Testimonials

[CSM] class from Michael is highly practical and every bit of it is a true fun learning. The videos and the practical use cases are awesome and the knowledge gained is going to help me practice true agile approach in my work. Simulated work environment let us put ourselves into the shoes of different scrum roles and experience the involved challenges and approach to deal with it.

Last but not the least, the learning series videos from Michael are simple superb. It is the best workshop I could ever attend. Thanks for your time and efforts Michael.

— Aman Kakkar

３日間の研修で、スクラムマスターへの理解を深めることが出来ただけでなく、 ソフトウェア開発に関する知識や技術を深めることが出来ました。 色々と、ありがとうございました。

— 田森　崇史 - 日立製作所の田森です

Would highly recommend [Michael’s] class. Not only does he teach the material and give you real life applications for Scrum and Agile. But during the practices he will cleverly make a point or statement about the group activity we are doing - only for our group to realize that he is using Agile to teach us Agile, one of my favorite parts about this course. The entire class was very well put together and designed. He was passionate about the material and is THE go-to guy for Scrum!

— Jeeno Saini, Technical Project Manager - Jeeno Saini LLC

I’ve been studying and practicing Agile and Scrum for years, but never took the time to get certified. When my firm offered me the opportunity to do just that, I was kind of half-interested, thinking — I’ll just attend a class, brush up on the Scrum Guide and get the test out of the way. Our team found MJ, who came highly recommended. I gotta say — I was pleasantly surprised. MJ got all the book work out of the way before the class even began, and our time was spent in creative, practical exercises that helped illuminate some of the finer points of Scrum and LeSS. MJ’s insights and experience were peppered throughout, and these were worth the price of admission alone. MJ is thorough, opinionated and authoritative, but in the best ways. He backs up his strong opinions with unassailable logic and an appeal to our better natures. He really knows this stuff, and he comes from a place of deep respect and care for self-organizing teams of human beings rather than slavish adherence to a “methodology.” I’m recommending MJ’s class to all my colleagues, without hesitation.

— Rob West, Sr. Project Manager - IT PMO at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

I just completed your scrum training series video modules, and I actually loved them! I am 100% new to Scrum and the whole world of project management. These modules helped me feel like I had more of an understanding than I thought I did, and the quizzes made me feel more competent! Thank you for having these available!

— Karlee Lott

Michael provided a deeper understanding to the “whys” of scrum techniques. I learned valuable skills I could apply in my work life. The best training, it would be worth it at three times the cost.

— Patricia Heyn, PMP, IT Project Manager at WCG Clinical

I cannot thank MJ enough for the amazing CSM class he delivered to my cohort in NYC. The class was even better than I had anticipated. Because the CSM is not a standardized certification, I felt obligated to do thorough research on Scrum Trainers before selecting one, and my organization supported my doing this, to avoid inadvertently endorsing “fake agile”. I selected MJ’s “harder than normal” class in NYC over the many available in my state for this reason. The exam itself is not difficult — the real value comes from the learning that takes place in the classroom.

If you are a person who prefers to sit back and listen to a lecture via Powerpoint (yuck), this class is not for you. If you prefer face-to-face interactions, hands-on, real Scrum scenario applications, learning by doing, and engaging with others, this is 100% a better fit. MJ teaches Scrum as it was intended by the founders of Scrum to help prepare for the exam, while also taking the time to learn about the professional needs and interests of the class, teaching his students how Scrum can be implemented in various organizational contexts given the impediments their organizations are currently experiencing.

I agree with all of the positive reviews the class has received, and for me, I felt it was inspiring and even life-changing. Each day of class, I was excited to be there, to be challenged and learn more about what Scrum has to offer.

— Katie Castelle, Ph.D., PMP, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University

I am glad that I took the class from MJ. The sessions were insightful and he used a very practical approach. MJ was awesome and is very passionate about all the topics that were covered as part of the sessions. I would certainly recommend for anyone considering the scrum classes.

— Ravi Govindaiah

Exactly as you said. The best class in NYC. Thank you so much.

