The Everyday Agile Podcast

Everyday Agile Ltd
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The North West's number one Agile podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/everyday-agile-ltd/

  1. 5d ago

    Why Agile Transformations Fail (And How to Fix Them: Lydia Hawthorn

    Why do Agile transformations fail, and what can leaders do differently? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Lydia Hawthorn shares practical insights on Agile transformation, product thinking, delivery leadership and building high-performing teams. Lydia is an award-winning product and delivery leader, business agility expert, Tech Women 100 winner and Delivery Director at CPrime. We explore why Agile isn't a shortcut to easy delivery, why so many transformations are run like traditional projects, and how leaders can create the conditions for teams to thrive. ▶︎What You'll Learn - Why Agile transformations are harder than many organisations expect. - Why the transformation journey matters more than the promised end state. - What great Agile consultants do beyond presentations and PowerPoint decks. - How curiosity, trust and genuine stakeholder relationships improve consulting. - Why leadership behaviours and psychological safety matter when building an Agile culture. - How to apply product discovery and experimentation to organisational change. - What an epic hypothesis is and how to use it in a large-scale Agile transformation. - How Scrum Masters and Delivery Managers can create better team experiences. - How LEGO Serious Play can help teams communicate and collaborate. - How Elevate supports women progressing into technology leadership. - Where AI fits into Agile delivery and how organisations can use it to improve existing ways of working. ▶︎Connect with Lydia Find Lydia Hawthorne on LinkedIn and explore the Elevate community for mentoring, resources and opportunities for women in tech leadership. ▶︎Our newsletter https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups ▶︎Join us at The Not Another Agile Conference on 22 April 2027 at The Square, Chester Zoo. Check the event links for tickets and the latest speaker lineup. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867 ▶︎Chapters 00:00 Introducing Lydia Hawthorn: Product & Delivery Leadership 01:16 From English Graduate to Tech Delivery Leader 03:07 Is Consultancy Harder Than Working In-House? 04:44 What Does a Delivery Director Actually Do? 06:23 What Makes a Great Consultant? 09:03 What Consultants Actually Do Beyond PowerPoint 11:16 Is Agile Dead in 2026? 11:50 Why Agile Transformations Are Harder Than You Think 13:43 Why the Transformation Journey Matters More Than the End Goal 16:32 Agile Transformation: Habits That Create Momentum 17:05 Building an Agile Culture Through Learning and Failure 20:40 Why Leaders Struggle With Clarity 22:16 Human-Centred Agile Transformation and Product Discovery 23:46 The Role of Scrum Masters and Delivery Managers 24:17 Using LEGO Serious Play to Improve Team Collaboration 25:01 How to Write an Epic Hypothesis for Agile Transformation 27:17 Elevate: Mentoring Women Into Tech Leadership 28:32 Why Women Need Support Moving Into Leadership 30:09 How the Elevate Mentoring Programme Works 33:29 AI, Agile and the Future of Consultancy 35:42 Why Agile Matters When Businesses Must Do More With Less 36:53 Connect With Lydia Hawthorn

