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Driving Value with Sprint Goals: Humble Plans, Exceptional Results (Addison-Wesley Signature Series
Leverage Sprint Goals to Supercharge Teamwork and Build Winning Products There are many books on Scrum and how to do Scrum the right way. This isn't one of those books. Driving Value with Sprint Goals will teach you how to deliver exceptional value. To build great products, all teams and participants must align behind clear goals that deliver real value (outcomes)--not just more features (output). Sprint Goals are your most powerful tool for achieving this alignment, but many teams avoid, misuse, or struggle with them. Maarten Dalmijn guides you through defining, creating, and executing on Sprint Goals that deliver outstanding value to customers and the business. This concise guide is packed with strategies and concepts for building high-performing teams that accelerate the delivery of value. As you reconsider critical Scrum and product management processes through the lens of the Sprint Goal, you can transform your entire organization from being low-value "feature factories" to delivering high-value outcomes. Driving Value with Sprint Goals will reshape the way you think about delivering value by offering a fresh and cohesive perspective invaluable to every Product Owner, Product Manager, Scrum Master, Agile Coach, and tech executive. "Maarten masterfully bridges the gap between Scrum and product management. If you want to create products that truly make a difference, you need to read this book."
-- Pawel Huryn , Author, Product Coach Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.
-- Pawel Huryn , Author, Product Coach Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.
256 pages, Paperback
Published July 27, 2023
15 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 23, 2023
A book full of useful information and practical advice that can be used to benefit you right away, the one reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is the editing.
I read the Kindle version and there were more than a few sentences that didn’t flow or contained duplicated words.
That said, I’m sharing valuable bits of wisdom from the book with my colleagues all the time now :)
I read the Kindle version and there were more than a few sentences that didn’t flow or contained duplicated words.
That said, I’m sharing valuable bits of wisdom from the book with my colleagues all the time now :)
July 29, 2023
Having had a chance to work with Maarten and learn from him, I was so excited for this book to be released. Maarten is an extremely knowledgeable person, but also a wonderful teacher and mentor, that can explain complex things in a very clear and "user-friendly" way. He can also challenge certain common ideas and narratives, offering a new perspective and more effective way to achieve results.
These qualities and knowledge of Maarten are also reflected in the book, which offers excellent foundation for anyone who aims to enter the product management field, but also unique insights and new angles for those having a lot of experience with Agile/Scrum. I am recommending this book to my current colleagues with different backgrounds, as I think anyone participating in "creating software" would strongly benefit from it.
What I particularly value within the book is the illustration of all concepts and ideas with brilliant cases and examples from Maarten's life, but also from other well-known experts in the field. This makes a book very engaging as there is a bridge between theory and practice. The way in which theory "is brought to life" and is never boring or difficult to apply in real life or in a job.
I am also impressed by this book because while reading it, I felt like on a "journey" from simpler concepts to more advanced ideas, and from bright examples to beneficial advice that I can start applying immediately in my work. I am a person who finds it difficult to focus, especially when I am reading something long, but with this book, it was different and I really felt very engaged and looking forward to every new chapter.
If I were to give advice to someone potentially interested in the book: I would suggest buying it for sure! It does not matter if you are a CTO with 10 years of experience, a junior person working in a product team, a student with an interest in software, or just someone who wants to really understand ideas of Agile/Scrum beyond the very basic surface level. I also think it would also be valuable for technology consultants but also for software developers - because that would give individuals in those roles a perspective about a new way of working with a lot of benefits in the short and long run.
To sum up: it is a unique book explaining difficult concepts in a visual and structured way, and it will give you new perspective and insights regardless of your current role. Happy reading :)
These qualities and knowledge of Maarten are also reflected in the book, which offers excellent foundation for anyone who aims to enter the product management field, but also unique insights and new angles for those having a lot of experience with Agile/Scrum. I am recommending this book to my current colleagues with different backgrounds, as I think anyone participating in "creating software" would strongly benefit from it.
