Private team training · Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST) since 2006
Experience Matters: Scrum Training for Teams That Want More Than a Two-Day Slide Deck
Your team can pass the test and still go back to "process theater." My private workshops use your real problems, and I stay available afterward for the part training usually skips: "the class said this, reality is that, now what?"
Most clients start with a 20-minute fit call. Prefer email? Send me the team and the problem. A few sentences is enough, and I reply within one business day. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so. Just want a seat? Reserve one for $97 .
Sound familiar?
- Your teams were certified, and delivery is still slow and quality still uneven.
- They run the meetings and use the lingo, but there's little real collaboration or problem-solving.
- They know the rules of Scrum and not the "why," so they can't adapt when reality gets messy.
- Your leaders and your teams don't share a language, so every conversation starts from scratch.
- You're the one who has to explain to your leaders why the investment isn't paying off.
That isn't a people problem. Most certification classes teach theory and send everyone home. Capability comes from practicing on your own work, with someone who has done it.
What waiting costs
- Teams stay busy, not productive. You keep paying salaries for motion that doesn't ship.
- Frustration grows. People can tell they aren't succeeding, and engagement drops with it.
- Another certificate round won't fix it. Repeating the same kind of class gets you the same result.
What you get
Private, in-house workshops, usually two days (or four half days), in person or on Zoom. Choose one: I don't run hybrid, because a mixed room is a worse experience for everyone, and ask me why on the scoping call.
- Certified or custom: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), the Scrum Essentials microcredential, or a workshop built around your situation.
- Your challenges, not generic case studies. We work on what your team is actually facing.
- "Why," not just "how." Your people learn to think like problem-solvers, not follow a script.
- Simple and clear. I make complex scenarios easy to understand, so it sticks.
- Debrief, included. A week or two later I meet with your team, its sponsor and the stakeholders who matter, to deal with what happened when training met reality. This is where my experience pays off.
How it works, and what it costs
- Scoping call. We talk about your team, your goals and whether I'm the right trainer.
- Sponsors first (on site). I fly in the morning before and spend a few hours with you, sponsors and stakeholders, so training lines up with what leadership needs.
- Two days of training. I fly out the day after.
- Debrief, included: one to two weeks later. For the "now what?" questions.
Private class for your team: from $5,000 for a team of four. About $10,000 for 8–10 people, with a per-person fee up to 24. Travel outside Richmond is a fixed fee, quoted up front. Pay by invoice or card.
One seat in a class: $997. Exam fee, two years of Scrum Alliance membership and SEUs included.
The debrief is included, at every size. One to two weeks after class, I meet with your team, its sponsor and the stakeholders who matter. We look at what happened when the team tried it for real, and decide what to do next.
I'm not the cheapest option. If price is the only thing that matters, I'll point you to good trainers who are.
I'm Richmond-based: see Scrum training and consulting in Richmond, Virginia.
Buy a seat, $997 · Reserve one for $97
Year-end prices: use your 2026 budget, easily
Book by Nov 30, 2026, pay one invoice in 2026, use it by March 31, 2027. Invoice only. Public-sector or school buyer? Spend this quarter's training budget.
| Offer | Regular | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Private class, 8–10 people | $10,000 | $8,500 |
| Private class, 6–7 people | $7,500 | $6,400 |
| Private class, 4–5 people | $5,000 | $4,250 |
| Train and sustain: class (8–10) + 90-day Advisory Lite | $16,750 | $15,000 |
| Advisory Lite, 3 months prepaid, start by Feb 1 | $6,750 | $6,250 |
Doesn't apply to mentoring, the Tune-Up or Async Advisory. Paying by invoice? Email me and I'll send an invoice and a W-9.
Why me
- CST since 2006, when fewer than 25 existed. I've helped bring up over 100 trainers.
- 35+ years in the trenches as a CPO and entrepreneur. I teach what works.
- Honest about fit. If I'm not right for you, I'll say so and point you to a trainer I trust, many of whom I've mentored.
Comparing trainers? Print the 10 questions to ask any Scrum trainer and ask me too.
What others say
"I took my first scrum class from Mike in 2008, and I still use the skills he taught me today. And it was about far more than skills — it was inspiration. The class was interactive, engaging, and real."
— Howard Sublett, Former CEO, Scrum Alliance
"Michael has a natural ability to teach in a manner which creates positive results."
— Carolyn Weaver, Project Mgr/Scrum Master
"He manages to make what I considered complex scenarios in Agile simple and clear."
— Leann Harris, CSM, CSPO
"Mike asks questions to help you gain understanding on your own rather than feeding you the answers."
— Kara Silva, Agile Coach
Many of my advisory clients first met me in a class, often years earlier.
Case story
From a few certificates to one shared language
The president of a large gaming company had some people certified, but needed everyone across the organization using the same words, so teams could act and move forward in real alignment.
Over a few months I ran multiple training sessions. The work reached delivery teams and leadership teams, and grew into mentoring and consulting where it was needed.
Teams started shipping every two weeks. Meetings held for their own sake stopped. Training became consulting, then advisory engagements, and they've referred me to others.
"The classes brought clarity and alignment at all flight levels so we could Focus. #deliver."
— Executive, large gaming company
Questions
Why a person instead of AI?
Experience matters. AI can explain the Scrum Guide. It can't see that your team is skipping the hard conversation, or know when to push and when to let the room work it out. I've taught this since 2006 and spent 35+ years doing the work.
Why does a trainer's experience matter?
Because the class is the easy part. The value is in the answers to "that won't work here" and "what do we do when…", and those come from having seen it fail and succeed in many organizations. That is also why I stay available after the class.
Do you run public classes?
Yes, when there's a group. Reserve a seat for $97 (refundable, and it counts toward the $997 seat). When four or five people confirm, I schedule the class and open the remaining seats. If no class runs within 90 days, you get your $97 back. Reserve a seat →
Have four or more people? Book your own class, from $5,000. I can open the empty seats to people from other organizations, and your team will hear what everyone else is running into. It's usually reassuring.
Can you train a team that isn't certified yet?
Yes. Many private groups start here. We can run a certified class (CSM or CSPO) or a custom workshop.
Is this the right fit if my problem is leadership?
Possibly not on its own. If the issue is alignment at the top, start with executive advisory. Often the two go together.
Not ready to commit?
Book a 20-minute fit call, or email me the team and the problem. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.
Not sure this is the right fit?
- The problem is at the top, not the team: see executive advisory.
- It's about you as a leader: see 1:1 mentoring, three sessions for $497.