  2. Oct 21

    Why Leadership Teams Need To Change: Matt Lacey

    Why does business strategy so often fail to turn into action? And what can Agile teach us about better leadership, decision-making and organisational change? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, I sit down with Matt Lacey, co-founder of Next + Future, to explore why leadership teams get trapped in day-to-day operations, why strategy retreats don't always lead to meaningful change, and how businesses can make better decisions in an uncertain world. With 20 years of experience across digital research, analytics, experimentation and innovation, Matt shares practical lessons on bringing experimentation and evidence-based thinking into senior leadership and board-level strategy. ▶︎What you'll learn: - Why business strategies fail between the workshop and implementation. - How leadership teams can balance day-to-day operations with long-term strategic thinking. - Why Agile principles belong at board level, not just in technology teams. - How to prioritise work when everything seems urgent. - How experimentation, pilots and evidence can improve business decisions. - When frameworks help decision-making — and when they become blockers to innovation. - How scenario planning can help organisations prepare for an uncertain future. - Why co-creating strategy helps bring people along with difficult decisions. - What leaders can do next week to improve strategic clarity and collaboration. - Why leadership teams need a shared goal, focused thinking time and space to challenge assumptions. ▶︎About Matt Matt Lacey is the co-founder of Next and Future, where he helps founders and leadership teams make better decisions and turn strategy into action. His work brings together strategic thinking, experimentation, facilitation and ongoing coaching to help organisations move beyond good ideas and make meaningful progress. ▶︎Connect with Matt https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpaullacey https://nextandfuture.co.uk/ ▶︎Chapters 00:00 Meet Matt Lacey: From Digital Research to Strategy 00:54 Curiosity, Experimentation and Innovation 03:03 What Does Next and Future Actually Do? 04:48 Why Strategy Retreats Aren't Enough 05:30 The Biggest Challenge of Starting a Consultancy 06:28 Why Leadership Teams Need Time Away from the Office 07:43 Why Leaders Say They Don't Have Time for Strategy 09:00 Creating Psychological Safety and Challenging Leadership Teams 09:26 Why Business Leaders Struggle with Strategic Clarity 10:21 Why Leadership Teams Are Too Busy to Think 11:20 The Difference Between Managing and Leading 13:01 Why Leaders Focus on Financial Results Instead of the Causes 14:25 Making Strategic Bets in an Uncertain World 15:57 How to Bring People Along Through Organisational Change 17:48 Are Frameworks Useful or a Coping Mechanism? 18:44 Business Canvases, Empathy Maps and Scenario Planning 20:20 How Agile Helps Leaders Manage Uncertainty 21:56 How to Prioritise When Everything Is Important 23:19 What Leaders Accidentally Incentivise 24:25 Why the Cost of Experimentation Is Falling 25:19 Practical Strategy Advice Leaders Can Use Next Week 26:45 Why the North West Is an Exciting Place to Build a Business 28:17 Turning Strategy into Ongoing Action 29:12 How Shared Experiences Build Better Leadership Teams 31:36 Why Don't We Use Agile at Board Level? 32:09 OKRs, Premortems and Different Levels of Change 34:15 Purpose, Direction and Preparing for Change 35:06 Where to Find Matt Lacey and Next and Future ▶︎About the podcast The Everyday Agile Podcast explores Agile, product management, technology, project management, leadership and business transformation. We speak to people doing the work to uncover practical ideas you can take back to your team without the corporate waffle or framework theatre. Subscribe for more conversations with practitioners, leaders and people challenging the way we work. #Agile #Leadership #StrategyExecution

  3. Oct 14

    How to Be a Better Agile Delivery Lead | Real-World Lessons: Yasin Nathani

    The Everyday Agile Podcast

  4. Oct 7

    What Does a Scrum Master Actually Do? Andy Brown on AI, Delivery & Team Performance

    What does a Scrum Master actually do? And how can AI help Agile teams deliver better without losing the human side of the delivery process? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast**, Jac sits down with Andy Brown, also known as Agile Andy, a pragmatic career Scrum Master specialising in helping cloud, platform and development teams deliver complex work. Andy shares his journey from the British Army and large corporate waterfall programmes into Agile delivery, explaining why he found a better fit working with teams that could turn ideas into working products quickly. We explore the realities of Scrum Mastery, including why development teams often struggle because of organisational blockers rather than individual performance, how to create psychological safety, and why pragmatic Scrum Masters should focus on helping teams deliver rather than policing frameworks. Andy also reveals how he built **Ask Andy**, a custom AI assistant connected to Jira, and how experimenting with AI tools helped him develop new technical skills, encourage collaboration and create more time for the human side of Scrum Mastery. Whether you're an experienced Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Delivery Manager, Product Manager or someone working in software delivery, this conversation is packed with practical insights you can take back to your team. ▶︎We cover: * What a Scrum Master's first 90 days should look like * Why Agile delivery is about people, not just processes * Using AI and Jira to build custom Scrum Master tools * How to improve psychological safety in Agile teams * Running retrospectives that uncover real problems * Why team health checks don't always lead to meaningful change * The difference between pragmatic Scrum and Scrum theatre * Why delivery problems often originate outside the development team * Finding Scrum Master contracts and standing out in the market * Why the Scrum Master role remains relevant as AI evolves ▶︎About Andy Andy Brown, known as Agile Andy, is a Northwest-based career Scrum Master helping teams deliver complex work through practical facilitation, collaboration and continuous improvement. ▶︎Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agile-andy/?isSelfProfile=false ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale now: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867 ▶︎Our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

