I often get asked questions about Scrum from contacts via email. To help as many people as possible in future I will be sharing the questions I am posed and the answers I provide. I hope you will find them useful.
This next batch is around motivation for starting with Scrum and getting a “foot in the door”. These questions were posed by Kristine Kutac. Here we go:
1) What was appealing to you about Agile?
Agile approaches recognise the reality we face developing complex software. Each project is unique and more different than anything we have worked on previously. There is no perfect process that you can utilise to guarantee success.
Rather than putting the most effort into creating a perfect plan and defining what and how to build something in advance, we accept that this stuff has to emerge as we build the product.
Many people still don’t believe this, which is why many agile adoptions struggle. I find that people who have been hands on developing software accept this truth much more readily.
Agile approaches do not guarantee success, but they give us the best possible chance.
2) When were you first introduced to Agile methodologies?
The first “agile” project I worked on was agile in name only and was a massive failure. It soured the concept of agile for me for a long time.
Then I later worked on a project that respected the agile values and principles and it was massively successful. I saw what agile was supposed to be and what was possible with it. The results were so much more than the more traditional projects I had worked on in the past.
An added bonus was that it fostered environments that were a pleasure to work in. Agile was clearly the best way to develop software. For me at this point, there was no going back.
3) Do you feel Scrum certifications (PSM, CSM, etc) are necessary to be marketable?
Unfortunately, for the most part, yes! Experienced hiring managers will quickly look past certifications. They will know that they only really prove a basic level of understanding, or attendance at a course, neither of which mean you will be successful in a role. However, many hiring managers and almost all HR department do not know this. So until the world changes, certifications are often vital to even catch the attention of someone hiring.
4) Do you enjoy being a Scrum trainer?
I love it! I get to travel the world, meet interesting people, talk to them about topics that interest me and help them become more successful in developing their products and services. I am passionate about helping people to enjoy their work and so my role as a Professional Scrum Trainer enables me to do this in a significant way. This is about the best role I could ever have imagined for myself.
5) What roles would you suggest looking at to get the metaphorical “foot in the door”?
The easiest route in is with your current employer. If they are looking to try Scrum and trust you already, then you could learn about one the Scrum roles and then volunteer to take it on. They will need to understand that you will be learning as you go and will be far from perfect when you start.
If this is not an option, then looking for opportunities and being willing to be flexible will be key. People normally hire for experience so if you don’t have it from an agile perspective, you will need to make up for it by bringing value in other ways. Perhaps strong technical or domain knowledge, a lower price or an insatiable desire to learn and succeed.
The demand for Scrum and Agile expertise is growing rapidly so there will always be opportunities. The trick is to find them.
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