— Anjali Gandekar, Technical Business Analyst

I attended one of Michael’s CSM classes in 2013. I was pleasantly surprised how Michael chose to approach the content. Instead of rehashing the same old material on scrum (which you can easily read by yourself elsewhere), Michael’s class provided a unique and refreshing approach to the subject — it was based on experiencing key concepts of scrum (e.g. self-organization) rather than discussing them in an abstract sense. This class is truly awesome especially if you have experience with scrum and know the basics already. You will not only easily pass the CSM test, you will also actually get some additional insight, and be challenged to rethink some of your preconceptions. Overall, I found the class inspiring and it exceeded my expectations.

— Anna Barlow, Software Program Manager at Hewlett-Packard

Michael led a highly interactive Scrum certification training class in Boston where I was an engaged participant. Michael not only impressed our entire class with his expertise in Scrum methodology but his personable yet efficient style of teaching helped me to successfully pass the Scrum certification test on first attempt. Any class led by Michael, will guarantee thought provoking, relevant, and well communicated methodology subject matter. I cannot recommend him as a trainer enough!

— Nicole Scaramuzzi Courtemanche, Director of Marketing at NIC Inc.

I had the pleasure of attending a CSM course run by Michael and found him to be a thoughtful and knowledgable instructor, keenly attentive to his audience and inventively weaving in examples of time boxing, negotiation, and other techniques as part of the instruction, so that he is also teaching by example. Even though I have been doing agile development for several years his course was still both fun and useful.

— David Marteinson, Principal at domineur inc.

Michael James is a gifted facilitator of the learning process who knows how to create engaging experiences that go above and beyond the expectations of his students. One of the keys to his approach is to offload teaching the introductory theory of Scrum into series of interactive e-learning modules as well as a handy, Scrum reference card. These prerequisite training materials are both really well-produced and freely available to anyone. They also freed up the class from being a boring, broadcast-only overview of Scrum theory and instead it helped to create one of the most experiential and interactive training sessions that I’ve ever been a part of. He used a time-boxed structure of only lecturing for 10-minutes at any given time, which led to many opportunities to learn through doing exercises and small group discussions. There was a strong emphasis of letting the students teach and learn from each other based upon their own experiences, and then he would follow up on the more confusing or controversial points. Michael is completely committed to preparing his student for success before, during and after his class. I’d highly recommend Michael’s CSM course to any serious student looking to learn more about Scrum and agile methodologies.

— Kent Bye, Videographer / Editor at Puppet Labs, Inc.

Michael led a superb SCRUM certification class. He gave an excellent overview of the material and walked the class through grounded, practical exercises. His explanations and examples provided great context for the SCRUM principles. He was truly interested in seeing us master the material and put it into practice. I highly recommend his course.

— Jaydeep Joshi, CSM, Project Manager, Knowledge Management

I had the pleasure of having Michael as the instructor in my Scrum Master course, and I can say without a doubt that this was the best training I have taken, and an excellent use of my time. Michael’s high-energy, dynamic personality kept us engaged for two solid, long days, where he combined interactive team activities, hand outs and relevant feedback to ALL participants. Not only did we laugh, we learned, and after taking a nice month-long holiday, I passed my Scrum Master certification on the first attempt. His use of stories, combined with his extensive knowledge of Agile theory AND real life examples served to drive home and make relevant his material; I would gladly take another course from Michael and highly recommend him to anyone considering Agile coursework.

— Angela Mahoney, MBA, CSM, IT Cloud Consultant and Cat-Herder / Salesforce Platform

Michael is an excellent instructor. He conveys the information with clarity, grace, and good humor. I especially like how he is very reality-based; no pie-in-the-sky theorizing. He makes the teaching look easy, which is the mark of a true expert. Michael involves the students thoroughly in the learning process, so that you almost don’t know that you’re being taught per se — yet at the end of the two-day class, all the information is right there in your head. I passed the CSM test on the first try without the need for subsequent review (and with Christmas and New Year’s coming in between) — largely due to Michael’s class…

Grab his class when you can; you won’t regret it.

— Kevin Thomas, PMP CSM, Chief Technology Officer at Gunter Media Group

I am already an Agile evangelist within organizations who needed Michael’s class as part of the process of getting my CSM so I was prepared to be bored at the Scrum class Michael was teaching. To my very great surprise and pleasure, I was not.

