Description

Book Synopsis

Stefan Wolpers is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, Agile Coach, and Scrum Master, specializing in guiding agile transformations through practices like Scrum, LeSS, Kanban, Lean Startup, and professional product management. He's a licensed Agile Fluency Team Diagnostic facilitator with a history of senior leadership roles. His agile coaching focuses on scaling product delivery for fast-growing, venture-capital-backed startups as well as transitioning existing teams in established enterprises. Stefan curates the widely-followed Food for Agile Thought newsletter, engaging 50,000+ global Agile enthusiasts. He shares insights on Age-of-Product.com, hosts a vibrant Slack community of 18,000+ agile practitioners, and has authored e-books on agile themes, garnering over 100,000 downloads.



Table of Contents

Foreword by Dave West xv

Foreword by Janna Bastow xvii

Preface xix

Introduction xxv

Chapter 1. Scrum Master Anti-Patterns 1

Introduction 1

The Scrum Master According to the Scrum Guide 2

Possible Reasons Why Scrum Masters Leave the Path 2

Anti-Patterns from Acting as an Agile (Line) Manager 5

Scrum Master Anti-Patterns by Scrum Events 15

The Sprint Planning 15

The Sprint 17

The Daily Scrum 20

The Retrospective 22

Food for Thought 26

Conclusion 26

Chapter 2. Product Owner Anti-Patterns 29

Introduction 29

The Role of the Product Owner According to the Scrum Guide 30

Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 31

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 40

Sprint Anti-Patterns 42

Product Owner Anti-Patterns during the Daily Scrum 46

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 50

Food for Thought 52

Conclusion 52

Chapter 3. Scrum Developer Anti-Patterns 55

Introduction 55

The Role of the Developers in Scrum 56

Developer Anti-Patterns by Scrum Events 56

Sprint Anti-Patterns 56

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Developers 66

Anti-Patterns during the Daily Scrum 68

Developer Anti-Patterns Concerning the Sprint Review 75

Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of Developers 76

Anti-Patterns at the Product Backlog Level 77

Food for Thought 81

Conclusion 81

Chapter 4. Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 83

Introduction 83

Common Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 84

Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns at the Organizational Level 84

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the IT Management 96

Incentivized Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 98

Stakeholder Anti-Patterns at Scrum Event Level 104

Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 105

The Daily Scrum 105

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of Stakeholders 106

The Sprint Review 106

The Sprint Retrospective 107

Food for Thought 108

Conclusion 108

Chapter 5. Sprint Anti-Patterns 109

Introduction 109

The Purpose of the Sprint 109

Sprint Anti-Patterns 111

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 111

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Developers 112

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 113

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 113

Sprint Anti-Patterns of the IT Management 118

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of Stakeholders 121

Food for Thought 123

Conclusion 124

Chapter 6. Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 125

Introduction 125

Preparing the Sprint Planning 127

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 127

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Developers 127

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 132

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 134

Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 138

Food for Thought 139

Conclusion 140

Chapter 7. Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns 141

Introduction 141

The Purpose of the Daily Scrum According to the Scrum Guide 142

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns 143

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 143

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Developers 146

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 150

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 150

Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders 151

Food for Thought 154

Conclusion 155

Chapter 8. Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 157

Introduction 157

The Scrum Guide on the Sprint Review 158

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 159

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 159

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 162

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Developers 165

Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders 167

Food for Thought 174

Conclusion 175

Chapter 9. Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns 177

Introduction 177

The Scrum Guide on the Sprint Retrospective 178

Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns 179

Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 179

Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 187

Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Organization 191

Food for Thought 194

Conclusion 195

Chapter 10. Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 197

Introduction 197

The Product Backlog According to the Scrum Guide 198

Common Product Backlog Anti-Patterns 200

General Product Backlog Anti-Patterns 200

Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 207

Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Developers 209

Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 211

Food for Thought 212

Conclusion 213

Chapter 11. Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns 215

Introduction 215

Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns 216

Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 217

Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Developers 220

Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 225

Food for Thought 228

Conclusion 228

Chapter 12. Increment Anti-Patterns 229

Introduction 229

The Purpose of the Increment According to the Scrum Guide 230

Increment Anti-Patterns 231

Increment Anti-Patterns by the Scrum Team 231

Increment Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders or the Organization 240

