Scrum Master and Product Owner – Can They Be the Same Person?

If you’ve experimented with Scrum before, you’re likely familiar with the Scrum Master and Product Owner roles. In case you’re not, here’s a quick breakdown: the Scrum Masters are responsible for improving and maximizing the productivity of the Scrum Team. They have three essential priorities – support the Product Owner, support the Development Team, and … Read more

How to Cultivate and Nurture Self Organizing Teams

Self-organized teams in an organization is not a new concept, this management approach has been used years ago, even in the previous century, and it is becoming increasingly popular nowadays with emerging software development methodologies. This concept has increased its popularity after the broader adoption of Agile. If we are to look into the Agile … Read more

Agile to “Be” or “Do”?

If you are reading this, you already know that Scrum has three roles: Product Owner, ScrumMaster, and the Development team members. These three roles make or break Scrum, having a crucial role in delivering successful products. These Scrum roles are often different from official job titles, meaning that the development team, for example, can be … Read more

Spicing up Waterfall with Agile

The Waterfall model is the earliest Software Development Lifecycle approach that was used for software development, long before the Agile approach was embraced. As the Waterfall Model illustrates the software development process in a linear sequential flow, it means that any phase in the development process begins only if the previous phase is complete. In … Read more

Creative Projects – A Different Approach

Creative projects (e.g., video production, marketing campaigns, web design, etc.) are characterized by a predetermined budget, strict timeline, and a diverse group of people in the team. Many things happen simultaneously, and requirements changes may occur often and almost arbitrarily. This causes uncertainty about the project timeline and the resources needed (people and money). There … Read more

Project Manager and ScrumMaster: The Difference

Some think that these roles or positions if you will are one and the same. That a ScrumMaster can easily fill the role of a Project Manager and vice versa, however, a closer look reveals some large differences in mindset and execution. Let?s dig in. Unlike a Project ?Manager? a  ScrumMaster is a servant leader, … Read more

Bridging the Gap between Non-technical and Technical Teams

A significant barrier many teams face in their operations is the undeniable communication barrier between non-tech and tech teams. For instance, project managers and marketers may want projects done quickly in a typical marketing agency, while software engineers typically want to take their time on projects.  Also, these teams speak different languages (both figuratively and … Read more

Understanding the Development Team – A Challenge for a CMO?

Although it might seem like a clich?, software engineers and marketers rarely see eye to eye in many agencies. After collaborating with the technical team, a CMO may ask, “Why is Understanding the Development Team such a Challenge?” However, this “conflict” between marketing and engineering is brought about by certain factors for which both sides … Read more

Do YOU Need an Offshore Development Team?

The outsourcing vs in-house subject has been debated for the last two decades in almost all industries, including agencies. Some companies prefer to expand their networks, reduce overheads and outsource, while other companies prefer in-house for native language skills and easy timezone management. There are plenty of reasons to choose between in-house vs offshore, so … Read more

Story Points: Revolutionizing Marketing Efficiency and Team Dynamics

In an age where adaptability is synonymous with survival, the agile approach has transcended its software development confines, offering marketing teams a robust framework to thrive in fluctuating markets. This article will explore the integration of agile methodologies—specifically story point estimation—into marketing operations, its alignment with development processes, and its broader implications for project management. … Read more