Inspecting and Adapting Your Way… Back to Waterfall?

05/12/25 • 25 min

Agile teams don't usually plan to return to waterfall ways of working — it happens slowly and subtly. In this episode, Kate Megaw and Ryan Smith unpack the signs that a team is sliding back toward waterfall, why it happens, and most importantly, what leaders and teams can do to course-correct. Learn how to stay true to Agile principles even when organizational pressure, leadership turnover, and old habits start pulling you backward.

Previous Episode

Losing Sight of the User: How Teams Drift & How to Re-center

In this episode, Kate and Ryan Sith dive into a critical (but often overlooked) topic in product development: losing sight of the user. They share real-world experiences of how teams can unintentionally start designing for internal stakeholders instead of external customers, how “shiny object syndrome” from leadership derails sprints, and why strong product ownership is essential. Together, they explore practical ways to reconnect teams with their users — from leveraging personas to involving real customers in reviews — and why keeping users at the center is vital for truly Agile delivery. A must-listen for anyone in product development, Agile coaching, or leadership roles!

Next Episode

Strategic Leadership: Aligning Vision, Values, and Decision-Making

In this episode of the Arclight Agile podcast, hosts Kate Megaw and Ryan Smith join special guest Anu Smalley to explore the strategic leadership domain of the Leadership Growth Wheel. They discuss how effective leaders align organizational vision and values with daily operations, implement human-centered change management, and develop consistent decision-making frameworks—all while keeping team engagement at the forefront.