Attention all Scrum Masters: Here's Why YOU Should Learn Programming!!!

I find it concerning when people join online forums and discuss how to get a tech job without needing to ever touch code or have a degree in computer science, IT, or any other related field.

It only serves to make it tougher for those people who don't possess the diploma, but are serious about gaining experience, to be taken seriously. Eventually, businesses will start sifting through resumes and only consider applicants with relevant degrees from the industry.

Technical know-how can be a tremendous aid to your career, and to the people around you. If you want to select the most capable candidates for positions on your team, or understand the technical details behind clients' requirements, having development experience is essential.

While the actual coding might be left to tech leads and developers, with a technical background, you can bridge any divide between business goals and software solutions.

The challenge of working people who don’t necessarily have the technical know-how is particularly noticeable when dealing with scrum masters. A competent scrum master will ensure team meetings run on time, personnel are properly organized, and projects are completed in a timely manner.

Never underestimate the importance of having clearly defined tickets. They are essential to ensuring successful completion of a sprint. A decent scrum master is so much more than a taskmaster: they are also adept at identifying and removing blockers, ensuring seamless communication between different teams, and effectively communicating the required tasks that need to be accomplished.

A bad scrum master, on the other hand, will be a liability to their team, an additional burden that slows down progress. Poorly tracked business requirements, excessive meetings that eat into valuable coding time, and developers forced to take up the slack left by an inadequate scrum master are all indicators of this kind of sub-par performance.

Remember: your team's success depends on your ability to lead them effectively. With that being said, here are 5 reasons why scrum masters should have a technical background.

1. It gives you an edge when selecting team members — You will be able to better evaluate the technical skills of potential candidates and ensure that your team has the expertise it needs for optimal performance.

2. You can understand requirements and technical solutions better — Having a technical background gives you a better understanding of the client's requirements, as well as the software solutions required to fulfill them.

3. You can bridge any divide between business goals and software solutions — As a scrum master, you are responsible for ensuring that organizational objectives are met, but programming experience helps you better connect with developers and make sure their work aligns with the company’s desired outcomes.

4. You're more adept at troubleshooting any issues — With development experience, you can spot issues in production applications quickly and begin to work on solutions right away, rather than having to wait for others to come up with ways around them.

5. You can provide more effective guidance — Being able to speak the same language as your developers and tech leads allows you to offer meaningful advice regarding their projects and help them prioritize tasks more effectively. This makes everyone’s workload lighter while still reaching all goals in a timely manner.

I'm a firm believer that people should have the chance to get into tech if they're willing to put in the effort. Just keep in mind that these jobs aren't as easy as some may think, especially without prior technical knowledge. You'll end up creating a lot of stress for yourself if you don't take this into consideration.