The Challenge of Finding True Agile Experts

A long time ago, when I was a junior Scrum Master, my Chief Agile Coach posed a thought-provoking question:
“If you had a limited budget, would you hire a Scrum Master or a Software Engineer?”

At the time, I replied, “A Software Engineer, because they produce measurable output.”

Now, years later, I reflect on that conversation with a deeper understanding. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside exceptional Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners. Yet, let’s be honest:

The majority of Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches lack a clear understanding of the how and why behind their roles. Many find themselves stuck in these positions, not out of passion or conviction, but because they see no alternatives. Instead of pursuing what they believe is right, they focus on maintaining their roles, often to the detriment of their teams and organizations.

The market is saturated with so-called Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches. For every open position, there are often over 200 applicants. Since these roles are unregulated, anyone can claim the title. Unfortunately, this influx of underqualified individuals has created challenges for the Agile community.

The Problem with Unqualified Agile Practitioners

Agile practitioners are perceived as experts, wielding authority. However, when they lack the necessary experience or knowledge, they themselves become the biggest impediments. This issue is compounded when they fail to listen to those they aim to serve, addressing superficial concerns rather than solving real problems. Instead of driving transformation, they retreat into an “Agile kindergarten,” disconnected from reality.

Moreover, the oversupply of candidates drives salaries down, making these roles less attractive to true experts. As a result, the market loses talented professionals who could excel in these positions, creating a vicious cycle.

What Makes a Great Agile Expert?

A true Agile expert must navigate a complex and diverse set of responsibilities, including but not limited to:

  1. Team and Dependency Mapping
    Utilizing frameworks like Team Topologies to visualize and optimize team structures.
  2. Implementing the Right Workflows
    Choosing and establishing methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban based on team needs.
  3. Scaling Agile
    Adopting frameworks like Nexus, Spotify, Scrum@Scale, or SAFe to scale Agile practices effectively.
  4. Ensuring Transparency
    Leveraging tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira, and Confluence to provide visibility into workflows.
  5. Metrics and Retrospectives
    Establishing metrics and cascading retrospectives to identify and address impediments.
  6. Teaching Best Practices
    Guiding teams on concepts like Definition of Done (DoD), Definition of Ready (DoR), OKRs, and Acceptance Criteria (AC).
  7. Driving DevOps Adoption
    Helping developers embrace DevOps practices, if necessary.
  8. Facilitating Vision and Strategy
    Supporting the creation of visions, missions, and strategies at both the organizational and team levels.
  9. Effort and Value Estimation
    Introducing estimation techniques like T-shirt sizes or story points, and prioritization methods like WSJF or Cost of Delay.
  10. Conflict Resolution and Coaching
    Combining skills in mediation and coaching to empower individuals, resolve conflicts, and harmonize Agile methods with existing structures.

This list only scratches the surface of what a skilled Agile practitioner must handle. Organizations seeking to hire an Agile Coach should ask candidates to explain these methodologies. Doing so can reveal whether they possess the expertise needed for the role.

Reflecting on the Industry Today

There was a time when companies hired almost anyone with a self-declared title of Scrum Master or Agile Coach. That window gave me the chance to enter this profession. However, times have changed, and so has my perspective.

If my Chief Agile Coach asked me the same question today, I’d answer differently:
“I would hire a qualified Scrum Master—someone with both experience and a strong theoretical foundation. This is a critical role, and you can’t entrust it to just anyone with a certification.”

Agility works. It offers practical solutions to structural challenges that companies face. While traditional waterfall project management isn’t a viable alternative, the challenge lies in finding the right people to implement Agile effectively. Companies must embrace agility to adapt and compete, but doing so successfully requires truly qualified Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters.

Rede Manuskript für die Kandidatur für die Landesliste zur Bundestagswahl von Volt am 2024-11-24

Liebe Mitmenschen, Freund*innen und Mitstreitende, liebe Voltis,

mein Name ist Kevin Veen-Birkenbach, ich bin 31 Jahre alt und lebe in einer WG im Wedding. Ich bin ausgebildeter Kaufmann, sowie Fachinformatiker und besitze keinen akademischen Abschluss. Als Freiberufler unterstütze ich Unternehmen, Teams und Menschen dabei, sich weiterzuentwickeln. Zudem bin ich als Schiffsführer weltweit unterwegs und erlebe Herausforderungen, die ich nur als Teamplayer lösen kann.

