After three years as a Scrum Master and Agile coach, I hit a wall coaching a team that did not want to try popular Agile engineering techniques such as TDD and pair programming. I had become a Scrum Master after four years working on the business analysis and account ownership side of things and could not speak from personal experience about engineering practices. In order to get some first-hand experience and to gain a new perspective, I chose to spend a year or two as a software developer on a Scrum team. The experience has been eye-opening. I experienced a tremendous cognitive load working with a wide array of technologies; this pulled my attention away from many of the collaborative and process-oriented activities I cared about as a Scrum Master. I was surprised to feel strong pressure to complete work quickly, cutting corners, even when the Product Owner and Scrum Master were not asking me to. When this pressure was explicit, it usually came from my fellow developers. On the other hand, there is real joy in writing code and seeing a system do something worthwhile that it wasn't doing before. My outlook has changed tremendously and is something I want to share with anyone who works with development teams, especially Scrum Masters and other coaches. I am still enjoying my time as a developer, but I'm looking forward to returning to coaching and incorporating this experience into my approach. Slides for my presentation at Agile2019 (https://agile2019.sched.com/event/OD8A/undercover-scrum-master-dane-weber)

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Undercover
Scrum Master
Dane Weber

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Scrum Master

3. Undercover
Scrum Master

4. Undercover
Scrum Master

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Prior Operations
Agent:
Dane Weber, Scrum Master
CLP, CSD, CSM, ICP-ACC, ICP-ATF, PMI-ACP, PMP

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Career Path

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Career Path

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Career Path

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Mission Background
Objective:
Gain full-time experience writing production
code on an Agile software development team.

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Scrum Master focus over time

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Scrum Master focus over time

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Scrum Master focus over time

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LeSS Development Practices

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LeSS Development Practices

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• The Planning Game
• Small Releases
• Metaphor
• Simple Design
• Testing
• Refactoring
• Pair Programming
• Collective Ownership
• Continuous Integration
• 40-hour week
• On-site Customer
• Coding Standard
Extreme Programming

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• The Planning Game
• Small Releases
• Metaphor
• Simple Design
• Testing
• Refactoring
• Pair Programming
• Collective Ownership
• Continuous Integration
• 40-hour week
• On-site Customer
• Coding Standard
Extreme Programming

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Mission Debrief
Accomplished:
Spent two years as a full-stack developer,
learning a lot from my teammates & team.

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• Joined a successful project just as we
reorganized from two teams into three.
• Team named itself: “Bits, Please!”
• Whole project was characterized by egalitarian,
joyful, empowered, and helpful people.
Mission Debrief

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• API services inspired by the microservice pattern
• Single-page application front-end
• Cloud-hosted
• Highly automated build/test/deploy pipeline
• Merge code to master, pass tests, and it will be
live in production in under 30 minutes.
Mission Debrief

20. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Magical Developers
We’re all just folk

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Muggles vs. Wizards

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From Muggle to Wizard

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From Muggle to Wizard

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From Muggle to Wizard

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From Muggle to Wizard

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Everybody is
special, not just
developers
Respect everyone,
their time, and their
contributions
Welcome others &
ask for feedback as
the privileged group
Avoid shorthand
terms that divide
groups
Counter-
measures

28. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Cognitive Load
Really overwhelming

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Cognitive Load

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Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Cognitive Load

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Lack of enthusiasm ≠ disagreement
Cognitive Load

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Recognize &
alleviate cognitive
load
Handy notes and
references
Timely reminders
Just do it
Counter-
measures

39. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Pair Programming
The real kind

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair Programming

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Pair-programming is not a natural
result of close collaboration.
Pair Programming

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Pair programming
is a habit and skill
Set up the right
environment
Practice in order to
gain the skill
Be patient
Counter-
measures

57. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Test-Driven
Development
As opposed to development-driven testing

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Test-Driven Development Cycle

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Test-Driven Development Cycle

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Test-Driven Development Cycle

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Test-Driven Development Cycle

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Test-Driven Development Cycle

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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The Coding Feedback Loop

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Good Tests & Infrastructure

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Testing Infrastructure

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TDD is also a
habit and skill
Invest in working,
pleasant frameworks
Stop and fix ugly or
missing tests
Whatever the order,
always hit red,
green, & refactor
Counter-
measures

82. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Feedback Loops
& Planning
Delaying gratification

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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Feedback Loops & Planning

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“Too many meetings” translates to
• Ineffective meetings
• Activities without clear payoff
• Interruptions of enjoyable work
Feedback Loops & Planning

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Lack of enthusiasm ≠ disagreement
Feedback Loops & Planning

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Diffusion of responsibility:
More people sharing responsibility
decreases individual responsibility.
Feedback Loops & Planning

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“No battle was ever won according to plan,
but no battle was ever won without one.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Feedback Loops & Planning

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Not everything is
fun all the time
Somebody has to do
the chores
Improve feedback
loops
Communicate the
value of less-fun
activities
Counter-
measures

104. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry
Unauthorized Technical Debt

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Implicitly in a Hurry

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Haste makes
waste
Be a professional:
craft with integrity
Talk about product
quality and
maintenance
Incentivize quality,
maintenance, and
refactoring
Counter-
measures

127. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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❑ Magical Developers

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❑ Magical Developers

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❑ Cognitive Load
• Macintosh • VPN • GitHub • Bash • Git • VS Code • Docker
• Make • Rake • Redis • Oracle • Postgres • Ruby • Rails
• Javascript • React • Redux • CSS • Sass • HTML • Sequel • SQL
• Cucumber • JMeter • Rswag • RSpec • Minitest • RuboCop
• ESLint • Jest • Codecept • Cypress • Swagger • Insomnia • Curl
• Jenkins • AWS • ECS • SQS • S3 • CloudWatch • Splunk • New
Relic • Kibana • HTTP • OAuth2 • NGINX • Regex • Flipper
• Graphviz • Markdown • AsciiDoc • Sidekiq • Elasticsearch • SSH
• Akamai CDN • Slack • Outlook • video conferencing solutions
• JIRA • Trello • VictorOps • Service Now

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Lack of enthusiasm ≠ disagreement
❑ Cognitive Load

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❑ Pair Programming

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Pair-programming is not a natural
result of close collaboration.
❑ Pair Programming

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❑ Test-Driven Development

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❑ Test-Driven Development

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❑ Feedback Loops & Planning

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“Too many meetings” translates to
• Ineffective meetings
• Activities without clear payoff
• Interruptions of enjoyable work
❑ Feedback Loops & Planning

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❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

140. ❑ Magical Developers
❑ Cognitive Load
❑ Pair Programming
❑ Test-Driven Development
❑ Feedback Loops
& Planning
❑ Implicitly in a Hurry

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Experience Report
https://www.agilealliance.org/resources/experience-reports/undercover-scrum-master/

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Future Missions
Objective:
Continue to grow and learn. Coach teams
and share what I’ve learned.

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Future Missions

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