Food for Thought 242

Conclusion 242

Chapter 13. Product Goal Anti-Patterns 245

Introduction 245

The Purpose of the Product Goal According to the Scrum Guide 246

Product Goal Anti-Patterns 247

Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 247

Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 251

Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Organization 254

Food for Thought 257

Conclusion 257

Chapter 14. Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns 259

Introduction 259

How to Create Sprint Goals 260

Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns 261

Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 262

Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns Induced by the Organization 267

Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns by the Developers 269

Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns by the Product Owner 271

Food for Thought 272

Conclusion 272

Chapter 15. Definition of Done Anti-Patterns 273

Introduction 273

Creating a Successful Definition of Done 275

Definition of Done Anti-Patterns 277

Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Developers 278

Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 281

Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Organization 289

Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 290

Food for Thought 291

Conclusion 291

Appendix A. How to Sabotage Scrum Masters and Product Owners at an Organizational Level 293

Appendix B. Toolbox 305

Index 369

The Scrum AntiPatterns Guide

Product form

£23.39

Includes FREE delivery

RRP £25.99 – you save £2.60 (10%)

Order before 4pm today for delivery by Tue 23 Dec 2025.

A Paperback / softback by Stefan Wolpers

15 in stock


    View other formats and editions of The Scrum AntiPatterns Guide by Stefan Wolpers

    Publisher: Pearson Education (US)
    Publication Date: 06/02/2024
    ISBN13: 9780137977963, 978-0137977963
    ISBN10: 137977964

    Description

    Book Synopsis

    Stefan Wolpers is a Professional Scrum Trainer at Scrum.org, Agile Coach, and Scrum Master, specializing in guiding agile transformations through practices like Scrum, LeSS, Kanban, Lean Startup, and professional product management. He's a licensed Agile Fluency Team Diagnostic facilitator with a history of senior leadership roles. His agile coaching focuses on scaling product delivery for fast-growing, venture-capital-backed startups as well as transitioning existing teams in established enterprises. Stefan curates the widely-followed Food for Agile Thought newsletter, engaging 50,000+ global Agile enthusiasts. He shares insights on Age-of-Product.com, hosts a vibrant Slack community of 18,000+ agile practitioners, and has authored e-books on agile themes, garnering over 100,000 downloads.



    Table of Contents

    Foreword by Dave West xv

    Foreword by Janna Bastow xvii

    Preface xix

    Introduction xxv

    Chapter 1. Scrum Master Anti-Patterns 1

    Introduction 1

    The Scrum Master According to the Scrum Guide 2

    Possible Reasons Why Scrum Masters Leave the Path 2

    Anti-Patterns from Acting as an Agile (Line) Manager 5

    Scrum Master Anti-Patterns by Scrum Events 15

    The Sprint Planning 15

    The Sprint 17

    The Daily Scrum 20

    The Retrospective 22

    Food for Thought 26

    Conclusion 26

    Chapter 2. Product Owner Anti-Patterns 29

    Introduction 29

    The Role of the Product Owner According to the Scrum Guide 30

    Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 31

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 40

    Sprint Anti-Patterns 42

    Product Owner Anti-Patterns during the Daily Scrum 46

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 50

    Food for Thought 52

    Conclusion 52

    Chapter 3. Scrum Developer Anti-Patterns 55

    Introduction 55

    The Role of the Developers in Scrum 56

    Developer Anti-Patterns by Scrum Events 56

    Sprint Anti-Patterns 56

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Developers 66

    Anti-Patterns during the Daily Scrum 68

    Developer Anti-Patterns Concerning the Sprint Review 75

    Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of Developers 76

    Anti-Patterns at the Product Backlog Level 77

    Food for Thought 81

    Conclusion 81

    Chapter 4. Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 83

    Introduction 83

    Common Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 84

    Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns at the Organizational Level 84

