Too many teams try to “do Agile” by adding layers of process before they understand the problem they’re trying to solve. In this episode, Brian Milner and Cort Sharp discuss how to start Agile simply, avoid unnecessary complexity, and build practices that actually fit your team.

Overview

When organizations first adopt Agile, they often make the same mistake: they start with frameworks, terminology, and process layers instead of focusing on visibility, feedback, and learning. The result is a system that feels heavy before it ever becomes useful.

In this episode, Brian Milner and Cort Sharp explore a more practical approach to getting started with Agile. They discuss why teams should focus on foundational concepts like transparency, short feedback loops, and clear priorities before worrying about scaling frameworks or advanced practices. Brian and Cort also share the common “drag factors” that slow Agile adoption down, including process overload, coordination complexity, and measuring the wrong outcomes.

If your team is trying to become more Agile without creating more bureaucracy, this episode offers a practical starting point.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Cort Sharp Introducing An Agile Process to an Organization by Mike Cohn + Doris Ford Relationship between Definition of Done and Conditions of Satisfaction by Mike Cohn Why Agile Teams Put So Much Emphasis on Being Done Each Iteration by Mike Cohn

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Want to get involved?

This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input.

• Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one.
• Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com

This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is a Certified Scrum Trainer®, Certified Scrum Professional®, Certified ScrumMaster®, and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, and host of the Agile Mentors Podcast training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Cort Sharp is the Scrum Master of the producing team and the Agile Mentors Community Manager. In addition to his love for Agile, Cort is also a serious swimmer and has been coaching swimmers for five years.

Velocity can help a team plan, but it creates problems when leaders use it to judge performance. In this episode, Brian Milner and Scott Dunn explain why that shift happens so often and what leaders should pay attention to instead.

Overview

Velocity is one of the most misunderstood metrics in Agile. Used well, it helps a team forecast and make planning decisions. Used poorly, it becomes a productivity score that encourages inflated estimates, unhealthy comparisons, and a focus on output rather than value.

In this episode, Brian and Scott discuss why leaders often reach for velocity, why it gives them the wrong signal, and how teams can reconnect measurement to outcomes, learning, and business impact. They also explore how AI is making this issue more urgent by increasing delivery speed while putting even more pressure on leaders to ask whether teams are building the right things.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Scott Dunn #35: Metrics with Lance Dacy Rethink the Refinement Session: Less Time, Better Outcomes by Mike Cohn The Cost of Change Curve Is Outdated by Mike Cohn Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast

Want to get involved?

This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input.

• Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one.
• Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com

This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is a Certified Scrum Trainer®, Certified Scrum Professional®, Certified ScrumMaster®, and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, and host of the Agile Mentors Podcast training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Scott Dunn is a Certified Enterprise Coach and Scrum Trainer with over 20 years of experience coaching and training companies like NASA, EMC/Dell Technologies, Yahoo!, Technicolor, and eBay to transition to an agile approach using Scrum.

Many agile struggles don’t start with the team. They start with leadership decisions that seem reasonable but create friction, confusion, or misalignment over time. In this episode, Mike Cohn outlines the patterns that most often hold organizations back and what leaders can do differently.

Overview

In this episode, Brian Milner and Mike Cohn examine the leadership decisions that most often derail agile efforts. Rather than focusing on team-level practices, the conversation centers on how leadership behavior shapes outcomes across the organization.

Mike highlights several recurring issues: treating agile as a process change instead of a mindset shift, scaling before understanding what works, limiting product owner authority, and prioritizing speed over focus. He also addresses how well-intentioned leadership actions can unintentionally slow teams down or create dependency.

The discussion emphasizes that agile is not something leaders delegate. It requires changes in how leaders make decisions, set boundaries, and engage with teams. When those changes do not happen, teams may follow the motions of agile without seeing meaningful improvement.

If your organization is “doing agile” but not seeing the expected results, this episode offers a practical way to assess where leadership decisions may be contributing to the problem—and where to adjust first.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Mike Cohn #118: The Secrets to Agile Success with Mike Cohn #143: What Still Makes Teams Work (and Win) with Jim York Why Teams Matter More Than Ever for Innovation by Mike Cohn How To Fail With Agile: Twenty Tips to Help You Avoid Success by Mike Cohn + Clinton Keith Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast

Want to get involved?

This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input.

• Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one.
• Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com

This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is a Certified Scrum Trainer®, Certified Scrum Professional®, Certified ScrumMaster®, and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, and host of the Agile Mentors Podcast training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Mike Cohn, CEO of Mountain Goat Software, is a passionate advocate for agile methodologies. Co-founder of Agile Alliance and Scrum Alliance, he thrives on helping companies succeed with Agile and witnessing its transformative impact on individuals' careers. Mike resides in Northern Idaho with his family, two Havanese dogs, and an impressive hot sauce collection.