Hi, I am Erik de Bos

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Agile Thoughts

Scrum Professionals

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I help teams and organisations work smarter by developing systems, structures, and processes that support their goals effectively and help create new working habits.

For me, improving how we work is more than a technical challenge — it is about creating systems that allow people to grow and achieve meaningful results. Well-being and effectiveness go hand in hand: people who enjoy their work are more effective and lead to stronger, more capable teams.

With a background in ecology and software development, I bring a unique systems-thinking perspective, blending empiricism, pragmatism, and a deep focus on people.

My expertise lies in:

• Enhancing team effectiveness and value delivery.
• Designing organisations that foster culture, adaptability, and sustainable change.
• Connecting day-to-day team operations with strategic, higher-level objectives.
• Pragmatic and results-driven, I combine my technical background with a deep understanding of human dynamics to build trust, guide teams through transformation, and deliver practical solutions.
• Whether drawing from Scrum, Kanban, or broader systems thinking principles, my goal is to help organisations create the conditions for sustainable success.

I like to write, as it helps me to organise my thoughts into something coherent. And it forces me to do my research. It is also an effective way to spread and discuss my ideas.

The Mastering Agility Publication is the home for my writing, where I am also an editor.

Agile is not easy to learn. Complexity ensures that there are no off-the-shelf solutions - everything depends on context.

This means that more than knowledge or tools, our work is about wisdom. A certified Scrum training will give you knowledge and tools, but little wisdom regarding how to apply it. This requires a different approach to learning. One based on developing skills and experience in your own particular context.

I can help you develop these skills and experience, by helping you develop a journey of self-discovery and practice in your daily work.

Get in touch with me to discuss this further.

Speaking and facilitating workshops at meetups and conferences is a way for me to share and discuss my ideas, experiences and expertise.

I try to participate in 3 or 4 conferences each year and am also available for hire - let me know what you have in mind and we will work something out.

I work at Scrum Professionals, helping organisations bridge the gap between intention and execution.

A new hobby! Together with Bas Klinkhamer we have developed a card game designed to help you deal with difficult stakeholders.

We are currently preparing the first commercial release. Contact me if you are interested!

I love to cook (and eat) and I'm always looking for my next culinary discovery. And of course, the best is to share my food (and any food) with friends and loved ones.

For me, cooking is a way to harness mindfulness and creativity. It also serves as a continuous reminder of the praticalities of delivering value, particularly the reality of deadlines: it doesn't matter how good my cooking is if I keep my hungry daughters waiting too long for their dinner.

I have been taking pictures since I was 12.

Photography is a way for me to explore my intuition and creativity.

I play bass, guitar and drums. My last band was Starlit Sea, on which I played bass. Check out our music on spotify.

I started playing bass somewhere in 2009. Nowadays focusing on guitar and drums in my tiny low-profile home studio, driven by the amazing Behringer Xenyx 502S.

Making music for me is pure flow - pure enjoyment lost is time. It keeps me in touch with the ultimate goal of agile: effectiveness through flow.