After writing about what Ted Lasso taught me about being a Scrum Master, someone asked if I had any other TV shows that shaped my thinking on teams. I hesitated before answering "Yellowjackets," because unlike Ted's relentlessly optimistic football club, Yellowjackets is about a high school soccer team that crashes in the Canadian wilderness and descends into Lord of the Flies-style chaos. But here's the thing: I've seen more development teams operating like the Yellowjackets survivors than I'd like to admit. And the show's unflinching look at what happens when teams break down under pressure offers lessons that Ted Lasso's feel-good narrative can't.
So yes, we're going from biscuits and believe signs to cannibalism and cult behavior. Welcome to the darker side of team dynamics.
Massive spoilers ahead for Yellowjackets seasons one and two.