The Alternative To Agile Coaches

Marty Cagan argues that the real alternative to dedicated Agile coaches is competent line management: engineering, product, and design managers coaching their people in hands-on skills. He contrasts a 'Team Red' that follows Agile ceremonies yet ships rarely and lacks empowerment with a 'Team Blue' that rejects Scrum rituals but is truly empowered and ships continuously. The lesson is that Agile success comes from deep technical and discovery capability rather than process adherence. He suggests that people whose coaching is purely procedural should shift toward genuine product coaching grounded in discovery or delivery expertise. This matters because many organizations invest heavily in process roles that do not improve outcomes.

01Key takeaways

• Agile effectiveness depends on whether teams are empowered and can ship frequently, not on following ceremonies.
• Line managers in engineering, product, and design should own coaching their people in hard practical skills.
• Reliable on-demand releases require real engineering practice, which process training alone will not produce.
• Strong product discovery skills let teams quickly test risks and find effective solutions.
• Coaches should have hands-on experience in the skills they teach, not just knowledge of a process.
• Those shifting from Agile roles should market concrete discovery or delivery expertise rather than process credentials.

02Key sections

The layoff and the question it raises

A large US financial firm eliminated its entire Agile job family, prompting readers to ask what this signals for the industry. Cagan offers only informed guesses about the cause.

Team Red versus Team Blue

Team Red follows every Agile ceremony with certified roles but is not empowered and releases quarterly at best. Team Blue has no Agile coaches or Scrum Masters, yet is empowered, outcome-focused, and has practiced continuous deployment for years.

Who actually builds Agile capability

Competent engineering, product, and design managers are responsible for coaching their people in hard skills like reliable frequent releases and effective product discovery. This is ordinary good management, not a separate coaching function.

Why process-only coaching falls short

Coaches without hands-on experience in delivery or discovery cannot truly help teams, and process-focused coaching is unhelpful at serious product companies.

Advice for displaced Agile professionals

Cagan advises former Agile staff to shift focus from process to specific, verifiable product discovery or delivery skills, where a real coaching career can be built.

03From the post

“A partnership dedicated to teaching best practices to product teams and product leaders”

04Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.