Michael has that rare and enviable gift of being able to teach in a way that engages students with widely varying levels of expertise in the same class. I was challenged and inspired by Michael’s teaching and I know from observation that Michael was able to reach and teach people to whom Scrum was an entirely novel concept.

I recommend Michael without hesitation as an excellent Scrum trainer and Michael would be my first recommendation for Agile consultation and training within any organization I worked in.

— Kevin Johnsrude, Senior Software Designer, Developer, Tech Lead, Scrum Master

I had the great opportunity to attend a Certified Scrum Master two-day training course from Michael. Having attended many education conferences I was not expecting what I got. I was expecting a dull conference room full of other people who were just there because they need PDUs fiddling with their laptops and phones all day. Instead, for two whole days I was completely engaged in learning the principles and practices of Scrum/Agile development. There wasn’t a dull moment and the material was covered in a very comprehensible manner. If you want a boring 2-day lecture to just sit and earn PDUs Michael is not your guy. If you want to learn Scrum and have an engaging and enjoyable training, then you’ve come to the right place.

Thanks again, Michael.

— Randy Brown, Business and Technology Consultant

I had this wonderful opportunity to attend the two day Scrum Master course conducted by Michael. I was amazed at his way of transferring knowledge and it was so much fun that the time flew by. By the end of the course, I got a deep understanding of SCRUM methodologies, which I am sure I can utilize in my future projects. The course is worth every penny and I am confident that this will be a boost for my career. I highly recommend Michael for anyone who wants to learn more about SCRUM.

— Manoj Chonat, PMP, CSM, Program Manager - Software Development at Houlihan Lawrence

I have nothing but rave reviews for Michael’s recent Scrum Master course in NYC. The course was so much fun that time seemed to fly by. By the end, I had gained a deeper understanding of the framework and practices. He is an artful facilitator who brings many years of experience and insight to the room. The way he structures the course provides you with the proper perspective and flow to scrum that you can’t get from a book alone. It was definitely a good investment of my time and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about scrum and agile development.

— Angela Jamerson, Director, Online Marketing IT

Michael runs a great scrum training class, keeping the subject matter interesting and interactive. If you are willing to work hard and engage fully during the course, he will go the extra mile for you. I highly recommend him as a trainer.

— Clarissa Springer, Business Analyst/Systems Analyst / Project Manager/Program Manager

I took Michael’s two day class for Certified Scrum Master training. It was one of the best (if not the best) trainings I have had in my career. Michael is very generous with the wisdom gained in practicing scrum over the years. He provided information through awesome, fun webinars, printed material, discussion, and most importantly, through experiential exercises in our class. I paid for the class myself so it was expensive for two days, but it was worth every penny. I don’t regret the investment I made in my growth of knowledge and new experience. If you are new to practicing scrum or have been practicing with difficulty, this class is for you. It is for people in any role, business analyst, product owner, tester, developer, scrum masters, managers, etc…

— Jackie Leone, Project Manager

Michael taught a wonderful SCRUM Master class that was fun and very informative. He used interactive group simulations to reinforce the lesson topics. I have complete confidence that with Michael’s training I can be successful when I use SCRUM in business.

— Phil McMullin CSM, Senior Architect at Cognizant Technology Solutions

Michael is an Scrum expert and excellent trainer. I attended his CSM class in Dallas and it was one of the best classes I’ve taken in years. Michael’s command of the subject matter, interactive team excercizes, and genuine interest in helping students learn are just a few of the characteristics that bring him to the top of my list of best trainers in my professional career. I am confident that I will be incorporating much of the material learned in class in my next position. I highly recommend Michael and CollabNet CSM class to any individual or team interested in learning more about Scrum and applying it on the job.

— Ranya Fulton, PMP, Senior IT Project Manager

I really enjoyed attending Michael’s class for Certified Scrum Master last weekend. He was able to cover a lot of ground in a very comprehensive and engaging way. The following Monday I launched a new project and was able to immediately apply the scrum methods I learned in Michael’s class. Both my client and my team feel the new (for us) approach works much better than traditional methods. Going forward we feel that a scrum approach will be a competitive differentiator for us. Thank you Michael.

— Steve Stein, CRM Solution Architect

I have a very high respect for Michael as an Agile thinker, pragmatic coach, and a trainer. Plus he’s a very nice guy and very straight-forward with honest opinions.

