I’ve never used Scrum 100%

After 24 years in IT-related roles (yes, I’m old, Gandalf 🧙‍♂️), I’ve had the privilege of working both hands-on with teams and guiding them from the sidelines.

Today, I balance these two worlds, building Columinity with Christiaan Verwijs while supporting teams and organizations in their growth.

Fifteen years ago, I stumbled upon Scrum. It gave a name to many things I was already doing and introduced me to new working methods. But here’s the thing:
👉 I’ve never used Scrum 100%.
👉 I’ve never developed a product without using parts of Scrum.

For me, Scrum — or any framework — was never the goal. The goal was always to build high-quality products that deliver value to customers while enjoying the process.

Conversations like these became the backbone of my approach:
- “What should we focus on next?”
- “How can we plan this work?”
- “What’s the best way to visualize it?”
- “Let’s get some feedback from users.”
- “How can we improve?”

But looking back, a common thread ran through it all: empiricism. We constantly tried things, learned from what worked (and what didn’t), and adapted as we went. We didn’t always call it “Scrum” or “Agile” — sometimes, it was just a bunch of people figuring out the best way to solve problems together. 🤷‍♀️

Over time, I’ve learned something important: most teams don’t obsess over frameworks or labels. They don’t debate whether they’re “doing Scrum right.” What matters to them is building something valuable for their customers and doing it smoothly, supportively, and productively.

As someone who naturally gravitates toward processes and structure, this wasn’t always easy for me. I had to unlearn some habits — like being the Scrum Police early on in my career — and focus on what mattered: the product, the team, and the outcomes.

👉 The process is just the enabler. The product is the goal.

It’s not about following a framework perfectly; it’s about finding a way of working that helps the team deliver value and grow. And that’s going to look different for every team.

What about you? Have you blended or adapted frameworks to fit your team’s needs? Or do you stick to a specific approach?

I’d love to hear how your experiences compare.