 0-to-1 products. These loops guide not just how I build software, but also how I decide what software to build. Agentic coding loop: Given a product specification and optionally a set of evals (that is, a dataset against which to measure performance), we can have an AI agent write code, test its work, and keep iterating until the code is bug-free and meets its specification. This idea of closing the loop took off around the end of last year, and it has been a game changer in enabling coding agents to work longer productively without human intervention. For example, over the weekend, I was building an app for my daughter to practice typing, and my coding agent could easily work for around an hour, using a web browser to check what it had built multiple times before getting back to me, without needing my intervention. The engineering loop executes quickly. Every few minutes, the coding agent might build and test a new version of the software. I hear frequently from developers who are finding new ways to engineer more effective engineering loops. This is an active area of invention! Developer feedback loop: In this loop, a developer examines the current product and steers the coding agent to improve it. Last year, a lot of developers (including me) were acting as the QA (quality assurance) function for our coding agents, manually finding bugs and then asking the agent to fix them. But with coding agents much more able to test their own code, the amount of time we need to spend on this function has decreased significantly. This allows us to make higher-level product decisions, such as what key features to offer, where the UI needs improvement, and so on. The developer-feedback loop operates over time intervals between tens of minutes and hours — that's how frequently a developer might review a product and give feedback. In the case of the typing app, I changed my mind a few times about the visual design, what cat costumes she can unlock as she learns (she loves cats), and the user flow for a grown-up to log in and steer the child's learning experience. When a developer has a clear vision for what to build, it is still a lot of work to translate that vision into a specification for a coding agent to implement. Further, after the developer has seen an implementation, they might update (or perhaps clarify) the spec to steer it toward what they want. If you find that the system repeatedly runs into certain problems, building a set of evals for the agent becomes useful. [Truncated for length. Full text: https://lnkd.in/gKDQ6H9s]

I used to think Agile meant moving fast. Deliver quickly, check the box, done, right? Turns out, that’s a trap. I’ve seen teams sprint toward deadlines, only to realize halfway that the solution they built didn’t really solve the problem. Frustration all around, and a lot of wasted effort. That’s when it clicked for me: Agile isn’t about speed it’s about adaptability. What helped our team was small, practical shifts: 👉Checking in with stakeholders regularly instead of assuming we got it right. 👉 Reviewing each sprint to see what actually delivered value, not just what was finished. 👉 Adjusting priorities based on real feedback, not just timelines. Speed can feel impressive, but adaptability builds products that actually stick. Agile gives you a framework to learn, adjust, and deliver consistently, not to race against the clock. Have you ever experienced a time when moving fast backfired? I’d love to hear how you balanced speed and adaptability in your work. #Agile #ProductManagement #Adaptability #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership #SoftwareDevelopment

What if we stopped the strategy vs. execution debate and recognized that strategy and execution actually work best in tandem, evolving together. Over and over again, we hear executives talking about the struggle to bridge the gap between strategy formulation and execution, indicating of course that many strategies are not effectively rolled out. 🤷♀️ It has been this way for years and it has taken us too long to realize that traditional set-in-stone strategic plans simply don't work. And neither do execution plans that focus on implementing a predefined strategy. Companies need agile adaptable strategies that respond to real-time challenges. Even if they have a 10 year plan, they still need a REAL-TIME PLAN. It's time to stop viewing strategy as a strict roadmap, and see it as a living framework—something that evolves with our teams, customers, and markets. This way of working requires a mindset of 'doing informs direction' Instead of viewing strategy as a separate, upfront blueprint that’s followed by execution, this approach integrates the two: strategy becomes a fluid process that evolves as teams execute and learn. Traditionalists may struggle with this shift because we are essentially talking about blending strategy and execution from the start- they may even question how to even do it. So, here's a few simple tips: ✳️ 1. Set Up Simple Monitoring and Reporting Systems Instead of waiting for annual reviews, create regular (even monthly) check-ins where teams report on progress and challenges. Encourage them to flag areas where adapting the strategy would be beneficial (means they have to read it regularly). ✳️ 2. Make Updates Part of the Plan: Integrate a simple versioning process ( even quarterly). When adjustments are made, update a “living document” with clear markers noting each update’s rationale and potential impact. This way, everyone works from the same strategic blueprint—just updated as needed. ✳️ 3. Designate Strategy ‘Owners’: Assign individuals or teams as “owners” of specific strategic areas. Their role is to ensure consistency, track changes, and gather insights on what’s working and what needs refinement. This approach makes it easier to manage updates and stay aligned. ✳️ 4. Keep the Big Picture in View: While it’s important to focus on real-time changes, stay connected to your overall goals. Each adjustment should still support the long-term vision. Regularly review how all pieces are coming together. 💡This shift is relevant for every industry, but especially fast-changing industries, where it's clear that waiting for annual reviews or rigid plans has led to missed opportunities for growth and adaptation. ❓ What do you think? Do you agree? _________________________________________ I’m Catherine McDonald, a Lean Business and Leadership Development Coach. Follow me for insights on Lean, Leadership, Coaching, and Organizational Behaviour, or visit my website at  www.mcdconsulting.ie for more information.