— Petri Heiramo, Organizational ScrumMaster at Futurice

I attended Scrum Training conducted by Michael James. He is an expert in the field and his presentation style is exemplar. He is creative and thorough with his presentation. I look forward to being able to have Michael come on-site for consulting.

— Paul Tippetts, Sr. Professional Services Consultant at NetDocuments

Just went through a very well organized two day SCRUM training session with Michael and it was well worth the time. I had heard and read about SCRUM but this gave me the details I needed to at least start down the path of evangelizing scrum and trying to work it into my methodology.

— Adam Shun, PMP, CSM, Director - Projects at Cognizant Technology Solutions

I attended Michael’s CSM class held in Portland, Oregon. I learned so much and felt very lucky to have Michael as my teacher in the field of Scrum. He has been doing this for some time. He has lots of stories to work from. He also knows when to step aside and let the students work-out issues themselves. This opens the mind for more information to sink in. My only fault was I wish the class was 3 days instead of 2. I recommend Michael for any individual or organization who want to establish scrum in their development process… or those who want to freshen-up their skills.

— Nickolas Borders, PMP & CSM, Sr. Project Manager at SMITH

Michael led a robust 2-day CSM training which gave me very good knowledge in Scrum, re-aligning to best practice. Michael’s in-depth knowledge were outstanding. I recommend Michael to organizations looking to create a change to Agile methodology or going to start Agile in your organizations, as he has a great knowledge.

— Jasbir Jaswal, Development Lead at Binary Stream Software

Michael did a great job teaching the CSM class I attended last week. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, and is an excellent teacher. If you are considering CSM or Agile training, I highly recommend him.

— Murray Macdonald, President/CTO at Storefront.com

Michael led a robust 2-day CSM training which strengthened and clarified my experience in Scrum, re-aligning to best practice. Michael’s in-depth knowledge and ability to shepherd our large group (~ 30 people) were outstanding. I recommend Michael to organizations looking to create a change to Agile methodology, as he is a great Champion of this effort.

— Holly Ripley, PMP, CSM, PSM, Program Manager/Director

I have recently completed a CSM training class in which Michael was the instructor and now looking back, I wish I had done it sooner. I thought that by reading a book or two, I learned everything I needed to know about SCRUM, but Michael showed me so much more. Through great humor and honest answers, Michael did a great job of teaching us all how to handle ourselves in real life situations using the framework.

— Jason T. Roff, First Factory

I’ll try to keep it simple – Michael cares about his audience and takes great effort that participants at his training session absorb Scrum.

— Nitin Khanna, Scrum Practitioner, Product Owner/Agile Mentor/Scrum Coach

Since Scrum was new to me, I expected to leave Michael’s class overwhelmed; instead, I was rather impressed with how he was able to incorporate so much information into his class while making it a comfortable learning experience. He’s creative, personable, knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommended - Someone with any level of Scrum knowledge would be sure to learn from Michael. Thanks for the great experience!

— Danielle M Thielman, MBA, CSM, PSM I, Independent Project Manager/Consultant

I took Michael’s ScrumMaster course and he was great introducing the Agile approach to me. The classroom discussions were helpful, activities were engaging and fun. I hope to take the knowledge learned from his course and introduce them to my team with the follow-up tools and resources he’s provided. I recommend Michael’s course to anyone thinking about introducing Scrum to their organization.

— Diane Hua, Program Manager, Knowledge Translation

Michael is an agile expert, and a pro when it comes to teaching the subject. He has a seemingly endless list of examples of what has and hasn’t worked for people in the past, and uses these examples to illustrate the general concepts behind scrum in an easy to understand manner.

— Matthew Dominici, QA Director at ES3

I found Michael’s Scrum Master course to be very well structured and of good value to organizations that are looking for alternatives to software development and delivery. Michael is an expert in agile development and, most of all, is able to articulate complex concepts to a variety of audiences. I went into the session slightly skeptical, but, found the 2 day session to be very engaging.