  5. Sep 30

    Will AI Replace UX Designers? The Human Side of Design, Leadership & Community: Lee Jeffery

    Will AI replace UX designers? Or is the real challenge learning how to use AI without losing the human thinking that makes great products? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac is joined by Lee Jeffery, Design Lead, qualified Level 5 Coach and founder of NATA, a Manchester-based design and professional community. Lee shares his experience navigating the changing world of UX and product design, leading teams through AI adoption, and building communities that help people learn, connect and grow. We explore why AI-generated prototypes shouldn't automatically become the solution, how designers can maintain human-centred thinking, and why organisations need to create the right environment for experimentation. We also get into the power of communities of practice, authentic leadership, coaching, and what it takes to build a thriving professional community. ▶︎In this episode: * Is AI going to replace UX designers? * How AI is changing product design and design workflows * Why AI-generated prototypes still need to be challenged * Keeping user needs at the centre of product development * Design operations and scaling AI adoption * Moving from designer to design leader * Building communities of practice that people actually want to join * Coaching, active listening and better one-to-ones * How professional communities support career development * Lessons from building NATA and organising a community conference ▶︎Find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-jeffery/ https://www.natter.community/ ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale now: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867 ▶︎Our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a comment and share it with someone navigating the changing world of product and design. ▶︎Chapters 00:00 Welcome Lee Jeffery: Design Leadership & NATA Community 01:57 From Web Developer to Design Leader 03:30 How Communities Shape Design Teams 04:32 Human-Centred Leadership & Managing Different People 06:04 Will AI Replace UX Designers? 06:42 How AI Is Changing the Design Profession 07:13 AI Adoption: Experimentation vs Organisational Red Tape 08:39 AI Prototypes, Product Briefs & Solution-First Thinking 09:35 Why Designers Need to Understand AI Prompts 10:52 Design Operations: The Hidden Challenge of Scaling AI 11:40 Why User Needs Must Come Before AI Solutions 12:05 Human Control, Trust & AI in Accounting Software 14:05 What Design Leadership Actually Looks Like 15:19 The Power of Professional Communities 15:49 Building NATA: Manchester's Design Community 17:12 Organising a Community-Led Design Conference 18:00 Lessons from Running Events & Building Momentum 19:10 NATACon: AI, Design & Human Thinking 19:45 The North West Tech Community 20:53 Introducing Design to the Next Generation 22:59 Why NATA Is About More Than UX 24:03 Personal Routines, Reflection & Switching Off 27:25 Managing Volunteer Communities Without Burning Out 29:15 How to Start a Community of Practice 30:29 Should Communities of Practice Be Voluntary? 31:43 AI Communities: Learning Together Through Change 32:59 Why Human Thinking Still Matters in Design 34:20 How Coaching Transformed Lee's Leadership 35:27 Better One-to-Ones Through Coaching & Collaboration 36:39 Building a Supportive Design Culture at Auto Trader 37:53 Key Takeaways: Communities, Coaching & Career Growth 39:11 Where to Find NATA and Get Involved 39:56 Outro & Not Another Agile Conference

