From Embedded Developer to Scrum Master
As you guys know, transparency is one of the pillars of our business. In the previous article, you’ve been able to read on why we, therefore, use the Scrum methodology and how we structure our work in the development teams. To take this Scrum-blog adventure a step further we have asked one of our veteran-Bricks, Geert, about his Scrum journey.
Geert started at Clay back in the day when we were just a small start-up with only a handful of Bricks. He joined the team as an Embedded Software engineer and made the decision to switch things up by becoming a Scrum Master three years ago. He got selected out of about 40 applicants and is still going strong!
Read on to find out why Geert became a Scrum Master despite having initially no ambitions to become one!
When did you become a Scrum Master?
I started my job as Scrum Master at Clay a little over 3 years ago (started in December 2018)
How did you find out about the Scrum methodology?
We started working “Agile” at my previous company, where we were developing physical products for our customers. Since these projects were done based on the fixed scope and fixed budgets it was very much working in a Waterfall way. We applied Sprints to keep track of the progress of these projects.
‘I would like to specialize myself in a role of Agile Coach in which I can be of value in coaching the teams, Scrum Masters, and company from a higher perspective.’
Why did you decide to become a Scrum Master?
I never had the ambition to become a Scrum Master. I always envisioned myself as a Project Manager in the future. It wasn’t until Bart (Klaver, who was previously leading our Scrum events) kindly asked me if I was interested in the role before I realized how much overlap the role of a Scrum Master has to a traditional project manager. I prepared myself by reading a lot of Scrum material online and used that to create a vision of how I would apply Scrum as a Scrum Master and used that information and vision to apply to the Job Opening.
How did you land your Scrum Master job?
I applied internally and was lucky enough to be selected out of the 40(!) candidates that also applied to the role.
What is the one-liner that helps you through the day?
Keep it simple and stick to the basics! I always try to apply a holistic approach to my day-to-day job and the way we are building our products.
‘In our fast-growing company, our teams and products are continuously evolving so we are always on the lookout for the opportunity to change.’
What has impacted you most during your Scrum adventure?
When I started as Scrum Master our company was still small and our “teams” were divided by department: API was responsible for all our API, FrontEnd devs for the Web applications, and so forth. I created a proposal to form the teams around our products and those are our Core, Connect, and Larry teams as we know them today. It was quite a journey to start these new teams from scratch. In our fast-growing company our teams and products are continuously evolving so, we are always on the lookout for the opportunity to change.
Do you have any advice for a fresh Scrum Master who’s just starting out?
Start in an environment where you can learn and grow. Sign up for a good Scrum Master training and try to stick to the basics. Start by hosting the Scrum events and make a plan of where you would like to be in the future with your teams. When I started this role our company was still small and I was the only Scrum Master. I wasn’t experienced and it has been quite a journey so far :)
What is your next step?
With our Scrum teams maturing and with new Scrum Masters joining I would like to specialize myself in the role of Agile Coach in which I can be of value in coaching the teams, Scrum Masters, and company from a higher perspective.
Thank you, Geert for giving us a peek at your Scrum journey! We can’t wait to have a next session to pick your brain about being an Agile coach!
Keep an eye on the blog to read more about how we work and why. Do you have any suggestions? Head over to our contact page, Instagram or LinkedIN and let us know!
Clay Solutions - A SALTO Group company is the daughter company of SALTO Systems. A lock hardware manufacturer based in Oiartzun Spain. While Clay builds the cloud-based software that allows users to tap their locks open with their phone, SALTO provides the hardware, the locks that are enabled to communicate with the software. This website functions as a platform to showcase our company culture in our office in Amsterdam, the way we build our software, and why and who the Bricks are. Feel free to browse around, head over to SALTO to find more about the hardware, or apply if you see a job you think you are just perfect for.