— Jag S. Parhar, MBA, PMP, FLMI, IT Consulting

My first interaction with Michael started with inquiries on his Scrum Class in Toronto. He answered to my stupid questions very professionally and in detail which encouraged me to attend his class. During 2 days sessions I found him passionate, professional Trainer and coach. He has exceptionally effective and efficient way of presenting his ideas and thoughts into real world scenarios. I found him a dedicated professional always willing to help others achieve their goals. His Agile and Scrum Project management skills are superb. Get to know Michael, and work with him during two days sessions helped me understand what an extraordinary professional he is! Thank you, Michael! I would recommend him to anyone interested in learning Scrum and agile practices and willing to take advantage of his knowledge base.

— Urooj Muhammad khan, PMP, ITIL, CSM

As a trainer, Michael’s preparation, presentation, and facilitation are exemplary. Over two days he was able to adroitly steer a diverse, skeptical group of experienced engineers, product managers, and business leaders through an immersive and transformative SCRUM experience, effectively conveying first principles and subtle nuance in an energetic, involved environment. His class was enjoyable, but more importantly, the lessons have proven to be endurable. Michael was instrumental in retooling and optimizing our engineering processes and customer lifecycle management.

— Frank Fulton, COO at Pivotstream

I recently attended a Scrum Master Certification by Michael James. Very impressed with his interactive and collaborative training structure. Thought out flow with hands on learning.

— Sivashanmugam Chandrasekar, Director, Software Development at Five9

I took the ScrumMaster course taught by Micheal and it was very good. I learned a lot and the hands-on exercises were fun. Michael is an excellent instructor - explains things clearly, patient, knowledgeable, and available for providing guidance in the future. I would recommend taking any class taught by him.

— Caroline Yao, Project Manager at Mocana

MJ’s CSM training sessions were simply breath-taking, thought provoking, and pleasantly interactively! I came away from the training with a thoroughly grounded understanding of the nuances of Agile Scrum framework, the practical tools on how to build complex innovative products, and the understanding of how to enable innovation in order to create a sustainable learning organization.

— Kevin A Ogunsua, MBA, PMP, CISA, CSM, Senior Manager, Digital Mobile

I just attended Michael’s Scrum training class on 11/16, 17 in NYC and found it to be most enjoyable and informative. Michael draws from his real life experiences along with a wealth of relevant scrum material. The format of the course divided the students into working teams that were charged with solving real problems in a team environment. I’d take another course offered by Michael any time.

— Alan Tolmich, Software Engineer at Abbott & Shapiro LLC

I am a certified PMP. Adapting to SCRUM can be very difficult as it is contrary to my training. I attended a CollabNet class in New York City with Michael James. One of my colleagues had already recommended in specific Michael James (MJ) as an instructor since he attended his class earlier this year in Dallas, TX. My colleague told me that the class was very challenging and that MJ was not a push over instructor but that I would learn a LOT. My colleague was 100% correct.

I appreciate that MJ not only delivered training but created a learning environment where we were all challenged to not just pass a CSM class but to learn and to continue to pursue learning. During the class I was able to, for the most part, remove my PMP hat and really think as a CSM. I have not attended any class in the past few years where I 100% turned off my work phone and email and just participated. There was a great environment of team work and learning created by MJ. I would highly recommend this class with MJ as an instructor.

— Maria Salgado, MS, PMP@, Project Manager at Dell Services

I recently took Michael’s SCRUM certification class provided by CollabNet. The class offered a realistic view into SCRUM and Michael’s innovative method of teaching pushed the class to think out of the box. I would highly recommend this.

— Carole Guglielmino, PMP, CSM, Functional Project Manager at Accenture

Michael ran a terrific information session. The hands-on activities and real world case studies were very useful in learning the materials. This was one of the best courses I have been involved with in a while. I will highly recommend anyone interested in Scrum to learn from MJ.

— Hassan Adekoya, Technical Project Manager, Technical Architect, Software Engineer

Through Michael’s experience and interesting exercises, I came away feeling like the Scrum Agile concepts were ingrained in me. It was a very helpful 2 days that flew by.

— Penelope Madry, Senior Program Manager, Open Platform at Thomson Reuters

I recently attended a 2 day Scrum Master training seminar led by Michael James. It was very enlightening to learn about scrum from someone with such detailed knowledge of the subject. Many companies that claim to be using agile/scrum pick and choose only the more convenient aspects of the methodology. Leaving out the inconvenient or uncomfortable parts can be what holds the overall organizational development back. Michael does a great job of giving you an appreciation for what it can be like when all the rules are followed and a self managing scrum dev team can emerge.

