Start with the Hypothesis, Not the MVP
Often when we think about an MVP, we think about a barebones version of our product that we can use to validate any hypothesis that we can dream up. But,…
Your Product Is Not Your Business
At some point, every good Product Manager falls in love with their product. And after all, to truly realize your product’s full potential you often have to be its biggest…
Spotting the Dark Matter Tasks on Your Team
This post originally appeared on the PivotalTracker blog. Ever get the feeling that your team is working on more than what’s actually in their backlog? Even with the best-laid plans, there…
Using an MMP to Discover the Best Solution for Your Problem
Today, there’s no shortage of discussion about the need for Minumum Viable Products, or MVPs. However, where MVPs might fit in your own product development process is often unclear. Remember…
MVPs Don't Validate the Product, They Validate the Need
Today, everyone is talking about Minimum Viable Products, or MVPs. Startups are planning their first MVP to bring to market. Established organizations are deciding when the MVP of a new…
Creating Great Sprint Goals
This post originally appeared on the PivotalTracker blog. Let’s try an experiment. Open your Sprint Backlog and take a look at the stories that are slated for your current Sprint. Do…
Coaching Your Product Owner As A Scrum Master
Often when we talk about the responsibilities of the Scrum Master role one of the first topics that come to mind is coaching. But too many Scrum Masters believe that…
Using the Blocking and Tackling Backlog Refinement Pattern to Ensure a Great Sprint Planning
This post originally appeared on the PivotalTracker blog. We’ve all had that sprint planning meeting. Your team spent the entire session arguing over which stories to include in the next sprint…
Can The Scrum Master And Product Owner Roles Be Combined?
“Can’t we just combine the Scrum Master and Product Owner roles?” If you’ve been around new Scrum teams for any period of time then you’ve likely heard this question more…
My Team Works Hard But We Never Seem To Finish. Why Not?
We’ve all experienced this. Your team seems to be working hard. In fact, you know your team is working hard because you’re right there in the trenches with them. But,…