What I particularly value within the book is the illustration of all concepts and ideas with brilliant cases and examples from Maarten's life, but also from other well-known experts in the field. This makes a book very engaging as there is a bridge between theory and practice. The way in which theory "is brought to life" and is never boring or difficult to apply in real life or in a job.
I am also impressed by this book because while reading it, I felt like on a "journey" from simpler concepts to more advanced ideas, and from bright examples to beneficial advice that I can start applying immediately in my work. I am a person who finds it difficult to focus, especially when I am reading something long, but with this book, it was different and I really felt very engaged and looking forward to every new chapter.
If I were to give advice to someone potentially interested in the book: I would suggest buying it for sure! It does not matter if you are a CTO with 10 years of experience, a junior person working in a product team, a student with an interest in software, or just someone who wants to really understand ideas of Agile/Scrum beyond the very basic surface level. I also think it would also be valuable for technology consultants but also for software developers - because that would give individuals in those roles a perspective about a new way of working with a lot of benefits in the short and long run.
To sum up: it is a unique book explaining difficult concepts in a visual and structured way, and it will give you new perspective and insights regardless of your current role. Happy reading :)
August 12, 2023
If you want to understand why Scrum is valuable and get beyond the theory, this is a book for you!
You will learn why humble plans are a way to go as opposed to overconfident plans. Why we shouldn't strive for avoiding any risks but rather learn how to deal with surprises. And also why blindly following any framework is not a recipe for success. Maarten helps us move the scale to what actually matters.
It's a smooth read with its practical advice, real-life examples, and tailored metaphors. I really appreciate that the book at times reads like a novel.
Maarten offers a great deal of advice and aha moments for anyone working in the Agile environment, not only with Scrum. This book is for anyone really, not only for Product Managers or Scrum Practitioners. It's for the leadership, the middle management, and Scrum-defined roles like Scrum Master, Product Owner or Developer.
Have a great read!
You will learn why humble plans are a way to go as opposed to overconfident plans. Why we shouldn't strive for avoiding any risks but rather learn how to deal with surprises. And also why blindly following any framework is not a recipe for success. Maarten helps us move the scale to what actually matters.
It's a smooth read with its practical advice, real-life examples, and tailored metaphors. I really appreciate that the book at times reads like a novel.
Maarten offers a great deal of advice and aha moments for anyone working in the Agile environment, not only with Scrum. This book is for anyone really, not only for Product Managers or Scrum Practitioners. It's for the leadership, the middle management, and Scrum-defined roles like Scrum Master, Product Owner or Developer.
Have a great read!
July 28, 2023
I knew Maarten could provide solid writing as I read his blog for some time. But the first book about Sprint Goal was a total surprise! I was amazed by the storyline, connections, and a-ha moments I had while reading. I did feel that Maarten put himself in the reader service 100%: a fresh view of the Scrum framework, utterly different from other readings.
I think it is one of the best books on Scrum and should be on the shelves of all Agile practitioners. I am happy that I had the chance to read it before the official release and chat about it with Maarten as I went through the chapters.
Maarten owes me a night's sleep or two, but I'm grateful for the writing and looking forward to other articles and books from him.
I think it is one of the best books on Scrum and should be on the shelves of all Agile practitioners. I am happy that I had the chance to read it before the official release and chat about it with Maarten as I went through the chapters.
Maarten owes me a night's sleep or two, but I'm grateful for the writing and looking forward to other articles and books from him.
July 28, 2023
No other resource like this exists on the important but little-understood topic of Sprint Goals. Maarten explains Sprint Goals to the fullest extent; no stone is left unturned. If you have ever struggled to operationalize Sprint Goals in your team, this is a must-read.
Maarten provides a rich tapestry of analogies in this book. These show in simple terms how to use Sprint Goals to navigate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in product development. He starts the book with a compelling adventure story from his youth; it beautifully sets the tone for the great adventure awaiting using Sprint Goals.
