In this episode of the Scrum.org Community Podcast, host Dave West sits down with authors Sander Dur and Ryan Brook to explore their new book, The Anatomy of a Product—a practical field guide that uses the human body as a metaphor to demystify modern product management.

Dave, Sander, and Ryan dive into why so many organizations still struggle to define and manage products effectively, and how this book helps bridge the gap between theory and real-world practice. They discuss treating products as living systems, the dangers of “marshmallow backlogs,” the need for evidence-driven decisions, and why continuous care and adaptation are essential for healthy products.

The authors share insights from working with organizations like Miro, unpack common “product diseases,” and offer actionable guidance for Product Owners, product teams, and leaders seeking clarity in today’s complex environment.

Listeners are invited to connect with the authors and join them at their book launch event in Amsterdam on January 13!

Key Points

Why the Book?
Clarifies what a product is and offers a practical guide from definition to retirement.
Human Body Metaphor
Products are like living systems—interconnected, adaptive, and influenced by their environment.
Theory vs. Practice
Helps teams apply product concepts realistically, beyond Silicon Valley-style theory.
Insights from real examples
Real-world examples showing how to balance strategy, business thinking, and everyday product work.
Backlog Health
Avoid “marshmallow backlogs” by filtering work through strategic goals and focusing on value.
Validation & Evidence
Emphasizes validating ideas early and aligning efforts to outcomes, not just requirements.
Product Health
Introduces “product diseases” and how to diagnose and prevent common issues.

Links:

Book Launch event

The Anatomy of a Product

In this Scrum.org Community Podcast episode, Lindsay Velecina from Scrum.org sits down with Robb Pieper and Jason Malmstadt of Responsive Advisors to answer the real, practical questions practitioners have about self-management in Scrum in a live Ask a PST session.

Listeners submitted questions like:

• How do you get management to support self-management?
• What should you do when a team resists taking ownership?
• How do you handle a disruptive team member without taking over?
• What metrics show that self-management actually works?
• How can junior Scrum Masters enable self-management when they’re not technical?
• AND MANY MORE!

Robb and Jason tackle these questions head-on, sharing stories from the field, strategies for creating healthy team boundaries, and tools to make decision-making transparent — including Delegation Poker, feedback loops, and working agreements. They also discuss how to tie self-management to real business outcomes to gain leadership buy-in.

Whether you’re just beginning your Scrum journey or coaching mature teams, this episode gives you actionable guidance and small experiments you can start using today.

In this Scrum.org Community Podcast episode, host Dave West speaks with Nathaniel Davis, CEO of Barrel One Collective, and PST Yuval Yeret about applying Agile principles beyond software — into the heart of business operations.

Nathaniel shares his journey from working in a large brewing company to leading Barrel One Collective, a brewing group where he’s working to make Agile the foundation for innovation and entrepreneurialism. Together, they explore how Agile thinking can balance experimentation and consistency, drive outcome-oriented leadership, and shape company culture as a product.

Tune in to hear how organizations can expand their definition of “product” — from beverages to behaviors — and how agility helps leaders continuously learn, adapt, and deliver value.