Ich bin Mitglied bei Volt, weil unsere Bewegung für Solidarität und Pragmatismus steht. Unsere Werte sind für mich tief verwurzelte Überzeugungen. Bereits während meiner Schulzeit setzte ich mich für Bildungsthemen ein. Später engagierte ich mich in der politischen Bildungsarbeit, gab ehrenamtlich Deutschunterricht für Geflüchtete, nahm Geflüchtete bei mir auf und engagierte mich im antifaschistischen Spektrum. Zudem arbeite ich ehrenamtlich in einem Awarenessteam.

Ich weiß, dass ich priveligiert bin: männlich, weiß, Deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft, selbstbewusst und mit einem guten Einkommen. Doch mein Lebensweg war alles andere als geradlinig.

Meine Kindheit war von Gewalt geprägt. Nach der Trennung meiner Eltern wuchs ich zunächst bei meiner Mutter und meinem Stiefvater auf, wo ich Gewalt am eigenen Körper und der eigenen Psyche erlebte. Mit zehn Jahren kam ich in eine Wohngruppe, doch auch dort stieß ich auf Hürden: Mit 17 Jahren musste ich in eine eigene Wohnung ziehen, weil mein Heimplatz zu teuer wurde. Es folgte ein langer Kampf um Unterstützung durch Jugendamt, Jobcenter und Bafög-Stellen. Ich spielte mit dem Gedanken mein Abitur abzubrechen. Um während meiner ersten Ausbildung finanziell über die Runden zu kommen spendete ich mehrmals die Woche Plasma.

Diese Erfahrungen prägen mich. Ich weiß, wie es sich anfühlt, wenn Institutionen versagen. Ich weiß, wie wichtig Sicherheit, Unterstützung und ein solidarisches Netz sind. Sie motiviert mich, für eine Zukunft einzutreten, in der niemand solche Hürden allein überwinden muss. Ich setze mich, wie auch Volt, für ein Pilotprojekt zum Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen ein. Meine Hypothese ist, dass es echte Sicherheit schafft, ein bürokratisches Chaos wie mir widerfahren, verhindert und jeder Mensch aufgefangen wird.

2018 bewältigte ich einen Burnout und schwere Depressionen durch Therapie. Diese Erfahrung hat mich gelehrt, meine eigenen Grenzen zu kennen und auf mich zu achten. Das gibt mir nicht nur die notwendige Stärke, sondern auch ein tiefes Verständnis für Menschen, die ähnliche Herausforderungen durchleben. Psychische Gesundheit muss enttabuisiert werden – wie Volt es fordert.

Wir müssen eine Politik verfolgen, die offen, progressiv und menschlich ist. Ich glaube daran, dass wir gemeinsam eine Gesellschaft schaffen können, die niemanden zurücklässt und jedem eine Stimme gibt. Unsere Grenzen müssen offen bleiben. Dem Rechtsruck müssen wir entschieden entgegen treten. Wir wollen unser Gegenüber als Mensch und fühlendes Lebewesen wahrnehmen.

Ich bringe Erfahrung aus Ehrenamt, Startups und Konzernen mit. Ich unterstütze Organisationen und Menschen dabei, ihre Stärken zu entfalten. Als Freiberufler werde ich für Resultate bezahlt und habe bewiesen, dass ich liefern kann. Wir, also Volt, fordert “Institutionen und Verfahren, die die Bürger*innen verstehen und mitgestalten können”. Es ist mein tägliches Brot solche Verfahren in Unternehmen zu implementieren.

Meine Reisen haben mich geformt und meinen Horizont erweitert. Meine interdisziplinären und praktischen Fähig- und Fertigkeiten, sowie meine vielfältigen Erfahrungen helfen mir, Brücken zu bauen. Ich unterhalte mich mit meinen Mitmenschen auf Augenhöhe. Ich höre Ihnen aktiv zu und schätze sie wert. Ob es um Wirtschaftsfragen, Bildung, soziale Gerechtigkeit oder den Wolf auf dem Land geht, ich hole die Menschen dort ab wo sie stehen. Mein diverser und internationaler Freundeskreis ist meine Stütze und ein Fundament, um Brücken zu bauen.

Unsere Welt braucht Veränderung. Ich möchte meine Erfahrungen und Werte einbringen, um Volt in den Bundestag zu bringen. Wir müssen für diesen Wahlkampf eine Person aufstellen mit der sich unsere Mitmenschen identifizieren können. Meine Biografie gibt mit Glaubwürdigkeit und Authentizität.