Back in the day I worked on a major platform revamp. The objective was to remain competitive and meet regulations. At the same time our biggest competitor was also upgrading their system. Both were huge, multi-year projects with lots of investment. Our competitor started ahead of us. But, we had a key strategy: → Rapid adoption with shorter cycles! Instead of waiting for a big reveal after three years, we rolled out capability periodically. This let us constantly improve our platform based on real-time customer feedback. Our competitor went with a traditional approach, aiming for one major release at the end. The result? By the end of three years, we had not only improved our NPS score but also taken a larger part of the market share! Our strategy kept us agile and responsive, letting us adapt quickly to market changes and customer needs. Our competitor launched an outdated system that couldn't meet current demands. Here's what we learned: 1. Customer-Centric Development: ↳ Frequent releases allowed us to gather and implement customer feedback continuously, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement. 2. Iterative Improvement: ↳ Rapid iteration enabled us to pivot quickly and address any issues or new opportunities that arose during the development process. 3. Competitive Edge: ↳ By staying ahead of trends and being first to market with new features, we were able to capture more market share and strengthen our position. In tech, speed isn't just about being fast—it's about efficient adoption. 👉 Rapid adoption and continuous iteration transforms a good product into a great one, and adds a massive competitive advantage to the company. It can also ensure survival.

𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 Enterprise Architecture (EA) teams don’t need perfection to deliver value. Targeted initiatives—𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙— create significant, early wins and bring learning. An 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 enables EA teams to refine methodology, 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 for future initiatives. 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀  EA teams can begin with smaller, targeted initiatives that showcase value. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, improving capabilities and approach with every project. This method allows the EA function to deliver impact, gain stakeholder trust, and align more closely with organizational needs. 𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚: 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴  A practical example is rapid capability mapping, a technique for quickly delivering strategic insights by focusing on high-impact business capabilities. Forget the enterprise -narrow in on capabilities for key value streams. This lets 𝗘𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. Targeted mappings reveal strengths and opportunities, helping EA deliver measurable value early. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀  With impactful insights, EA communicates value to stakeholders. Educating stakeholders on EA’s evolution— through early successes like capability mapping— builds momentum for transformative initiatives. Highlighting quick wins, EA demonstrates 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆  With iterative approaches delivering targeted, strategic insights, EA achieves 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 -aligning strategy & technology. As EA demonstrates value in high-impact projects, the organization benefits from greater efficiency and continuous improvement. Operational maturity strengthens EA’s influence with timely, actionable insights that drive strategy. Starting where you are and focusing on high-value initiatives lets EA teams “𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩,” 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄. _ 👍 Like if you enjoyed ♻️ Repost for your network ➕ Follow Kevin Donovan 🔔 _ 🚀 Architects' Hub!  Sign up to connect, meet peers and elevate careers! 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgmQqfu2 Photo Brandon Mowinkel

