Traits of a great Scrum Master: curiosity
The best Scrum Masters I've worked with share one defining trait: they're genuinely curious about everything. Not the kind of curiosity that leads to micromanaging or endless questioning, but the type that drives continuous learning, problem-solving, and team growth. They ask "why" when processes break down, "what if" when exploring solutions, and "how might we" when facilitating team discussions.
Scrum, reduce constraints without adding more people
Your team's velocity is stuck. The backlog keeps growing. Everyone's saying you need more developers, but here's the thing — throwing people at the problem often makes it worse. The real leverage comes from identifying and eliminating the constraints that are silently strangling your team's throughput.
Effective Listening for Scrum Masters
Ever notice how the best Scrum Masters seem to have a sixth sense for what’s really going on in a team? Spoiler: it’s not magic, and it’s definitely not mind reading (though that would be a nice superpowerto have!). It’s effective listening—the kind that goes beyond nodding along and actually tunes into what’s said, unsaid, and everything in between.
The Neurodivergent Developer's Guide to Thriving in Agile Ceremonies
Agile ceremonies can feel like navigating a social minefield when you're neurodivergent. The constant context switching, sensory overload, and unstructured discussions that energize neurotypical teammates might drain your focus and leave you feeling disconnected from the process.
What's in a .git? A Deep Dive into Git's Hidden Engine
Ever wonder what Git does behind the scenes when you run git commit or git push? That mysterious .git folder holds all the magic—it's Git's brain, memory, and filing system rolled into one. Today we're cracking it open to see how Git really works under the hood.
Git Worktrees: Multiple Branches, Zero Context Switching
You're knee-deep in a feature branch when urgent production fire hits. Instead of stashing, switching, and losing your mental context, what if you could just... open another folder and work on the hotfix immediately? Git worktrees make this possible, and once you experience the workflow, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.
Walking Back with Git: HEAD^ vs HEAD~ Demystified
Ever stared at a Git command with HEAD^ or HEAD~ and wondered if you're about to accidentally nuke your commit history? You're not alone. These two syntaxes look suspiciously similar but behave differently when your repository gets complex. Here's the playbook I'd run to understand when to use which one.
The Evolution of Scrum Masters: From Ceremony Runners to Strategic Enablers
Twenty years ago, being a Scrum Master meant you were the keeper of the framework—the person who made sure daily standups happened at 9 AM sharp and that retrospectives followed the prescribed format. Fast-forward to 2025, and if you're still just moving tickets in Jira and asking "What did you do yesterday?"—well, an AI probably does that better than you.
New Project Release: Pride Flags
Today I'm thrilled to announce the next release of Pride Flags, a pure CSS library that empowers developers to easily incorporate LGBTQ+ pride flags into their web projects. This lightweight, accessible solution lets you display flags as either full-sized images or compact icons with minimal effort and maximum impact.
The Modern Office Playbook for Managing Job Stress
Unless you've won the lottery or have a trust fund that pays out in premium coffee beans, you probably have a job. Most days, you're likely fine with that arrangement—solving problems, sending emails, and optimizing workflows. But let's be real: even the best jobs come with moments that make you want to delete your professional identity and start fresh.
Git commits as documentation
Your git commit history could be telling an epic tale of how your codebase evolved, or it could be a cryptic collection of "fixed stuff" and "updated things." The difference isn't just aesthetic—it's the line between a repository that teaches and one that confuses. Well-crafted commits don't just track changes; they document your code's journey in a way that helps your team and future you.
Git Diff Deep Dive: Choosing the Right Algorithm for Your Workflow
Have you ever stared at a Git diff that looks like it was generated by a cat walking across your keyboard? You're not alone. While Git's default diff algorithm works well enough most days, there are times when it produces cryptic, unusable output that leaves you scratching your head.
The Autism "Epidemic" Myth: Why We're Just Getting Better at Recognition
Every few days, I see another panicked headline about "skyrocketing autism rates" or well-meaning friends sharing concerns about an "autism epidemic." As someone who is autistic, and who has an autistic child, and has spent considerable time studying how systems evolve and improve diagnostics, I want to break down why this framing is both inaccurate and potentially harmful.
Git Notes & Trailers: The Hidden Features You Should Be Using
I stumbled across Git Notes during a late-night debugging session last week, and honestly, I'm slightly annoyed that I hadn't been using this feature for years. If you've ever wanted to attach persistent metadata to commits without changing commit hashes (and who hasn't?), this hidden gem deserves your attention. And while we're exploring Git's underappreciated features, let's also look at Git trailers - another powerful tool for managing metadata in your repositories.
Crafting the Perfect Sprint Retrospective
As a Scrum Master with years of experience facilitating retrospectives for development teams, I've discovered that the success of a retro hinges on thoughtful preparation. The right format, the right questions, and the right energy can transform a session from a routine meeting into a powerful tool for team growth and improvement.
A Val Farewell: How Val Kilmer Shaped My World
I still remember sitting cross-legged on the floor of my childhood living room, completely mesmerized as Madmartigan swung his sword across our family TV screen. Yesterday, on April 1, 2025, when I heard that Val Kilmer had passed away at 65 from pneumonia, it felt like losing an old friend who had been with me through every chapter of my life.