When Doing Scrum, Don't Do Scrum: Focus on Problems, Not Frameworks

When Doing Scrum, Don't Do Scrum: Focus on Problems, Not Frameworks The Meridian Point - Episode Show Notes

Guest: Sven de Koning
Host: Kumar Dattatreyan
Episode Date: January 2026
Duration: ~41 minutes
Watch on YouTube

Ever wonder why your certification didn't lead to that Scrum Master job?

Meet Sven de Koning - who spent 11 years as a Scrum Master before doing something most coaches never do: he walked away to become a Product Owner. And he's got uncomfortable truths about why the Agile coaching market just collapsed.

The Netherlands Paradox

The Netherlands became the most certified Agile country per capita. The result? The market collapsed.

Fresh grad + 2-day course + PSM-I certification = "Scrum Master" billing €100/hour. Companies figured out these folks couldn't articulate their value. When budgets tightened? Gone. And now organizations won't hire anyone, even the experienced ones.

Sven lived through it. Now he's telling you why your certification might be worthless.

The "Missing Your Conscience" Problem

Picture this: You're both Scrum Master AND Product Owner for the same team.

As Scrum Master, you want smooth flow. As Product Owner, you're screaming: "You said this would be done yesterday—WHY NOT?"

Sven's verdict? "Your Scrum Master is your conscience. When you're both? You're missing your conscience."

Kumar's solution back in the day? Literal baseball hats labeled PM/SM/PO so the team knew which version of him was talking. (Yes, really.)

The Book Title That Broke Agile

"Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" - Sven calls it a terrible, terrible title.

Why? It made everyone think Scrum is a speed hack. A "magic turbo boost for your software development conveyor belt." Now we're stuck with an industry focused on velocity instead of value.

Scrum was supposed to be about delivering the right thing, not going faster. But good luck explaining that when the bestselling book says otherwise.

The €37/Hour Law That Killed Consulting

Here's how well-meaning regulations destroy markets:

The Dutch government wanted to stop construction companies from exploiting carpenters (firing them, rehiring next day as contractors for €37/hour).

Noble goal. Terrible execution.

The law also caught consultants making €150/hour - who definitely weren't being exploited. Now companies won't hire ANY independents because of massive IRS fines.

Sven's nightmare scenario? If this works in the Netherlands, the rest of the EU copies it. Your access to specialized talent? Gone overnight.

Software is a Book, Not a Car

Managers keep making this fatal mistake: "Give developers the parts, they'll build the car."

Wrong. Completely wrong.

Software development is like writing a book or painting. It's creative. It's complex, not complicated.

Car assembly = complicated (lots of parts, specific order, but it's known)
Software = complex (unknown unknowns everywhere, creative decisions at every turn)

You can't make a wish list and expect it to magically appear.

The Guard Dog at the Door

"The moment you need the Scrum Master most is when stuff hits the fan."

When there's a crisis, developers need to be at their A-game solving it. Your Scrum Master needs to be the "guard dog at the door" telling stakeholders: "Not now. We're putting out a forest fire."

Can't do both at the same time.

Part-time Scrum Master? Doesn't work.
Rotating the role? Team focus stays internal, organizational connections vanish.

The role needs to be full-time. Period.

Skip the Sprint Review?

Wait, what? Skip the ceremony everyone loves?

Sven's point: If you're only talking to stakeholders at the Sprint Review, you've already failed.

You should have constant contact throughout the sprint. By review time, nothing should surprise them. If stakeholders are shocked by what you show them, you did it wrong.

The One Certification That Actually Matters

Out of all Sven's certifications (and he's got them all - PSM I/II, PSPO I/II, the works), which gave him the most value?

Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK).

Why? It shows you Scrum's gaps around flow optimization. The power isn't in Scrum OR Kanban - it's in combining them.

Cherry-picking frameworks isn't heresy. It's pragmatism.

What You Need to Know

If you're a Scrum Master: Stop collecting certifications. Start collecting coaching skills. Your value isn't knowing the Scrum Guide - it's solving team problems and speaking truth at the C-suite level.

If you're hiring: That fresh grad with a 2-day PSM-I? Not ready. You need someone who's been in the trenches, who can be the guard dog during crisis, who won't crumble when a VP demands answers.

If you're implementing "Agile": Stop making framework adoption the goal. Ask what problems you're solving, then cherry-pick what works. Sven introduced ONLY the ceremonies that solved actual communication problems. It worked.

If you're in Europe: Watch the Netherlands. Well-intentioned labor laws are destroying independent consulting. If it spreads across the EU, specialized talent access vanishes.

Connect with Sven de Koning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svendekoning
Blog: https://medium.com/@ScrumRonin - "A Ronin is a Samurai not having a master"
Scrum.org: https://www.scrum.org/user/173192
Philosophy: Solve problems first, frameworks second
Current Role: Product Owner at Cadac Group
Mission: "A happy solution for every problem"

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"When you're doing Scrum, don't do Scrum. It's not about Scrum, it's about solving problems." - Sven de Koning

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