Agile isn’t just a process—it’s a mindset. At its core, Agile is about valuing progress over perfection. It’s choosing working software over a big, detailed plan that might never see the light of day. It’s about learning fast, experimenting, and improving as you go. Think of it as a loop: 1️⃣ You build something. 2️⃣ You reflect on whether it worked (hello, retrospectives). 3️⃣ You improve. 4️⃣ Repeat. This iterative approach isn’t just about delivering better results; it’s about adapting and growing. Agile frameworks like Scrum are tools that help implement this mindset, but the mindset itself is what matters most. Here’s something interesting I learned from @Maria Chec: Scrum, which many associate closely with Agile, was actually created before Agile. The thought leaders and creators behind it had already started shaping what would eventually become the Agile Manifesto. For me, this is a reminder that frameworks like Scrum are helpful, but they’re not the goal. They’re just vehicles to help us embrace an Agile way of thinking. And a few tips to embrace an Agile mindset: ✅ Value progress over perfection: Focus on creating working software instead of detailed plans that might never happen. ✅ Learn fast: Experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them quickly. ✅ Reflect and improve: Use retrospectives to see what worked and what didn’t. Then, make changes and improve. ✅ Think iteratively: Build, reflect, improve, and repeat. This loop helps you adapt and grow. ✅ Use frameworks like Scrum: Remember, Scrum was created before Agile. It’s a tool to help you implement the mindset, not the goal itself. ✅ Embrace change: Be ready to adapt as you learn more and as circumstances change. What’s your experience with Agile? Do you feel like it’s a mindset or more of a set of rules where you work? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁. That’s not just a tagline. It’s the rhythm that has shaped every product I’ve ever created. From building custom FDM 3D printers with 1-meter build volumes… To deploying digital cinema software for studios across India… To developing CPR innovations that may one day save lives… I’ve come to realize: Most people overestimate ideation and underestimate execution.  • Ideas are easy.  • Building is hard.  • Building again—after feedback, after failure, after fatigue—is what defines product people. Here’s how I’ve applied this mantra: 🔹 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Deep dive into the problem. Cut the noise. Understand the user. 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: Remove tasks that don’t align with your core goal this week/month. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆: 2–3 deep work sessions > 10 scattered hours. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱: Mindfulness, journaling, and even a short walk can reset your focus. 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗡𝗢 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻: Every yes is a cost. Guard your attention. 🔹 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱: Don’t wait for perfect. Get a working version. Test it. Break it. Rebuild. 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 — 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸, 𝗗𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆: Don’t wait for the perfect version. V1 is always ugly, but it works. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀: Work in weekly deliverables or prototypes you can test. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Launch small, fail fast, learn faster. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆: Automate where possible. Don’t waste energy reinventing the wheel. 🔹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁: What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow. Evolve fast, or become obsolete. 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗧 — 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀: Ask, “What did I build this week?” Not just what you did. 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗹𝘆: Improve with intention. Don’t abandon too early. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸: Small improvements compound into big outcomes. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺: Repetition creates mastery. It’s okay if it’s not always thrilling. If you’re working on a new product, startup, or even a creative project—just remember: 🚫 Don’t chase motivation. ✅ Build systems. ✅ Track progress. ✅ Stick to your loop. Focus. Build. Repeat. That’s how breakthroughs are born. #PingnaganPranavam #ProductDevelopment #StartupJourney #MakersMindset #ExecutionOverIdeas #FocusBuildRepeat #PPWrites #builtbypp

