#146: Agile Leadership That Actually Works with Brendan Wovchko

#146: Agile Leadership That Actually Works with Brendan Wovchko

Author: Mountain Goat Software May 14, 2025 Duration: 50:29
What does it look like to lead a 300-person software org inside a 1,000-person company—and still stay focused on people first? Brendan Wovchko shares what he's learned about leadership, agility, and building a culture that actually works. Overview Brendan Wovchko, CTO at Ramsey Solutions, joins Scott Dunn to talk about what it really takes to lead Agile teams inside a large, fast-moving organization. From developing leadership habits to navigating team dynamics and staying grounded in purpose, this conversation is full of thoughtful takeaways for anyone working at the intersection of people, process, and product. References and resources mentioned in the show: Brendan Wovchko Ramsey Solutions #80: From Struggling to Success: Reviving Agile Teams with Mike Cohn #143: What Still Makes Teams Work (and Win) with Jim York What Is a High-Performing Agile Team? by Mike Cohn Four Quick Ways to Gain or Assess Team Consensus by Mike Cohn Elements of Agile Assessment Join the Agile Mentors Community Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Scott Dunn is a Certified Enterprise Coach and Scrum Trainer with over 20 years of experience coaching and training companies like NASA, EMC/Dell Technologies, Yahoo!, Technicolor, and eBay to transition to an agile approach using Scrum. Brendan Wovchko is the CTO of Ramsey Solutions and a lifelong student of what it takes to build great software, lead great people, and scale both with purpose. With roots in engineering and startups, he brings decades of hands-on experience in product, leadership, and agile culture—plus a knack for turning big ideas into results that matter.

Hosted by Mountain Goat Software, the Agile Mentors Podcast is a conversation for anyone involved in or curious about agile practices. It’s a space where the philosophy meets the practical, moving beyond theory to tackle the real-world challenges teams face every day. You’ll hear discussions that dig into the nuances of Scrum, Kanban, and other frameworks, exploring how they adapt to different environments and scale. The dialogue often focuses on the human side of change-how to foster better collaboration, navigate organizational hurdles, and cultivate a genuinely agile mindset rather than just going through the motions. This podcast serves as a resource for continuous learning, whether you're troubleshooting a specific sprint issue or looking for fresh perspectives to reinvigorate your approach. Each episode aims to provide actionable insights and thoughtful reflection, making the complex landscape of modern software development feel more accessible and manageable. Tune in for honest talk from experienced practitioners who understand that agility is a journey, not a destination.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software
Podcast Episodes
#89: Transformational One-on-Ones with Avipaul Bhandari [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
Join Brian and Avipaul Bhandari as they uncover a secret to transformative Agile teams. Discover how one-on-one conversations can redefine team dynamics and even scaled organizational culture. Overview In this episode of…
#88: Slicing Work For Agile Success With Anton Skornyakov [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:16
Join Brian Milner and Anton Skornyakov as they tackle the often overlooked art of slicing work on this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast. Discover how this pivotal strategy can revolutionize feedback loops and drive i…
#87: Testing Beyond Assumptions with David Bland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:22
Join Brian and David Bland as they journey into the novel idea of testing assumptions before development to avoid costly mistakes and ensure the right things are being built in the latest episode of the Agile Mentors Pod…
#86: Revisiting User Stories with Mike Cohn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
Have you ever returned to an old User Story and wondered, “what was I thinking?” On today’s episode, Mike Cohn, walks us through how and why he recently revisited and updated 200 Real Life User Story Examples from his pa…
#85: Effectively Managing Dependencies with Ken Rubin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
In this week’s episode, Brian is joined by the legendary Ken Rubin, the author of Essential Scrum. Together, they dive deep into the world of dependencies in larger organizations and scaling, drawing from Ken's extensive…
#84: Listener Questions with Brian Milner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:18
Join Brian in this solo episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast as he tackles listener questions, discussing topics ranging from the impact of AI on Scrum teams to managing retrospective challenges and fostering active part…
#83 Navigating the Challenges of Small Agile Teams with Scott Dunn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:04
Join Brian and Scott Dunn as they journey into the heart of handling conflicts and challenges within small teams for effective teamwork in the latest episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast. Overview In this episode of the…
#82: The Intersection of AI and Agile with Emilia Breton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:23
Join Brian and Emilia Breton as they explore AI and its practical applications in Agile, from enhancing productivity to coaching. Don't miss their insights on AI tools shaping the future of Agile. Overview Today, Brian s…

«1...678910