TL;DR: I continuously iterated on agile processes with 5-7 person teams, introducing design sprints, testing new tools, and tailoring rituals for efficiency and transparency. The result: faster delivery, happier teams and clearer alignment with leadership and stakeholders.
Clients: Platypus & Mastercard Open Banking Europe (formerly Aiia)
As both Product Owner and Scrum Master, I’ve always believed that agile should adapt to people — not the other way around. At both Platypus and Mastercard, I worked closely with cross-functional teams (typically 5–7 people) to continuously improve our ways of working. Instead of sticking to rigid processes, I facilitated experiments: from adjusting sprint lengths (e.g. shifting from 4-week cycles to shorter sprints), changing estimation methods (story points vs. days), to trialling or restructuring project management tools like Jira.
By regularly listening to my team and “checking the temperature” in retrospectives and informal check-ins, we created more transparent workflows and improved overall delivery pace — but equally important, fostered happier, less stressed colleagues.
At Platypus, I introduced Design Sprints to help structure early-stage product work. We maintained a dedicated board where product, UX, UI, and copywriting teams worked 2–4 sprints ahead of development. This setup not only supported better planning but also allowed other departments (leadership, marketing, customer support) to follow our progress, explore hypotheses, and contribute their questions directly — increasing visibility and collaboration across the company.