2nd edition of Scrum & XP from the Trenches – “Director’s Cut”

Eight years have passed, and this book is still really popular. Wow! I never could have imagined the impact this little book would make! I still bump into teams, managers, coaches, and trainers all over the place that use it as their primary guide to agile software development.

But the thing is, I’ve learned lots since 2007! So the book really needed an update.

Since publishing the book, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many agile and lean thought leaders; some have even become like personal mentors to me. Special thanks to Jeff Sutherland, Mary and Tom Poppendieck, Jerry Weinberg, Alistair Cockburn, Kent Beck, Ron Jeffries, and Jeff Patton – I can’t imagine a better group of advisors!

I’ve also had the chance to help a lot of companies implement these ideas in practice: companies in crisis as well as super-successful companies that want to get even better. All in all, it’s been a pretty mind-blowing journey!

When I reread this old book, I’m surprised by how many things I still agree with. But there are also some pages that I’d like to rip out and say “What the *&€# was I thinking? Don’t do it like that! There’s a much better way!”

Since the book is a real-life case study, I can’t change the story. What happened is what happened. But I can comment on it!

So that’s what the second edition is – an annotated version of the original book. Like a director’s cut. Think of it as me standing behind your shoulder as you read the book, commenting on stuff, cheering you on, with the occasional laugh and groan.