  6. Sep 9

    What 20 Years As A CTO Taught Him About AI Compliance: Rob Fawcett

    What does a fractional CTO actually do, and how is it different from being a contractor? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac sits down with Rob Fawcett to discuss AI strategy, AI compliance, technology leadership, product development, software delivery, and what it really takes to create value from technology. Rob shares his journey from project manager and operations leader to CTO, why he chose the fractional CTO model, and why he believes businesses increasingly need experienced technology leadership without necessarily needing a full-time CTO. We also get into the reality of AI adoption. The AI hype may be settling down, but organisations now face a different problem: how do they actually govern, manage and embed AI into their businesses? Rob explains how he turned an AI compliance framework into a SaaS product, why AI needs to be connected to real applications, and why technology should always be designed around the people who use it. And that's where the conversation moves into product and Agile. What's the difference between shipping software and creating value? Why should developers understand the people they're building for? Why do so many organisations spend thousands on values, principles and transformation programmes but struggle to speak to their actual customers? And why does Rob believe you should take the technology to the people rather than make the people adapt to the technology? We also talk about: • Fractional CTO vs contracting • AI strategy and AI governance • AI compliance • Building AI into products • SaaS product development • Product teams and customer empathy • Software delivery and creating value • Leadership lessons from good and bad bosses • Communicating strategy effectively • Digital transformation • User research and product discovery • Technology leadership • Keeping technology simple • Connecting strategy, outcomes and outputs • The difference between shipping and value Rob also shares two brilliant real-world examples: developing blood-tracking software where usability could literally become a matter of life and death, and a cruise company sending its team onto a ship to watch real customers use its app. ▶︎Connect With Rob https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfawcett/ https://thehumancto.co.uk https://www.quantisys.co.uk/ https://aicompliance.uk/ ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867.. ▶︎Our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Meet Rob Fawcett 03:22 From Contractor to Business Owner 04:43 Fractional CTO vs Contractor 05:49 What Does a Fractional CTO Actually Do? 07:22 How to Become a CTO 09:11 AI Strategy & AI Compliance 10:35 Building AI Into Real Products 12:31 Turning AI Compliance Into SaaS 16:07 The AI Hype Is Over 16:52 Lessons From Bad Leaders 21:32 The Real Problem Behind Poor Communication 29:21 Shipping Software vs Creating Value 30:34 Why Product Teams Need Customer Empathy 31:23 What Makes a Great Software Developer? 34:59 The Blood Tracking Software Story 36:42 Stop Making Humans Adapt to Technology 37:12 What Product Teams Can Learn From Cruise Passengers 38:03 Why Companies Overcomplicate Everything 44:04 Rob's Quickfire Business Takes 44:19 The Most Overused Business Phrase 44:35 Take Technology to the People 46:40 The One Thing Every Team Should Know 47:18 Connecting Strategy, Outcomes, Outputs & Problems 48:14 Where to Find Rob If you work in technology, product, Agile, project management, software delivery, digital transformation or technology leadership, this conversation is for you.

  7. Sep 2

    Agile Is Broken. Here's How We Fix It: Martin Schellert

    What happens when Agile scales? According to Agile transformation consultant Martin Schellert, the answer shouldn't be to simply add more process, more frameworks and more bureaucracy. In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Martin joins us to talk about what happens when Agile transformations go wrong ,and why organisations often lose the things that made Agile teams effective in the first place. We get into some big Agile and product management questions: • Why does scaling Agile often mean scaling process? • Why is comparing team velocity between teams such a bad idea? • Do teams actually need story points or estimation? • What is an MVP really supposed to achieve? • How should leaders create genuine ownership in product teams? • What is "decision distance" and why does Martin call it a silent killer of agility? • Can you build Agile teams inside a traditional organisation? • How can you use AI without losing your own voice? • Why is so much LinkedIn content starting to sound exactly the same? • What is the most overlooked principle in the Agile Manifesto? • Why should Agile practitioners be pragmatic rather than dogmatic? Martin also shares how he got into Agile, how he prepares conference talks, how he uses AI as part of his workflow, and what he has learned from speaking at Agile conferences. One of the biggest themes throughout the conversation is simple. Agile isn't about following a framework perfectly. It's about finding the practices that work for your team, organisation, customers, culture and context. As Martin puts it: be pragmatic, never dogmatic. If you're interested in Agile transformation, product management, software delivery, Agile leadership, team performance, project management or better ways of working, there's plenty here to disagree with, steal and take back to your organisation. ▶︎ Connect with Martin https://www.linkedin.com/in/schellert/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtf8TKCQfB3siec1cDB1Log ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867 ▶︎Our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:14 How Martin Got Into Agile Conferences 02:22 Scaling Agile Without Scaling Process 03:20 Creating Conference Talks Using AI 05:12 How to Practice for a Conference Talk 06:19 Does Speaking Generate Business? 08:18 Martin's Journey Into Agile 10:27 Why Agile Still Matters 11:22 Do We Rely Too Much on the Agile Manifesto? 13:18 Why Agile Should Evolve 14:31 Finding the Root Cause of Agile Problems 15:39 What Agile Problems Do Organisations Really Have? 17:48 Why Comparing Team Velocity Is a Bad Idea 18:40 Should Teams Stop Using Story Points? 19:23 A Better Alternative to Story Points 20:04 What an MVP Actually Means 20:40 What Makes a Good MVP? 21:37 Leadership and Agile Teams 22:36 Building Agile Islands 23:20 Creating Team Ownership 24:24 When Empowerment Becomes a Poison Chalice 25:12 Decision Distance: The Silent Killer of Agility 26:12 What Agile Advice Doesn't Work? 26:18 Is AI Killing Authenticity on LinkedIn? 28:17 Using AI Without Losing Your Voice 29:30 Stop Turning Everything Into a LinkedIn Business Lesson 32:14 You Don't Have to Post 3 Times a Week 33:08 ADHD, Business & Burnout 34:48 Practical Productivity Strategies 36:20 The Quickfire Agile Round 37:28 What Should Every Team Stop Doing? 37:41 Get Closer to Your Customers 37:52 The Most Overlooked Agile Principle 38:35 What Gives Martin Hope for Agile? 39:05 Why Agile Certification Isn't Enough 40:16 Why Organisations Still Need Agile 40:48 Be Pragmatic, Never Dogmatic Subscribe to Everyday Agile for conversations about Agile, product management, project management, software delivery, leadership, organisational change and the reality of making Agile work in the real world.

