7 Sins Of Scrum And Other Agile Anti-Patterns by Todd Little

www.synerzip.com Webinar Series 2015
7 Sins of
Scrum and
other Agile
Anti-Patterns
Todd Little
VP Product Development
September 2015

Disclaimer
•!7
•!Sins
•!Scrum

Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the
left more.

Antipatterns
• Jim Coplien: “An anti-pattern is something
that looks like a good idea, but which
backfires badly when applied.”

Sinner’s Manifesto
We think we know what we are doing. It looks like a good idea or
someone told us that is the best way to do it so we’ll do more of it.
Through this we may have accidentally come to value:
Potential Sin Over Virtue
The sin is not always a bad idea. There may be significant value in moderation,
but in excess it can be an anti-pattern. The path the redemption is to look to the
virtue.

Heresy

Potential Sin #1
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Processes
and Tools
Over
Individuals
and
Interactions

Alexey
Krivitsky

Potential Sin #1:
Processes and Tools Over Individuals and Interactions
Potential Sin Virtue
Agile is the Tool
Over The tools support
agility

Potential Sin #1:
Agile is a process
Over Agility is a
mindset

Potential Sin #1:
Best Practices Over
Principles and
Values

Potential Sin #1:
One size fits all Over Context

Potential Sin #1:
Collaboration Over
Shared
Ownership

Potential Sin #2
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Status
Over
Flow of Value

Potential Sin #2:
Status over Flow of Value
Showing
Progress Over Delivering Value

Potential Sin #2:
Checking Boxes Over
Learning and
Adapting
Feedback
Loop

Potential Sin #2:
My part is done Over Team is done

Potential Sin #2:
Individual
Utilization Over Team Throughput

Potential Sin #2:
Specialization Over Generalization

Potential Sin #3
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Stories
Over
Strategy

Potential Sin #3:
Stories over Strategy
Buckets Over Filters

Potential Sin #3:
I want it all
(Gluttony) Over
Minimum Viable
Product

Potential Sin #3:
Listening to
Customers Over
Learning what
they really need

Potential Sin #3:
I know what they
need Over
Validating
hypothesis

Potential Sin #3:
Tasks Over Stories

Potential Sin #3:
Following orders Over
Understanding
Why

Potential Sin #4
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Crap
Over
Craftsmanship

Potential Sin #4:
Crap over Craftsmanship
Almost done Over Really done

Potential Sin #4:
Velocity Over Quality

Potential Sin #4:
Testing quality in Over Building quality in

Potential Sin #4:
Technical debt is
evil Over
Technical debt is
debt

Potential Sin #4:
Cost of Crap Over Cost of Delay

Potential Sin #5
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Iterations
Over
Releases

Potential Sin #5:
Iterations over Releases
Potentially
Shippable
Increments (PSIs) Over Releases

Potential Sin #5:
Commitment Over Focus on Value

Potential Sin #5:
Capacity planning Over Velocity planning

Potential Sin #6
Potential
Sin
Virtue
Illusion
Over
Reality

Potential Sin #6:
Illusion over Reality
Gross velocity Over Net velocity

Potential Sin #6:
Unpointed stories Over Best estimate

Potential Sin #6:
Velocity Over Quality

Potential Sin #6:
Estimation Over Forecasting

Potential Sin #6:
Microestimation Over Macroestimation

Potential Sin #6:
Vanity metrics Over Decision metrics

Potential Sin #7
Organizational
Hacks
Over
Leadership

Potential Sin #7:
Organizational Hacks over Leadership
Controlling inputs Over
Controlling
outputs/outcomes
Micromanagement Agile Leadership
Outputs

Potential Sin #7:
Micromanagement Over Macromanagement

Potential Sin #7:
Taking sides Over
Serving the whole
team

Potential Sin #7:
Meetings Over
Actions &
Resolutions

Potential Sin #7:
Certification Over Qualification

The Sinner Summary
Status Over Flow of Value
Stories Over Strategy
Crap Over Craftsmanship
Iterations Over Releases
Illusion Over Reality
Organizational Hacks Over Leadership

The Virtuous Path
• Use Retrospectives
• Improve Incrementally
• 1-2 Items
• Get Coaching as needed

Thank you!
Questions?

•53
www.synerzip.com
Hemant Elhence
hemant@synerzip.com
469.374.0500

Synerzip in a Nutshell
 Software product development partner for small/mid-sized technology
companies
• Exclusive focus on small/mid-sized technology companies, typically
venture-backed companies in growth phase
• By definition, all Synerzip work is the IP of its respective clients
• Deep experience in full SDLC – design, dev, QA/testing, deployment
 Dedicated team of high caliber software professionals for each client
• Seamlessly extends client’s local team offering full transparency
• Stable teams with very low turn-over
• NOT just “staff augmentation, but provide full management support
 Actually reduces risk of development/delivery
• Experienced team – uses appropriate level of engineering discipline
• Practices Agile development – responsive yet disciplined
 Reduces cost – dual-site team, 50% cost advantage
 Offers long-term flexibility – allows (facilitates) taking offshore team
captive – aka “BOT” option

Synerzip Clients

Next Webinar
Technical Webinar:
Running your MicroServices on Docker -
An Experience Report
Complimentary Webinar:
Tuesday, October 21, 2015 @ Noon CST
Presented by: Robert Bastian
Director, Platform Architecture at
DrillingInfo

Hemant Elhence
hemant@synerzip.com
469.374.0500
Connect with Synerzip
@Synerzip_Agile
linkedin.com/company/synerzip
facebook.com/Synerzip

7 Sins Of Scrum And Other Agile Anti-Patterns by Todd Little

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to 7 Sins Of Scrum And Other Agile Anti-Patterns by Todd Little

Similar to 7 Sins Of Scrum And Other Agile Anti-Patterns by Todd Little (20)

More from Synerzip

More from Synerzip (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

7 Sins Of Scrum And Other Agile Anti-Patterns by Todd Little

Editor's Notes