Professional Scrum Trainer Spotlight: John Riley’s Journey to Scrum Mastery

This episode features guest host PST Ryan Ripley interviewing John Riley about his experiences that led him to becoming a Professional Scrum Trainer. Coming from a development background, Riley first encountered Scrum in 2004, drawn to its agility and project outcome improvements. Despite initial failure in an agile transformation, he remained interested. In 2010, while working on a banking application, Riley became deeply engaged in Scrum, inspired by his team's Scrum Master. He transitioned into the Scrum Master role himself, realizing the framework's effectiveness.

Riley's approach evolved when he learned to view Scrum as flexible rather than rigid, after team feedback. He shifted to a more observational coaching style. His advice for aspiring Scrum Masters includes finding a mentor, staying open to learning, and pairing up with experienced practitioners to better grasp agile and Scrum mindsets.