Liebe Angehörige der Elektrischen Spannung;

Unsere Welt braucht Veränderung. Mit Erfahrung und Leidenschaft möchte ich Volt als progressive Kraft in den Bundestag bringen. Dafür bitte ich um eure Unterstützung!

Mein Name ist Kevin Veen-Birkenbach

Ich bitte um euer Vertrauen.

Adventure Talks – São Miguel

Hey everyone!

It’s been on my bucket list forever, but the time has come—I’m finally doing it!

Introducing “Adventure Talks”: a chill hangout where I invite friends and fellow adventurers (on-site or remotely) to chat about our wild, hilarious, and sometimes downright ridiculous escapades. The vibe? Super relaxed, unscripted, and just a tad chaotic—because life’s more fun that way, right?

Instead of boring you with a polished presentation, I’ll be diving into my media stash to share stories as they come. No filters, no prep, just raw adventure vibes!

This series is my way of finally avoiding the endless 1:1 storytelling loop—as much as I love talking about my adventures, repeating the same stories over and over gets really tiring. Now I can share everything with you all at once, and we can make it interactive and fun!

For the first Adventure Talk, we’re diving (literally and figuratively) into my time on São Miguel in the Azores. Think jaw-dropping hikes, surreal underwater dives, and road trips that veered into the unexpected. It’s a magical island, and I’m so excited to bring it to life for you!

Bonus! My living room setup includes a 360° camera, so even if you’re joining remotely, you’ll feel like you’re right here with us. It’s all about breaking down the barrier between virtual and on-site participants—because adventures are better shared with everyone.

Here’s the plan:
🗓 Saturday, November 23rd
15:00 CET – Snacks and drinks in my living room
👉 Afrikanische Straße 43, 13351 Berlin

16:00 CET – Live stream starts here:
👉 https://cloud.veen.world/apps/bbb/b/HdCGsQQnGqYaWoNF

You can join the live discussion, ask your burning questions, or just chill and enjoy.

If you want to join in person, please send me a quick message so I know how many snacks to stock up on.

The stream will be published afterwards online ☁️

The stream you will find here

Let’s talk Azores, share some laughs, and kick off this new series together. I can’t wait to see you there—whether on my couch or on the stream! 🚀

Cheers,
Kevin

Fall Tour’24 🏍️⛵️✈️🛳️

The following tables include the draft plan for my Fall-Tour’24

Berlin – Trogir🇩🇪️🇫🇷️🇨🇭️🇮🇹️🇸🇮️🇭🇷

DayFromToDurationVehicle
2024-09-14BerlinAschaffenburg6h🏍️
2024-09-15AschaffenburgNiederlinxweiler3h🏍️
2024-09-23NiederlinxweilerLes Trois Forêts3h🏍️
2024-09-28Les Trois ForêtsTurin8h🏍️
2024-09-30TurinVerona4h🏍️
2024-10-01VeronaKamnik4h🏍️
2024-10-03KamnikZadar5h🏍️
2024-09-04ZadarTrogir4h🏍️
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wqr9wJbvHSkWVtwPA

In Trogir I work as a skipper for two weeks.

Trogir – Uberlândia ️🇭🇷️🇮🇹️️🇨🇭🇧🇷️

DateFromToDurationVehicle
2024-10-19TrogirSplit1h🏍️
2024-10-20SplitAncona12h🛳️
2024-10-25AnconaParma5h🏍️
2024-11-26ParmaBasel6h🏍️
2024-10-30BaselUberlândia24h✈️
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8gK2ceqEykNKnaG9A, https://ssl.directferries.com/, https://maps.app.goo.gl/YZsJPeN3LsAkQFzy9

My motorbike I leave in Switzerland until spring.

Uberlandia – Berlin 🇧🇷️🇩🇪️

DateFromToDurationVehicle
2024-11-04UberlandiaBelo Horizonte4h✈️
2024-11-10Belo HorizonteRio de Janeiro9h🚌️
2024-11-16Rio de JaneiroBerlin16h✈️
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FmHX145TNAwH4wbK8, https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bgp5yUM7AU3tyqD98

Overview and Outlook for 2024/25

This article contains a brief update from my side concerning my plans and the milestones which I want to archive in 2024/25. Also you will find a overview of some of my current routines, hobbies and activities.

If you want to participate in some of the listed activities or adventures, accompany me to some of the travels, or join me in my routines feel free to reach out to me.

Calendar

My calendar for 2024/25 looks like the following:

StartEndStatusLocationDescription
2024-06-202024-06-25ConfirmedBerlinMadeiran Digital Nomads visit me in Berlin
2024-07-042024-07-04TentativeBrandenburgADAC Motorbike Perfection Training
2024-07-062024-07-13ConfirmedDanish South SeaSailing Holidays
2024-07-272024-08-02ConfirmedRaversbeuren (Hunsrück)Lott Building up
2024-08-022024-08-05ConfirmedRaversbeuren (Hunsrück)Lott Festival
2024-08-172024-08-18ConfirmedBerlinSportseeschifferschein-Theorie-Prüfung
2024-08-192024-08-25TentativeBrusselsCustomer Onboarding
2024-08-262024-08-30ConfirmedBrandenburgTeam Coaching and Workshop
2024-09-012024-09-01ConfirmedBerlin25. Berlin-Reinickendorf Half-Marathon
2024-09-072024-09-08TentativeBerlinBirthday Party
2024-09-142024-10-05TentativeEuropeMotorbike Tour\Remote Work\Crashing Couches of Family and Friends:
Germany – Switzerland – Slovenia –
2024-10-052024-10-12ConfirmedTrogir(Croatia)Sailing Job
2024-10-122024-10-19
Confirmed
Trogir(Croatia)Sailing Job
2024-11-022024-11-03TentativeBrazilJamies Wedding Part II
2024-11-032024-11-17TentativeSouth AmericaRemote\On-Side Work
2024-11-182024-11-22Confirmed?Agile Week
2024-12-242025-01-05Tentative?Sailing and Traveling
2025-01-??2025-03-??TentativeMadeiraOrganizing a workation for my clients
Outlook in 2024/25

Milestones

Until Quarter 4 of 2025 I planed to accomplish the following milestones:

DateObjective
2024/Q350% of SSS-Theory passed
2024/Q475% of SSS-Theory passed
2025/Q1100% of SSS-Theory passed
2025/Q3PPL(A) passed
2025/Q4All necessary tasks for Wildlife Awareness Certification finished
Milestones 2024/25

Activities and Hobbies

To join me in my activities write me a private message or just join one of the following groups to receive relevant updates:

DomainAreaWhatsApp-Group LinkQR-Code
SpaBerlinhttps://s.veen.world/vabalifriendsonwhatsapp
House and TechoBerlinhttps://s.veen.world/houseandtechnoloversonwhatsapp
VolleyballSprengelkiez\
Berlin
https://s.veen.world/volleycashejeroonwhatsapp
Latin DancingBerlinhttps://s.veen.world/latindancingfriendsonwhatsapp
SailingWannsee\
Worldwide
https://s.veen.world/yachtmasteronwhatsapp
Whatsapp Groups Overview

Weekly Evening Routines

During the week I follow this evening routines:

DayIntervalPriorityActivityLink
MondayEveryHighKrav-Magahttps://krav-maga-berlin.de/
TuesdayEveryLowYogahttps://www.eversports.de/s/blue-panta-yoga
TuesdayLast of MonthHighHack’n Tellhttps://bhnt.c-base.org/
WednesdayEveryLowYogahttps://www.eversports.de/s/blue-panta-yoga
WednesdayEvery Second of MonthHighAdventuretalks
(Live Podcast Production with Q&A)
WednesdayEvery Fourth of MonthHighAbenteurerstammtisch
(Chating, Drinks and good food)
ThursdayEveryMediumBachatahttps://www.soda-berlin.de/soda-social-club
FridayEveryHighKrav-Magahttps://krav-maga-berlin.de/
SundayEveryMediumBachatahttps://www.soda-berlin.de/soda-social-club
Weekly and Monthly Routines

Welcome on the new Galaxy Server✨

Hey folks,

I want to inform you that I moved my services from my old server aka. World Server🌐 to my new server aka. Galaxy Server✨.

Hardware Changes

The reason for the moving was, that the hardware specs of my old server hadn’t been sufficient enough:

  • Intel Core i7-2600
  • HDD2x HDD SATA 3,0 TB (RAID I)
  • RAM2x RAM 8192 MB DDR3

The RAM leaded to an issue with Memory intensive applications like Discourse and Gitlab, which I recently installed. Also the HDD’s had been pretty slow and to small for storing all of my cloud data ~ 1TB and a daily backup history on the long run.

So I decided around Christmas that I want to move my server to get a server with the following specs:

  • Intel Core i7-7700
  • HDD2x HDD SATA 4,0 TB Enterprise (RAID I)
  • HDD2x SSD SATA 480 GB Datacenter (RAID I)
  • RAM4x RAM 16384 MB DDR4
  • PLUSNIC 1 Gbit – Intel I219-LM

I set up the server with encrypted an encrypted ArchLinux. Therefore I used this recipe .

Software Changes

Besides this I also improved the performance of the CyMaIS software, which I use to set up and manage my servers, to take the full advantage of the new hardware.

Next to the usual restructuring and refactoring work, I implemented new roles which raise the performance:

  • Central MariaDB instead of one Database per application with the role docker-mariadb
  • Central PostgreSQL instead of one Database per application with the role docker-postgres
  • Store database volumes on SSD and file volumes on HDD with the role system-storage-optimizer

Now the user can decide it they want to have one database for all applications, or one database for each application. The system storage optimizer should significantly raise the speed of server applications.

I also implemented other performance tweaks. E.g. I optimized the backup-docker-to-local script to reduce the down time during backups and also excluded the backup of not necessary data like redis or memcached.

Moving Process

The moving process started on 2024-01-11. I decided for a radical step and move all domains at once instead of moving the applications one by one to the new Galaxy Server. This was a gamble, because it goes against an iterative approach.

I trusted my software modifications enough, to take this risk.

At the evening of 2024-01-11 I finally shutted the applications on the old World Server down. And pulled the backups of the applications to the Galaxy Server.

The biggest challenge was to change the databases from one database per application, to two central databases; One for MariaDB and one for PostgreSQL. This involved much manual work. Also I needed to change the names of some volumes.

Besides this the changing of the mail server application to the new Galaxy Server leaded to the expected headache.

It could be that some emails which had been sent between 2024-01-11 and 2024-01-12 didn’t reach me.

I decided to keep one separated database for the Mailu mail server application, because it wasn’t obvious for me why the application didn’t run with the central database activated.

The performance should also not be to much affected by this missing migration.

I’m also still in the process of migrating Discourse and Big Blue Button to the new installation.

I want to say sorry for all inconveniences which appeared for the end users during the migration process.

Outlook

I’m glad that my new server is now up and running. The next things on my CyMaIS bucket list are the following:

  1. Full implementation of Matrix as Single Point of Truth to replace all other messenger applications
  2. Implementation of LDAP and Single Sign-On to have one Single Point of Truth for the User Management over all server applications
  3. Implementation self programmed User Management Application for CyMaIS, to provide CyMaIS as SaaS
  4. Setting up first commercial CyMaIS SaaS application for B2C
  5. Providing CyMaIS Infrastructure Setup for SMB’s as B2B services

I hope this insight was interesting. I’m looking forward to continue my IT journey with you!

PHP and Symfony Solutions

Kevin Veen-Birkenachs Computer Science Library 2021-01-28

I offer the development of applications with a technology stack based on PHP. Since 2011 I use this language and it’s my programming mother thong. With PHP I programmed insurance calculators for Dionera, human resource platforms for Neue Werte and Facebook applications for Rootcoonect.

As back-end framework I use Symfony. It’s based on the Model-View-Controller concept and allows to setup REST applications with CRUD functionality in a short amount of time.

As database I use MariaDB which roots in MySQL.

Concerning quality assurance I use the PHPUnit-Framework. With the help of this Framework I can write Unit-, Integration-, Function- and Scenario-Tests, to guaranty that the software works as defined, expected and required.

I prefer to use a clean slate approach because this allows me to develop applications with a high velocity and quality. I also offer refactoring services to clean up an existing code base to reduce technical debt. I follow SOLID principles. For me Clean code is not just a phrase, but a mindset.

I prefer to have regular meetings with my customers to get feedback. This allows me to adapt the software fast to the requirements of the client and the market. I like to work in teams with an agile mindset. This could mean to work with Scrum and Kanban, or another agile approaches.

Off course I also know how to work with Front-End technologies like Javascript, JQuery, HTML and CSS, but my specialization is back-end programing and DevOps.

The following two repositories give some code examples how I develop software solution with PHP:

Feel free to contact me for further information.