— Rod Hook, CTO at Media6Degrees

I have learned a great deal from Michael’s two day CSM training that I didn’t realize I have until a situation which caused one to recall what at that time sounded as just a simple comment on a topic but it turned out to provide very good insight to conducting Scrum projects. Even after the class he corresponded to me to ask how I was doing with my Scrum project which was very encouraging. I learned a lot from and enjoyed his class.

— Buenaventura Afable, PMP, CSM

I attended MJ’s Certified ScrumMaster class. It was the best class I’ve attended in years. MJ clearly knows his subject. He also made the entire 2-day event very enjoyable. I would recommend him without reservation for anyone considering Scrum/Agile.

— Jackie Bardsley, Information Technology Consultant

M.J. took the time to speak with me after the class. With only four sentences of musing, he accurately identified, defined, and created a model for shaping our team and its processes. It was breathtaking.

— Nathaniel Schwartz, Technical Project Manager at Deloitte Digital

I would like to share my experience of the time spent in Michael James Scrum Master Training class. I was concerned that the class would have power point display declaring the rules of Scrum. This is the kind of material I can learn on my own. What Michael brought to the class was the essence of Scrum and how to deal with people when introducing and managing Scrum. The class was filled with time box exercises that taught in depth principles of Scrum and gave you a real life feeling of that you will encounter in various situations. The class was worth the 2 days of missed work and the expense of the class fee. It was truly 2 days of agile enlightenment presented by a teacher with years of experience.

— Joe Dailey, Software Process Engineering Manager

I recently completed the ScrumMaster Certification Training with Michael in San Diego. His approach to the training was unique and incredibly effective. He forces you to actually put the Scrum framework concepts and process into practice immediately, rather than sitting around talking about theory. There were no Power Point slides (thank God), and he never talked for more than 10 minutes at a time before starting a new group exercise. Not only did this give me insight into the realities and complexities that I will face in trying to implement Scrum in my workplace, but I was able to work through many of those hurdles and frustrations in the class rather than back at work. Michael is a gifted instructor and trainer, and for those willing to dig in and challenge themselves, I think they will find his training very productive. Highly recommended.

— Matthew CritchLow, Web Technical Manager at UC San Diego

[NOTE: MJ generally avoids slides but does use some from time to time.]

Michael brings a refreshing approach to his CSM Class. With his mixture of discussion, activities, and handouts, I was able to complete his class with the confidence and tools needed to bring Scrum back to my client. I highly recommend Michael as an Scrum Instructor or Agile Coach to anyone looking to add Scrum to their toolset.

— David Yancey, Agile Coach, Software Architect, Principal Consultant

Michael James was my instructor for Certified Scrum Master class that I attended in Dallas, TX. Mr James is very well grounded in the Agile/Scrum methodology and presents the course extremely well. The class moved along at a good pace and was full of practical exercises. I would highly recommend Mr James for anything dealing with Agile/Scrum.

— James Smith, Sr Project Manager

Michael is an excellent instructor. He teaches Scrum by using scrum principles such as self-organization and collaboration. Instead of lecturing, he helps students grasp and apply things through experience, practice, and group learning. I’d recommend him for anyone needing to know how to do agile/scrum and helping to apply it to your business for a higher ROI.

— Brad White, COO at Real World Training

Michael did a great job providing Agile/Scrum Training to our team. We learned a ton and had fun learning.

— Edgar Melendez, Software Engineering Manager at American Traffic Solutions

Michael does a great job teaching Agile SCRUM Methods. I attended his SCRUM Master class and learned how to manage projects based on this method. The class was hard but prepared me completely for certification. I would highly recommend attending his class.

— Barry Savage, Independent Information Technology and Services Professional

I attended a Certified Scrum Master class from Michael and definitely found it very valuable. He really ensures that all the attendees understand not only the basic but also the complex Scrum concepts. Most of the questions I had before the class were solved during the course, and the rest were properly answered in person. Lastly the material used is very creative and makes the class very straightforward.

