Intermediate everything in Agile & Scrum, page 8
Agile Change vs. Chaos: Technical Enablers
Tests if you know Agile is disciplined, not chaotic. A great answer contrasts structured, time-boxed change with reactive chaos, then details technical enablers like CI/CD and loose coupling. A red flag is equating Agile with no planning.
Explain Muda (Waste) with three software development examples
Tests your ability to apply Lean's 'Muda' (waste) concept to software. A good answer defines Muda, then gives 3 examples like partially done work or extra features, with specific mitigations like WIP limits or YAGNI. A red flag is giving generic examples.
How do you decide the right level of project documentation?
This tests your pragmatism beyond literal Agile interpretation. A great answer defines docs as a product for a specific user, ties value to reducing future work, and proposes a tiered approach. A red flag is treating all documentation as pure overhead.
AI Turns Specs Into a Programming Language
Spec-Driven Development (SDD) reframes specs as a higher-level programming language for AI agents, not just pre-coding docs. This shifts engineering work from implementation details to defining intent and constraints.
Use AI to Fix Your OKRs, Not Write Them
Use AI to refine your OKRs by creating a custom 'coach' prompt based on expert advice. This avoids leaking company strategy to public LLMs and makes even secure, weaker enterprise models useful for strategic alignment.
Scrum.org's 8-Step Plan for AI-Native Teams
Scrum.org has outlined an 8-step framework to guide teams in becoming 'AI-native.' This structured approach aims to embed AI into all aspects of Scrum, shifting focus from production to evaluation and from 'Definition of Done' to 'Definition of Value'.
Make Agile Planning a Shared Problem
Chaotic sprints and messy backlogs often result from planning being treated as a solo task. This siloed approach leads to overcommitment and erodes stakeholder trust, making agile feel unreliable.
Mountain Goat Software Ends Public Agile, Scrum Classes
Mountain Goat Software is ending its public Agile/Scrum courses to focus on private team training. This removes a key option for individual certification, forcing engineers to find alternatives or convince managers to book a more costly private session for…
Basecamp 5 Overhauls UI, Debuts New Rails Editor
Basecamp 5 ships a new "Lexxy" editor with tables and markdown, a permanent sidebar, and full keyboard navigation. The editor, built on Meta's Lexical, will become the default for Action Text in Rails, making this a preview for Rails developers.
DHH Slams 'Luddite' AI Bans in Open Source
Open source projects like Zig and NetBSD are banning AI-assisted code. DHH calls this a 'modern Luddite movement' that betrays the core OSS mission of democratizing software, arguing it's about protecting status, not ensuring quality.
DHH: Rails & Kamal Came From Solving 'Interesting Problems'
DHH credits 37signals' success for the freedom to solve 'interesting problems,' which led to Ruby on Rails and Kamal. This founder-led R&D model shows how personal motivation can create strategic tools, bypassing committee-driven roadmaps for high-leverage…
Jira's Rovo AI Aims to Deflect 60% of Tickets
Atlassian's Rovo agents in Jira Service Management aim to deflect up to 60% of repetitive service tickets. The agents intercept requests in Slack or the help portal, providing instant answers from your docs, freeing up support staff for complex engineering…
Study: Disclosing AI use makes you seem 10x lazier
A study of ~1,000 workers found disclosing AI use makes you seem 10x lazier. Even with identical output, peers were 24% less likely to recommend you for key projects. While 94% use AI, the stigma means silence is often the safest career strategy.
Atlassian Details its ML Studio Platform Design
Atlassian's ML Studio platform powers thousands of daily workflows for millions of Rovo users. It solves enterprise scaling issues with reusable modules, column-level data governance, and unified orchestration, offering a blueprint for building compliant…
What is a Community of Practice or Guild?
Tests understanding of cross-team knowledge sharing. Define CoPs as voluntary groups for a shared craft, explain their purpose (sharing best practices, standardizing tools), and give an example like a 'Frontend Guild.'
What is a cross-functional team in Agile?
This tests your grasp of how team structure impacts velocity. A great answer defines it as a team with all skills to ship value, explains how it reduces handoffs and boosts ownership, and links it to faster cycle times.
How do you escalate a blocking external dependency?
Tests your ability to quantify impact, show ownership, and empower leaders. A great answer details the business cost, documents your due diligence, and defines a clear 'ask' for the leader.
Using Flow Metrics to Coach for Predictability
Tests if you use data for coaching, not coercion. Define Lead/Cycle Time, explain how stable times (p85) create predictability, and contrast this with Velocity's flaws. The red flag is treating any metric as a target instead of a diagnostic tool for the team.
Servant Leadership in Scrum: Meaning and Examples
Tests your ability to apply agile theory. Define servant leadership as enabling team success, not managing tasks. Give concrete examples like shielding the team from distractions or facilitating technical decisions.
Scrum Master vs. Project Manager: How do they direct teams?
This tests your understanding of servant-leadership vs. command-and-control. A good answer contrasts their core goals (process vs. project), team interaction (coaching vs. directing), and how they handle change. Red flag: saying an SM is just an 'agile PM.'
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