I am certain this will become a trusted reference for every Scrum practitioner navigating their way in the dark toward a successful product outcome.
Maarten provides a rich tapestry of analogies in this book. These show in simple terms how to use Sprint Goals to navigate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in product development. He starts the book with a compelling adventure story from his youth; it beautifully sets the tone for the great adventure awaiting using Sprint Goals.
I am certain this will become a trusted reference for every Scrum practitioner navigating their way in the dark toward a successful product outcome.
August 2, 2023
Humble plans lead to extraordinary results! That's the lesson I took from Maarten Dalmijn's book! I really enjoy reading his book! It's insightful and full of applicable tips on how to benefit from small steps that lead to amazing results.
My take on the book, it goes far beyond Sprint Goals! Reading it will give you many useful insights about Scrum, Product Ownership, and Stakeholder management.
I recommend reading it and will add this book to my product management recommendations.
Maarten Dalmijn, congratulations on this masterpiece, and thanks for bringing it to life.
My take on the book, it goes far beyond Sprint Goals! Reading it will give you many useful insights about Scrum, Product Ownership, and Stakeholder management.
I recommend reading it and will add this book to my product management recommendations.
Maarten Dalmijn, congratulations on this masterpiece, and thanks for bringing it to life.
August 24, 2023
Great Book for Product People
If you are a person involved in building products this is a great book that illustrates great way to embrace the complexity of product development. There are great stories that bring concepts to life.
If you are doing Scrum but perhaps you think something is missing, checkout this book. Martin has lots of great advice that might be your missing piece.
If you are a person involved in building products this is a great book that illustrates great way to embrace the complexity of product development. There are great stories that bring concepts to life.
If you are doing Scrum but perhaps you think something is missing, checkout this book. Martin has lots of great advice that might be your missing piece.
December 6, 2024
The content of the book is great, but after you get through the main points about sprint goals the rest of the book is very surface level with some chapters like scaling that could have been cut all together. Read it in one sitting and took some notes, but probably would have gotten more out of a targeted article on sprint goals than buying the book.
December 4, 2023
Very good, useful for day to day. Few times repetitive. But for sure takes the subject to another level.
October 6, 2023
I have read a significant number of really good books so far this year, but I have to say that I think that this book is my favorite book of 2023!
Not only is the book filled with insights from the front to the back of the book, it focuses on an area that most teams aren't very effective at - using sprint goals to deliver both customer value and desired business outcomes.
I love the author's use of the term "humble plans" which dovetail closely with a focus of mine related to highlighting the need for us to revisit the way we plan in our product development efforts. Sprint goals, when used effectively, can play a big part in how we plan.
One quote from the book that resonates deeply with me: "The Sprint Goal ensures that meeting the objective of the Sprint is more important than following instructions or executing the initially agreed upon plan."
Some of the great concepts you'll read about in the book include how to use Commander's Intent, the FOCUS mnemonic for creating effective sprint goals, and how value uncertainty is much larger than delivery uncertainty even though most teams spend more time focused on delivery uncertainty.
If you work in an agile product development process, you should definitely put this book at the top of your reading list!
Not only is the book filled with insights from the front to the back of the book, it focuses on an area that most teams aren't very effective at - using sprint goals to deliver both customer value and desired business outcomes.
I love the author's use of the term "humble plans" which dovetail closely with a focus of mine related to highlighting the need for us to revisit the way we plan in our product development efforts. Sprint goals, when used effectively, can play a big part in how we plan.
One quote from the book that resonates deeply with me: "The Sprint Goal ensures that meeting the objective of the Sprint is more important than following instructions or executing the initially agreed upon plan."
Some of the great concepts you'll read about in the book include how to use Commander's Intent, the FOCUS mnemonic for creating effective sprint goals, and how value uncertainty is much larger than delivery uncertainty even though most teams spend more time focused on delivery uncertainty.
If you work in an agile product development process, you should definitely put this book at the top of your reading list!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews