Simplicity

The noble art of identifying the unnecessary, and spending more time doing less.

“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ― Bruce Lee

Around ten weeks ago I wrote a post entitled Scrum Without Tears to announce the publication of A simple guide to Scrum. In under three months this simple description of Scrum has captured the imagination of thousands, has been translated into twenty different languages, and appears to be inspiring a new generation of practitioners.

The simple guide captures the essence of Scrum, its spirit of you like, focuses on purpose and dispenses with all prescriptive detail. The official Scrum Guide, useful as it once was has become for so many practitioners a millstone, weighing down true agility. The simple guide offers a great deal of freedom, opens our minds, encourages our collective intelligence and offers a greater sense of release from what is increasingly perceived as dogma. But still, it is not completely free of that dogma, tethered as it must be to the core framework of Scrum.

I have been exploring a new, lighter, release-focused approach to Scrum, which takes the ideas in the simple guide a few steps further, confronting, deconstructing, and recreating patterns of good practice, in a grassroots approach to change. Nothing we consider “Agile” is sacred, and everything is challenged. I currently offer this workshop as a starting point for your own exploration. Here’s what one participant has said of the experience:

"This workshop is a powerful return to the roots of Agile and Scrum. If you're looking to cut through the noise and reconnect with what truly matters—without the burden of heavy processes—this workshop is for you. The sessions were rich with deep discussions and practical insights. Tobias is an exceptional trainer who brings clarity, wisdom, and a refreshing human touch to the learning experience. Highly recommended!" (more here)

To open up these ideas still further I have decided to create a a substack publication entitled Simplicity, of which this is the first post. Future posts will go only to paid subscribers—those who especially want to take this journey with me. The necessary smaller group size will, I hope, encourage discussion, including ideas and criticisms from the reader.

My Newsletters and the occasional Outskirts post will continue to be free to all, but if you’d like to receive the Simplicity posts, which will likely be sent 1-4 times per month, please choose to upgrade your subscription to a paid one—bearing in mind the monthly cost is little more than the price of your daily cup of coffee! Now there’s caffeine for thought :)

---

Upcoming events — Full List Here

• Scrum Without Tears, 29/30/31 July, mornings
  — A no-nonsense, coercion-free approach to Scrum. I invite you to rediscover this way of working, through simplicity, release, and unlearning.

• Feast of Facilitators
  — Still a few Trailblazer (40% off) tickets remaining for the October edition of this popular online event.

• Emotional Needs Audit
  — A ninety-minute, online personal assessment—an MOT for the soul.

---