🚀 Day 7 of 100 Days of Product Management: Elevating Product Discovery ✍ Daily Insight: Effective product discovery goes beyond initial user interviews and explores continuous, iterative exploration and validation. Effective discovery can make or break the success of your product. Here are some actionable tips and strategies to enhance your discovery processes: * Leverage Existing Data: Utilize analytics, customer support logs, and previous research as a starting point to save time and resources. * Dual-Track Agile: Integrate discovery with delivery to keep your development agile and continuously informed by fresh insights. * Prioritize Hypothesis Testing: Formulate and test hypotheses through A/B tests, prototype testing, and concierge MVPs to quickly validate ideas. * Rapid Prototyping: Use tools that facilitate fast prototype creation to gather user feedback early and iterate before deep development. * Continuous User Engagement: Establish a regular feedback loop with users through communities or panels for real-time insights. * Diversify Research Methods: Combine qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of user needs. * Utilize Remote Research Tools: Implement tools like Zoom, Miro, or UserTesting for effective remote user research. * Embrace Storytelling: Use compelling storytelling when sharing insights with stakeholders to better convey user journeys and solution impacts. * Regular Insight Sharing: Hold frequent sessions to keep all team members updated with the latest discoveries, maintaining alignment across functions. * Open-mindedness and Flexibility: Be ready to pivot your product direction based on new insights to truly meet market needs. * Balance Speed with Depth: Ensure rapid progress does not sacrifice a deep understanding of the user problems. * Cross-functional Involvement: Engage diverse team members in discovery to enrich insights and validate across various perspectives. Image Source - https://lnkd.in/g7N47v2p by Productboard | Download the Product Discovery Playbook here - https://lnkd.in/gEUFQUvc ⭐ Tool Highlight: Miro Excellent for collaborative mapping and prototyping, enabling teams to visualize and iterate on feedback quickly. Andrey K. | Steven Chang | Srinath Govindarajan #miro 🙎 PM Spotlight: Meet Amit Garg, who leads product at ace turtle. He is a seasoned professional in retail and e-commerce, excelling in software solutions product development and implementation for both B2B and B2C clients. He has collaborated with over 12 global retailers and brands, including L’Oreal, Crocs, and Loves, across the USA, UAE, and APAC regions. Join the conversation and let's exchange knowledge on refining our product discovery to build products that truly resonate with users! #Day7of100 #ProductDiscovery #ProductManagement #100DaysOfProductManagement

𝗦𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 “𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 They’re alignment systems. When done well, they help teams move faster, reduce confusion, and keep projects focused on outcomes instead of activity. Here’s why each one matters: 1. 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 This is where the team answers: What are we building? Why does it matter? How will we deliver it? A good Sprint Planning session gives the team clarity before execution starts. Without it, the sprint becomes a guessing game. 2. 𝘿𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙢 This is not a status update for managers. It’s a daily inspection point for the team. The goal is simple: Spot blockers early. Re-align quickly. Keep progress visible. 15 minutes can save days of confusion. 3. 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 This is where the work meets reality. The team presents what was completed, gathers feedback, and checks whether the product is moving in the right direction. It keeps stakeholders involved and prevents teams from building in isolation. 4. 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 This is where teams improve how they work. Not the product. The process. What went well? What slowed us down? What should we change in the next sprint? This is where continuous improvement actually happens. Scrum ceremonies are relevant because projects don’t fail only because of poor execution. They fail because of poor alignment. The ceremonies create rhythm. They create transparency. They create accountability. But only if teams treat them as moments to inspect, adapt, and improve, not as calendar rituals. Because Scrum is not about doing more meetings. It’s about creating better conversations that lead to better delivery. #Innovation #ProjectManagement #Technology #Agile

When I was a #Scrum baby, something I and most people in my organization struggled with was -how- to do the Scrum events effectively. Back then, I think a lot of people struggled with this. Scrum was being spread at the time by a two day Scrum Master certification course that awarded you the cert just by being bodily present in the room for two days, so Scrum-as-method was spreading like wildfire while Scrum-as-product-development-strategy was still barely seen. I guess you can decide if the landscape looks different today or not. So we just did events according to whatever suggestions the instructor passed on, like going around the room and asking the three questions for the daily Scrum, or going around the room and asking everyone a different set of three questions for the retrospective. We didn't know what we were doing, mostly because we didn't really know why we were doing it. I believe that is the key to effective execution of the events. Start with what you're wanting to end up with and work out your event structure from that. For example, in your Daily Scrum, you want to end up with the team having decided on their work plan for the day. What's the most effective way to arrive at that plan? In your retrospective, you want to end up with an improvement experiment to try. What's the most effective way to arrive at that experiment? By knowing what you want to get out of an event, it's easier to figure out what structure and activities should be in the event and which ones are distractions or wasting your time. "Most effective," of course, can vary somewhat from team to team. For one team, coming up with an improvement experiment might be best done by looking at flow metrics, figuring out where you'd get the biggest impact from an improvement, and then picking an experiment to try. (This is my favorite btw) For another team, they may need to go through a series of guiding questions to get them to that point. Or maybe they need to dress up like superheroes or make all the discussion questions Battlestar Galactica themed. "Where do we have Cylons in our workflow masquerading as something helpful but is really trying to exterminate us?" But whatever you decide the best road is, the choice of road is shaped by the destination. If your team has a clear idea of what you want to get out of an event, then the methods to get there will suggest themselves.