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PODS

PODS ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN SYSTEM

PODS AND SCRUM

PODS share some high-level scrum principles: self-management and inspection-and-adaption at the whole-Pod level.
A Pod can include several sub-teams that can decide to choose scrum as their way of working. In this case most of the Scrum events will be merged, shared and run at the whole-Pod level.

1. Scope and Purpose

Scrum:

  • A lightweight framework for managing product development.
  • Focuses on delivering value incrementally through small, cross-functional teams.
  • Specific to iterative and incremental delivery of products.
  • Typically implemented as a team-level method (a wide-spread misunderstanding).

PODS:

  • A product-oriented organizational design system.
  • Focuses on creating adaptable, modular, and human-centric units (Pods) to address complex challenges.
  • Aims to optimize organizations holistically for scalability and flexibility.
  • Can be applied across the entire product development beyond the team level.

2. Structure

Scrum:

  • Teams are smaller (often 7±2 members) and cross-functional.
  • Uses specific roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team.
  • Teams focus on short-term goals and deliverables within a fixed Sprint duration.

PODS:

  • Pods are stable organizational elements, as small or large as needed.
  • Each Pod has the autonomy to define its way of working (which can include Scrum, Kanban, or other methods).
  • Pods focus on achieving end-to-end outcomes and can include humans and AI agents.

3. Flexibility

Scrum:

  • Framework with defined roles, events (Sprints, Retrospectives, etc.), and artifacts (Backlogs, Increments).
  • Adaptation occurs within the boundaries of the framework.

PODS:

  • Highly flexible and adaptable, integrating various methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe).
  • Allows combining multiple teams or functions into a single Pod for broader objectives.
  • Encourages Pods to improve their processes and collaboration continuously.

4. Focus

Scrum:

  • Focuses on delivering a usable increment of work in short cycles.
  • Designed to manage uncertainty and complexity in product development.
  • Prioritizes collaboration and quick delivery of value.

PODS:

  • Focuses on long-term outcomes, organizational scalability, and adaptability.
  • Encourages alignment with broader organizational goals (e.g., customer satisfaction, business objectives).
  • Emphasizes the Pod as a self-sustaining entity for solving complex problems.

5. Role of Leadership

Scrum:

  • The Product Owner sets the vision and manages the backlog.
  • The Scrum Master facilitates the process and removes impediments, ensuring adherence to Scrum principles.

PODS:

  • Leadership is provided by PODS Managers, who set the Pod's purpose, priorities, and desired outcomes.
  • PODS Managers focus on long-term sustainability and stay out of day-to-day operations.

6. Adaptability to Other Models

Scrum:

  • Focuses on the Scrum framework and principles.
  • Can be adapted or scaled with additional layers (e.g., Scrum@Scale, Nexus, SAFe).

PODS:

  • Encourages integration with other frameworks (e.g., Kanban, SAFe, Spotify, LeSS).
  • Can scale up or down depending on organizational needs.
  • Pods act as a bridge between different methodologies, unifying them under a single organizational design.

7. Use Cases

Scrum:

  • Best suited for teams engaged in product or software development.
  • Focuses on projects requiring iterative-incremental development and frequent feedback.

PODS:

  • Suitable for both operational and strategic contexts.
  • Can manage diverse functions, from product development to service delivery.
  • Flexible enough for organizations of any size and industry.

Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems. Created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland.