Jeff Sutherland
Biography
Jeffrey Victor Sutherland is an American software engineer and author, best known as one of the co-creators of Scrum, an agile framework for managing complex projects. Born in 1941, he served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force before embarking on a career in academia and software development. He earned a Ph.D. in Biometrics and Statistics from the University of Colorado and worked at various companies, including Easel Corporation. In the early 1990s, while at Easel, he began experimenting with a new process to accelerate software development, which he later formalized with Ken Schwaber as Scrum. His work has profoundly influenced project management, particularly in the tech industry, advocating for iterative development, cross-functional teams, and continuous improvement. He continues to teach, consult, and write about Scrum, promoting its adoption globally through organizations like Scrum Inc., which he founded.
Selected Thoughts
«Scrum is like a game of chess. You can learn the rules in 10 minutes, but it takes a lifetime to master.»
«The way you know you're doing Scrum is that it feels like you're failing all the time, but you're actually succeeding.»
«Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining complex products, with an initial emphasis on software development, although it has been used in other fields as well.»
Writing Style
His writing style is highly practical, direct, and prescriptive, focusing on clarity and actionable advice. He frequently draws from real-world case studies and empirical evidence to support his methodologies. His language is accessible, even when discussing complex technical or organizational concepts, aiming to provide clear guidance for implementing agile practices. He often uses analogies and historical references to make his points more compelling and memorable, emphasizing 'how-to' rather than just 'what-is'.