  8. Aug 26

    Growing App Ratings From 2 to 4.7 stars, Product Retention Playbook: Diana Matei

    Diana Matei has spent 10+ years building and launching B2C and B2B products across e-commerce, fintech, marketplaces, and subscriptions. Work that's helped increase app downloads by 35%, boost app revenue by 15%, and take app ratings from 2 stars to 4.7 stars. In this episode, she breaks down how AI is reshaping product management, why brand often beats "the best product," and the retention framework she now builds with every client. We cover: ✅ Why AI is making tech a commodity, and what that means for product strategy ✅ The difference between lagging and leading metrics (and why most teams track the wrong ones) ✅ How to build a "metric tree" to connect daily work to revenue ✅ Her honest take on OKRs and how to stop them dying after week one ✅ The biggest agile/product myth: "build it, and they will come" ✅ Why post-purchase experience is the next big product battleground ✅ Her daily routines as a product consultant and founder of her own practice If you're a founder, product manager, or work in marketing or sales and want to understand how great product thinking drives retention and revenue, this conversation is for you. 📌 Connect with Diana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-eugenia-matei/ https://dmthepm.com/ ▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867 ▶︎Our Newsletter: https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on agile, product management, and building products people actually stick with. ▶︎Chapters 0:00 – Welcome & introducing Diana 0:12 – Diana's background: 10+ years across Tesco, fintech, marketplaces 2:00 – The problem she's obsessed with: AI's impact on product management 4:24 – Brand vs product: why the best product doesn't always win 7:03 – Rolling out product frameworks without the jargon (200-year-old client) 9:57 – The metrics teams measure that are actually unhelpful 13:02 – Shipping fast vs creating real value 16:12 – What is a "metric tree"? 18:04 – Diana's honest take on OKRs 20:26 – Habits that create momentum instead of one-off workshops 23:40 – Why product managers get lost in the backlog 26:08 – When the cheapest option wins (car insurance, commoditised markets) 27:53 – Her theory: B2B is becoming B2C in disguise 29:12 – The loyalty problem with new-customer-only offers 34:26 – Biggest agile/product myth: "build it, and they will come" 36:45 – Morning routines and habits that keep her thinking clearly 38:44 – What going freelance actually feels like 42:53 – Quickfire round: worst advice, overused phrases, hills to die on 44:37 – What's next for Diana and her retention scorecard 45:50 – Where to find and work with Diana

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About

The North West's number one Agile podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/everyday-agile-ltd/

Information

  • Creator
    Everyday Agile Ltd
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Everyday Agile Ltd
  • Show Website
    The Everyday Agile Podcast

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