— Jorge Heras, Agile Manager at Tiempo Development

Michael James’ course on Scrum Management was phenomenal. He kept me on my toes and right in the beneficial learning zone during the entire class. His follow through post-class has been unmatched.

— Bob Kelly, IT Manager - EDI

I had the privilege of taking a Certified Scrum Master training from Michael. He is very knowlegable on the subject and makes sure that his students have a good basic understanding through practice and feedback. I felt I had a good handle on the subject even over the short period of the class.

— Gary Brzozowski, Software Engineer at ManTech

Michael James has an extraordinary savvy and ability to cultivate the process of obtaining and retaining critical knowledge for working as an effective ScrumMaster and with an Agile Software Development Team. His vast depth of experience yields appropriate analogies and his training mastery provides tools for solving critical business issues while providing value-add to my customers.

— B. Danielle Hewitt, Consultant for Ops & Program Mgt. in IS, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Process Improvement and Customer Service

Mike is an awesome facilitator and Mentor of Scrums. His out of the box thinking as well his amazing capacity of setting down to the ground examples, makes the experience an excellent ride for the your money. Mike is a expert in the area with a lot of experience backing up that knowledge. I absolutely encourage people to take the scrum master class with Mike just because is a ‘not easy’ class to take.

— Mario Cassani, Architect at Quintiles

Michael is a professional and expert in Agile techniques. I felt like I got a very clear understanding of SCRUM after his course. He was very helpful in answering questions and clearing up all my concerns.

— Ben Stahlhood II, CEO at DS Media Labs

Michael (MJ) presented Agile Scrum Master Coaching at our company. He was very thorough and detailed in his presentations. He mixed real life examples with class room activities to explain the agile roles and methodology. He time boxed everything and held the group accountable for the actions and activities of the class. He was extremely personable and willing to help with any questions we had. I highly recommend MJ and wish he was with us full time!

— Jason Kasper, Senior QA Manager at The Pampered Chef (with NAVTEQ at time of training)

Michael’s dedication to the SCRUM Management Framework and skill in training teams to adopt it properly has made a huge difference at my company. He used a multi-modal form of training that inundated the attendees with multiple ways of absorbing the material. His hands-off approach allowed the participants to discover their own insights and learn by doing. All-in-all, it was a very helpful experience for our team.

— Reid Spencer, Entrepreneurial Software Visionary

I was privileged to participate in a two-day Certified Scrum Master training class taught by Michael. It quickly became apparent that Michael is an expert in Scrum Methodology, a veteran in the software industry, and an outstanding teacher. He covered a great deal of directly-related and indirectly-related topics in various (yet always appropriate) depths, allowed for hands-on experimentation, encouraged discussion, and kept everyone engaged — while maintaining a high energy level throughout. I happily recommend Michael as a teacher for anything related to Scrum Methodology.

— Marco Peschiera, Professional Leader in People Management and Software Development

I found Michaels way of teaching to be very effective. He takes the approach of practical education that lets you experience SCRUM in a simulated world setting. It is one thing to say — ‘My instructor says X’ and a completely different thing to say — ‘I have experienced it first hand when we had a team exercise’. We have taken the course as a whole team several months ago, and Michael’s instruction helps even today to transform our company.

— Moshe Vainer, Chief Architect rCloud business at Persistent Systems

I was a student in Michael’s Certified Scrum Master training class. I have a fair theoretical background in agile. During the class, MJ filled in many gaps and provided excellent opportunities to get the practical experience I needed. Stepping back, I see that his class delivered on many levels. In addition to the knowledge transfer one expects, the class provided a wide variety of unannounced exercises within announced exercises. For example, while performing the exercise of holding a series of mock scrums, each team became responsible for managing the time it allowed for the daily standup. Further, MJ allowed those on my team who are more comfortable with agile to see the need and become coaches for our team.

— Alan Berow, Process Professional

Michael is an excellent coach. He has a thorough understanding of Agile techniques and appreciates the challenges that teams and organizations face in shifting their processes. He is an engaging and informed coach who enables the class to learn by immersing them in the process from the beginning of the course. He has practical suggestions and speaks from firsthand experience. I would highly recommend him and his style of teaching.

