Scrum Master Back to Basics: Forget the Title, Who Owns the Accountabilities?

Back to Basics turns from frameworks to accountabilities, starting with the Scrum Master. Kate Megaw, Anu Smalley and Ryan Smith explain why the Scrum Guide’s switch from roles to accountabilities matters: if you do the work, you are the Scrum Master, whatever your badge says. Many org charts give the Scrum Master two lines, while the Scrum Guide gives it the longest list of the three. The hosts cover the four hats (coach, mentor, facilitator, trainer), plus the protector who says “not right now.” Anu admits she failed as a Scrum Master because she missed having authority. Kate shares the client that dropped Scrum Masters because they weren’t billable, and the experiment that brought them back. The hosts get honest about the hard parts, from cameras-off events to being the lonely voice defending Scrum. They close on what to look for in whoever holds the accountabilities, and why a great Scrum Master is the reason the team doesn’t need one in the room.