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Lessons Learned from an Accidental Product Owner

A key role in Scrum, the most common form of Agile development, is the Product Owner (PO) role. Some experts say it is the most challenging role. Besides the PO, the only other defined roles in Scrum are the Scrum Master and Team. The latter two are what we might call the “engines” of Scrum …

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Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBA

Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBA, was the founder of and is now a consultant for Watermark Learning. He is a successful entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience in product development, business analysis, project management, training, and consulting. As an internal entrepreneur, Rich led the development of several Watermark Learning online products as a business analyst and product owner. Rich is a frequent speaker at Business Analysis and Project Management national conferences and IIBA® and PMI® chapters around the world. He has contributed as a lead author to the BA Body of Knowledge version 2.0 and 3.0 and was a lead author on PMI’s Business Analysis Practice Guide. He and his wife Elizabeth Larson have co-authored five books on business analysis.

Beware Not all ScrumMaster Certifications are Equal
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Beware – Not all ScrumMaster Certifications are Equal!

Deciding to earn a certification can be a stressful process – the application, the studying, even deciding which certification is right. If you are looking at earning a certification as a ScrumMaster, the options can be confusing. The two most recognized certifications for agile practitioners include Project Management Institute’s Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®) and Scrum …

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Watermark Learning

This is the corporate source for Watermark Learning posts. Watermark delivers engaging and practical training and coaching in Business Analysis, Project Management, Agile & Scrum, Business Process Management, and Influencing Skills since 1992.

How to get your employer to pay for your certification
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How to Get Your Employer to Pay for Your Certification

Continuing education in our profession is an excellent way to develop our role and further our careers. However, receiving a certification can often prove challenging. Finding the funds and spending the time required to get a certification is especially difficult while working a full-time position. In most cases, it’s worth reaching out to our employers …

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Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBA, CSM

Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, CSM is a consultant and advisor for Watermark Learning/PMA. She has over 35 years of experience in project management and business analysis. Elizabeth has co-authored four books and chapters published in five additional books, as well as articles that appear regularly in BA Times, Project Times, and Modern Analyst. Elizabeth was a lead author/expert reviewer on all editions of the BABOK® Guide, as well as the several of the PMI standards. Elizabeth also enjoys giving presentations, and her speaking history includes repeat keynotes and presentations for national and international conferences on five continents. Elizabeth enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, theater, and spending time with her 7 grandkids.

How to Become a Certified Scrum Product Owner CSPO
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How to Become a Certified Scrum Product Owner

From a business standpoint, one of the most vital roles on any Scrum team is the Product Owner (PO). It is a challenging role, one that requires the PO to take accountability for making business decisions about the product–decisions such as which features to include and the priority of those features. However, these decisions cannot …

Continue reading How to Become a Certified Scrum Product Owner

Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBA, CSM

Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, CSM is a consultant and advisor for Watermark Learning/PMA. She has over 35 years of experience in project management and business analysis. Elizabeth has co-authored four books and chapters published in five additional books, as well as articles that appear regularly in BA Times, Project Times, and Modern Analyst. Elizabeth was a lead author/expert reviewer on all editions of the BABOK® Guide, as well as the several of the PMI standards. Elizabeth also enjoys giving presentations, and her speaking history includes repeat keynotes and presentations for national and international conferences on five continents. Elizabeth enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, theater, and spending time with her 7 grandkids.

How to Become a Scrum Master
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How to Become a Scrum Master

To produce and deliver products of the highest possible value, you must be able to help teams deliver products in short cycles, enabling fast feedback, continual improvement, and rapid adaption to change. If that sounds a lot like the definition of Scrum to you, then you’re already on the right track to becoming a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).

Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, PMI-PBA, CSM

Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, CSM is a consultant and advisor for Watermark Learning/PMA. She has over 35 years of experience in project management and business analysis. Elizabeth has co-authored four books and chapters published in five additional books, as well as articles that appear regularly in BA Times, Project Times, and Modern Analyst. Elizabeth was a lead author/expert reviewer on all editions of the BABOK® Guide, as well as the several of the PMI standards. Elizabeth also enjoys giving presentations, and her speaking history includes repeat keynotes and presentations for national and international conferences on five continents. Elizabeth enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, theater, and spending time with her 7 grandkids.