— Aileen Gemma Smith, CEO and Founder at Vizalytics Technology, LLC

In my opinion SCRUM is all about collaborating attitude and bringing best out of the team you are working with. I thought I understood the concept behind SCRUM by reading extensive material available on internet. However, when I attended Mike’s interactive SCRUM training, it cleared my thought process to understand SCRUM as a practice. His knowledge about SCRUM and real life experiences not only made the workshop fun but the interactive team exercises mentored us to gain the attitude behind SCRUM practice. I strongly believe in SCRUM as the closest methodology so far for software development. In complex situations, I have always referred “Mike’s way” and most of the times I could, sorry, we as a team could reach to a successful solution.

— Mukund Khisty, Associate Director at Cognizant Technology Solutions

Michael is an excellent instructor who tailors his classes to the audience. He makes the material real and applicable through more hands on experience than straight up lecturing. As well, his knowledge of the subject is extensive and he is comfortable discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the topics being presented.

— Marie Deschene, Computer Software Professional

I recently attended Michael’s class for Certified Scrum Master and found the course very helpful. “A+” for the instructor.

The real world examples, and the constant classroom interaction was a great way to run the class. Michael’s knowledge of Agile (Scrum) was deep and well rounded. He was able to bring a lot of real world and personal experience into the classroom. This allowed me to grasp the concepts quicker and relate them to the work I do on a daily basis.

If applicable, I would attend other classes lead by Michael in the future.

— Joe Tobey, Associate Director at Merkle

Michael was the trainer for a ScrumMaster course I attended in Amsterdam. I was very impressed by Michael’s knowledge of both Scrum and the history of software development, and with his skill to motivate the team to actively participate in Scrum sprints during the course. The fact that he shared lots of in-the-field examples of Scrum implementations (and caveats) in different organizations really helped in understanding the concept. A very enjoyable learning experience!

— Bart Matthaei, Maatsoftware die je leven makkelijker maakt - Ambrero

Michael provided training to our Product Owners, and we quickly asked him back for Scrum Master training and then again to coach our software development teams in Agile techniques. He also mentored the project managers in Scrum techniques and gave us confidence to be creative in our approach to personnel issues. We use the phrase ‘Michael solution’ when we remember to trust our teams to take on complex problems.

— Randy Ashton, PMP, CSP, Managing Member at Quadratic Solutions

Michael was instrumental in providing the expertise, guidance, and support to me and Randy Ashton to help us build an agile project team. Michael providing training to staff, coached our software engineers, and gave us timely and sage advice along the way. Michael is great to work with and an asset to any project seeking to be agile.

— Ryan Fullmer, CSM, CSP, Agile Coach/Scrum Master at Agilex Technologies

I took part into Scrum Master Certification course that was lectured by Michael and was very impressed of his exptertise in Scrum and skills as trainer. He is natural mentor with motivating and inspiring touch. The fact that he was able to activate every person in the class to actively learn and participate as well as he was able support most the topics with practical experience and real life examples, made the learning experience very pleasant and effective.

— Heikki-Pekka Noronen, Agile champion and Amazing Talent

It was an excellent course! The interactive & collaborative way of learning helped in covering even the most intensive portions of the course in a fun way. I’m eager to get to the next level and “scrum” away to glory!

— Gagan Jain, BS, MBA, PMP, IFC, CSM, Guidewire Integration Architect

I attended Michael’s Scrum Master Training class. He has excellent homework assignments. He created and assigns this homework out before the class gets started. I especially loved the fact he took time with me after class to answer the many questions I had with my personal experiences in trying to implement Agile/Scrum practices. He has been there and done that!

— Bill Snyder, Sr Project Manager at Seamless.com

Michael is one of those instructors that is an expert in his field and can reference a vast array of experiences to educate his students. He successfully manages the classroom environment to drive participants in the rapid acquisition of knowledge while minimizing real life interruptions. Michael’s Certified Scrum Master prep class was incredibly immersive as his lecturing was minimal and most learning took place through effective simulations and instructor facilitation. I’d recommend him to any individual or company that is looking to gain competitive advantage through the use of Agile techniques to deliver business value.

— Arnie “Avi” Merves, PMP, CSM, Senior Project Manager at Weill Cornell Medical College