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the IT Management 96

    Incentivized Scrum Stakeholder Anti-Patterns 98

    Stakeholder Anti-Patterns at Scrum Event Level 104

    Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 105

    The Daily Scrum 105

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of Stakeholders 106

    The Sprint Review 106

    The Sprint Retrospective 107

    Food for Thought 108

    Conclusion 108

    Chapter 5. Sprint Anti-Patterns 109

    Introduction 109

    The Purpose of the Sprint 109

    Sprint Anti-Patterns 111

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 111

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Developers 112

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 113

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 113

    Sprint Anti-Patterns of the IT Management 118

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of Stakeholders 121

    Food for Thought 123

    Conclusion 124

    Chapter 6. Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 125

    Introduction 125

    Preparing the Sprint Planning 127

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns 127

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Developers 127

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 132

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 134

    Sprint Planning Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 138

    Food for Thought 139

    Conclusion 140

    Chapter 7. Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns 141

    Introduction 141

    The Purpose of the Daily Scrum According to the Scrum Guide 142

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns 143

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 143

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Developers 146

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 150

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 150

    Daily Scrum Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders 151

    Food for Thought 154

    Conclusion 155

    Chapter 8. Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 157

    Introduction 157

    The Scrum Guide on the Sprint Review 158

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns 159

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 159

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 162

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Developers 165

    Sprint Review Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders 167

    Food for Thought 174

    Conclusion 175

    Chapter 9. Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns 177

    Introduction 177

    The Scrum Guide on the Sprint Retrospective 178

    Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns 179

    Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 179

    Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Master 187

    Sprint Retrospective Anti-Patterns of the Organization 191

    Food for Thought 194

    Conclusion 195

    Chapter 10. Product Backlog and Refinement Anti-Patterns 197

    Introduction 197

    The Product Backlog According to the Scrum Guide 198

    Common Product Backlog Anti-Patterns 200

    General Product Backlog Anti-Patterns 200

    Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 207

    Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Developers 209

    Product Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 211

    Food for Thought 212

    Conclusion 213

    Chapter 11. Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns 215

    Introduction 215

    Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns 216

    Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 217

    Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Developers 220

    Sprint Backlog Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 225

    Food for Thought 228

    Conclusion 228

    Chapter 12. Increment Anti-Patterns 229

    Introduction 229

    The Purpose of the Increment According to the Scrum Guide 230

    Increment Anti-Patterns 231

    Increment Anti-Patterns by the Scrum Team 231

    Increment Anti-Patterns of the Stakeholders or the Organization 240

    Food for Thought 242

    Conclusion 242

    Chapter 13. Product Goal Anti-Patterns 245

    Introduction 245

    The Purpose of the Product Goal According to the Scrum Guide 246

    Product Goal Anti-Patterns 247

    Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 247

    Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 251

    Product Goal Anti-Patterns of the Organization 254

    Food for Thought 257

    Conclusion 257

    Chapter 14. Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns 259

    Introduction 259

    How to Create Sprint Goals 260

    Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns 261

    Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 262

    Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns Induced by the Organization 267

    Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns by the Developers 269

    Sprint Goal Anti-Patterns by the Product Owner 271

    Food for Thought 272

    Conclusion 272

    Chapter 15. Definition of Done Anti-Patterns 273

    Introduction 273

    Creating a Successful Definition of Done 275

    Definition of Done Anti-Patterns 277

    Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Developers 278

    Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Scrum Team 281

    Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Organization 289

    Definition of Done Anti-Patterns of the Product Owner 290

    Food for Thought 291

    Conclusion 291

    Appendix A. How to Sabotage Scrum Masters and Product Owners at an Organizational Level 293

    Appendix B. Toolbox 305

    Index 369

    Recently viewed products

    © 2025 Book Curl

      • American Express
      • Apple Pay
      • Diners Club
      • Discover
      • Google Pay
      • Maestro
      • Mastercard
      • PayPal
      • Shop Pay
      • Union Pay
      • Visa

      Login

      Forgot your password?

      Don't have an account yet?
      Create account