TL; DR: Moving Beyond Agile Frameworks in the Agile Reset

Remember my article from six months ago about reinventing Hands-on Agile to counter the great agile reset? (Just kidding; of course, you don’t.) Back then, I reflected on how to adapt my business model best, given the massive changes in the marketplace for “Agile.” (See the link below.)

Well, it’s time for an honest update, and it is not pretty.

Out now, closes February 3, 2025: The Advanced Product Backlog Management Course for Just $99!

Please note: The course will only be available for sign-up at $99 until February 3, 2025!

No buyer’s remorse: Cancel within seven days, and I will reimburse you.

????️ AI for Careers: Should Stefan Build a Course?

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Let’s Look at the Great Agile Reset in My Data

The numbers don’t lie, and here’s what they’re telling us:

• The Product Backlog Management course? The content is solid, and the feedback is good. However, monetarily, it hasn’t yet met expectations despite the fact that fixing your Product Backlog is a sure way to enhance your career prospects.
• My shiny new Hands-on Agile community on Kajabi? Only 5% of invited people ever accepted the invitation. Moreover, engagement-wise, it has a deserted place, virtual tumbleweed included.
• Professional Scrum training? Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the market has shrunk further than anticipated. The start of 2025 does not look promising at all.
• Hands-on Agile 2025 Open Space? There are almost 700 sign-ups, which is excellent. However, only eight are willing to hold sessions.
• And the final nail: I am canceling the Scrum Master Salary Report 2025. We are 350 responses short of the required participation threshold, and we won’t publish questionable data.

If you’re thinking, “That’s just a temporary dip” – think again. I am convinced we are witnessing something much bigger here.

Agile Reset: The Two Massive Shifts That Change Everything

1. Framework Fatigue Is Real

Marty Cagan nailed it recently: “The product model addresses three major dimensions: how you decide which problems to solve (product strategy), how you solve these problems (product discovery), and how you build, test and deploy your solutions (product delivery). Real Agile can certainly help with this third dimension.” (Source.)

Translation: Organizations are done with copying and pasting frameworks. They realize that true agility means finding your own path to creating value. Standardized training and certification programs? That train has left the station. #ParadigmShift

2. AI Is Eating Agile (Sort Of)

Have you played with DeepSeek R1 yet? This isn’t just another tech trend. This is a seismic shift in how knowledge work happens. No, ChatGPT or Claude won’t steal your job tomorrow. But what about your colleague who’s mastered prompt engineering, AI-based data analysis, and agents? They might make you obsolete.

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What I’m Thinking About Now

Here’s where my head’s at:

1. AI + Agile = Future: I’m considering building a no-BS course on practically combining AI with agile practices. Not theoretical fluff – real, hands-on stuff like:
   • Automating the boring parts without losing the agile essence,
   • Creating frameworks for prompts for facilitation and coaching,
   • Staying relevant when everyone’s got an AI sidekick,
2. AI + European Union: Are you located in the European Union? If so, have you heard of the “Artificial Intelligence Act,” or “REGULATION (EU) 2024/1689 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act)?” No? Buckle up, you are in for a surprise. By the way, the first phase supposedly started on February 2, 2025.
3. Better Tools: Remember my Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book? I’m building a collaborative tool around it. Consider it a generalized anti-patterns audit that helps teams spot what’s holding them back. It is universally applicable, not limited to Scrum or “Agile.”
4. Different Education: Future courses need to hit the sweet spot between AI capabilities and context-specific value creation. Because that’s where the magic happens.

Want to Help Shape This?

I’ve got a 3-minute survey running about the AI course idea. Seriously, 3 minutes. Whether you think AI is the best thing since story points or a complete disaster, I want to hear from you.

????️ Please join the ‘AI for Careers: Should Stefan Build a Course?’ poll now.

The Great Agile Reset — Conclusion

Look, the traditional agile market is contracting—that’s just reality. But I’m genuinely excited about what’s next. The sweet spot is where AI meets context-specific value creation, and that’s precisely where I’m heading. How often do we have an opportunity to participate in a generational paradigm shift? You may not be interested in AI yet, but it is coming for you.

Do you want to join me on this journey? That’s fantastic. If you think I’m completely wrong, even better—let me know why. Either way, the conversation continues, just differently.

Related Content

Hands-on Agile’s Upcoming Transformation.

Stefan Wolpers: The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide (Amazon advertisement.)

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