Scrum Masters are not glorified meeting schedulers

TL;DR; Scrum Masters must have strong technical and business skills, including coding knowledge and expertise in modern engineering practices, to effectively lead software teams. They should be able to challenge teams, identify technical debt, and promote quality, not just schedule meetings. Ensure your Scrum Master can engage with developers on technical topics to achieve real agility.

Published on 9 March 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/ASC0IjY5nKr

Scrum Masters are not glorified meeting schedulers.

They are technical and business leaders who ensure that teams deliver continuous value. A Scrum Master for a team that delivers software that can’t critique code quality or understand DevOps practices is a Scrum Master in title only. For software teams, coding knowledge isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Mastery in modern engineering practices like CI/CD, automated testing, and infrastructure as code is non-negotiable. You can’t guide what you don’t understand.

If your Scrum Master doesn’t speak your Developers’ language, how can they help them improve? An effective Scrum Master challenges the team, identifies technical debt, and fosters a culture of quality.

Without this, you’re not embracing true agility—just the illusion of it.

Also published on: LinkedIn

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