More in Agile & Scrum — page 3
How do you handle NFRs in the backlog and make them visible?
WHAT IT TESTS: Making NFRs visible and actionable in Scrum. ANSWER OUTLINE: Write NFRs as measurable backlog items with acceptance criteria; embed in Definition of Done; decompose into tasks; automate validation.
How do blockers and impediments differ, and when do you escalate?
It tests whether you separate immediate task stops from chronic drag. Blockers are red-light stops for swarming; impediments are velocity drains surfaced in retrospectives and escalated with data.
How does an engineering manager's role change moving to agile autonomous teams?
Tests understanding of shifting from command-and-control to coaching and enabling teams. Strong answers cite three domains: team coaching, value investment, and environment shaping, plus servant leadership.
What technical and process challenges appear when forming cross-functional product teams?
Tests whether you see cross-functional integration as dissolving handoffs, not renaming teams. Strong answers mention testing in CI/CD, collective estimation, and social friction. Weak answers treat it as a staffing reshuffle that keeps siloed workflows.
How does management evolve in scaled agile versus traditional program management?
This tests whether you see scaled agile shifting management from command to enablement. A strong answer contrasts LeSS manager-as-teacher supporting self-managing teams against traditional program-management command structures.
What is SAFe's Architectural Runway and how do engineers maintain it?
Tests balancing emergent design with intentional architecture at scale. Runway is existing code and infrastructure for near-term features; engineers contribute via enablers, refactoring, standards, and spikes.
How would you probabilistically forecast 40 stories using throughput data?
Tests probabilistic forecasting literacy using historical throughput. Good answers gather 8–12 periods of throughput, run Monte Carlo resampling, and present percentile delivery curves (e.g., 50th/85th/95th).
From an engineer's perspective, when does Cycle Time begin and end?
Tests if you set Cycle Time boundaries to expose wait states past coding. Strong answer: starts at In Progress, ends at Done or production, includes review/test, excludes backlog queues, and distinguishes from Lead Time. Red flag: starting at ticket creation.
Explain Little's Law and its practical application in Kanban
This tests your grasp of the WIP-throughput-lead time relationship in stable flow systems. State Lead Time = WIP / Throughput and show lowering WIP cuts lead time if throughput is flat. Beware claiming more WIP raises throughput without increasing lead time.
What is the primary purpose of a WIP limit in Kanban?
Tests whether you see Kanban as a flow system, not just a board. A great answer says WIP limits constrain multitasking to reduce cycle time and improve throughput by prioritizing finishing over starting. Red flag: saying limits are for tracking progress.
How do you spike a story to de-risk it and define deliverables?
Whether you see spikes as time-boxed research, not feature work. Propose a fixed duration, define the specific question, deliver a decision record or prototype, and revise the story estimate. Never treat a spike as production code or skip the time box.
What is the primary difference between Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective?
Tests separation of product feedback from process improvement. Review: stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the backlog. Retrospective: Scrum Team only inspects its process and plans improvements. Red flag: calling either a status report or demo.
Why do teams use story points instead of hours or days?
WHAT IT TESTS: You know points mean relative effort and complexity, not time. ANSWER OUTLINE: Define against a baseline; explain they absorb uncertainty so velocity stabilizes for planning. RED FLAG: Equating points to hours or using them to rank individuals.
Explain backlog refinement: purpose, participants, and outcomes
Tests if you treat refinement as team-wide prep, not a solo PO task. Strong answers cite the full team and stakeholders, with outcomes being ready stories and estimates. Red flag: saying only the PO and Scrum Master attend or that it replaces sprint planning.
Two senior developers clash on implementation, derailing sprint planning. Your role?
WHAT IT TESTS: Protecting Scrum events while channeling conflict into productive tension. ANSWER OUTLINE: Park or timebox the debate, reframe positions into shared interests with structured dialogue, and drive to a decision or spike.
How would you apply Conway's Law to design team structures for microservices?
WHAT IT TESTS: Using org structure as an intentional architecture lever. ANSWER OUTLINE: Map bounded contexts to cross-functional teams; use APIs as contracts; split by decoupling boundary.
Why is velocity as a primary KPI destructive, and what's better?
This tests if you see velocity as a planning gauge, not a performance metric. A strong answer notes points are subjective, cites Goldratt on gaming, and proposes team-driven improvement instead. A red flag is claiming velocity works if averaged over time.
Compare SAFe and LeSS from an engineer's view
Tests whether you see scaling frameworks as workflow design choices. Answers contrast SAFe's PI planning and RTE-managed dependencies with LeSS's single Sprint planning and team-driven resolution. Red flag: calling them interchangeable without citing autonomy.
Describe the difference between feature and component teams
Tests your grasp of how team structure affects value flow. A strong answer contrasts vertical slices with component ownership, noting feature teams shorten feedback while component teams create handoffs. Red flag: treating either as universally better.
How should an EM facilitate reviews in a self-organizing team?
Tests separating feedback from pay, replacing individual ratings with systemic coaching. Cover: framing reviews as career development, biweekly 1:1s for meta-coaching, team raise pools, and obstacle removal. Red flag: stack ranking or hero worship.