Igor Lakic, Author at Igor Lakic

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Mastering Product Backlog Refinement: 5 Steps for Effective Results

Introduction Effective Product Backlog refinement is the secret to building the right product, reducing waste, and maintaining a steady Sprint flow. Yet, many Scrum Teams struggle with chaotic or ineffective refinement sessions. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This post will guide you through five practical steps to make your Product Backlog…

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Product Owner 101: What is a Product Backlog in Scrum?

BlogJanuary 4, 2025120Views 0Likes 3Comments

Introduction Imagine trying to build a house without a blueprint or a grocery list for a big dinner party—it would be chaotic, inefficient, and prone to failure. In Scrum, the Product Backlog is your blueprint and grocery list combined, guiding the Scrum Team toward delivering value. But what exactly is it, how does it…

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Product Owner 101: How to Craft a Powerful Product Goal

BlogDecember 28, 2024149Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction A well-crafted Product Goal is the guiding star for a Scrum Team(s), transparently aligning efforts and value delivery. As a Product Owner, one of the most impactful responsibilities is to craft and explicitly communicate Product Goal. Product Goal is not a checkbox in the Scrum Framework, rather it's foundation for building alignment, enabling transparency,…

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List of 5 Common Product Vision Anti-Patterns (and How to Avoid Them)

BlogDecember 21, 2024145Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Product Vision is a mandatory element of every Scrum Team that sets them up for success. In one of my previous blogs I explained what is the Product Vision and how important it is for the Scrum Team and wider organization. However, many Scrum Teams fall into common traps when crafting and/or maintaining their…

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Product Owner 101: How to Craft a Powerful Product Vision

BlogDecember 15, 2024169Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Product Vision describes the purpose of a Product. It serves as the guiding star for teams, ensuring transparency, inspiration, and focus. A good Product Vision expresses the value the Product should deliver and to whom that value is delivered. In this blog I will share few insights on what the Product Vision is and…

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Scrum 101: Who is a Professional Scrum Product Owner?

BlogDecember 7, 2024180Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Product Owner is a member of a Scrum Team. Professional Scrum Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product/service and the work done by the Scrum Team. Focus of a Product Owner is on many things but I will name just a few such as Product Vision, Product Goal, Product Backlog,…

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How to Manage Technical Debt in Scrum Teams

BlogDecember 1, 2024180Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Looking from IT and technical perspective, one of the things that hinder the progress and effectiveness significantly of Scrum Teams is technical debt. Technical debt affects overall product quality and health, delivery forecasts and costs of the execution. If and when left unpaid, it creates something that most teams are not even aware of…

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List of 5 Steps to Build Psychological Safety in a Scrum Team

BlogNovember 24, 2024221Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction One of the key components of a successful Scrum Team is a psychological safety. If creates trust, encourages innovation, improves team performance, and creates environment where team members feel safe to share ideas and feedback without fear of negative consequences. This step-by-step blog will elaborate and guide you more on how to build psychological…

Scrum Team Collaboration During Planning

How to Maximize Effectiveness in a Self-Managing Scrum Team

BlogNovember 17, 2024244Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction The Scrum Team is the core unit in Scrum, made up of a Scrum Master, a Product Owner, and Developers. The team is small and unified, with no sub-teams or hierarchy, and works together toward a single goal called the "Product Goal." Each team member has the skills needed to deliver value during each…

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List of 5 Steps to Maintain Continuous Improvement in Scrum Team

BlogNovember 10, 2024234Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Continuous improvement isn’t just a principle, it's the driving force behind building a high-performance Scrum Teams. But how can Scrum Teams truly sustain a momentum of growth and adaptation without plateauing? This blog unpacks five practical ways to foster and embed continuous improvement into the very fabric of a Scrum team's working culture. Step…