The Leanpub Podcast feat. Joe Justice, Author of Scrum Master

Episode Details

In this episode of the Leanpub podcast, Len Epp interviews Joe Justice, author of Scrum Master: The Agile Training Seminar for Business Performance, former Tesla employee, and creator of #JoeDX—a methodology based on the business practices, culture, and operating model of Elon Musk’s companies. Joe shares his inspiring journey from growing up in South Bend, Indiana, to becoming a global leader in Agile methodologies, modular manufacturing, and business innovation.

Joe discusses his early career, including studying Fine Arts and Computer Science at the University of Wyoming, before working with tech luminaries like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. He describes how his experiences with Amazon's decentralized team structure and Agile practices shaped his understanding of efficient business operations. Joe later founded Wikispeed, a modular car company that demonstrated the power of agile principles by achieving world records in automotive design and efficiency, including designing, building, and testing road-legal cars in just one week.

The conversation delves deeply into Joe’s time at Tesla, where he worked directly with Elon Musk. He explains Tesla’s groundbreaking use of Agile methodologies, modular design, and gamified management practices. Joe highlights the use of the "Justice Board," a performance dashboard that replaces traditional management layers by allowing teams of 3-5 engineers to track and improve key metrics autonomously. These innovations enable Tesla to achieve unprecedented efficiency and speed, setting it apart from traditional manufacturing companies.

Beyond his work with Tesla, Joe reflects on his personal and professional philosophy, emphasizing the importance of doing meaningful work and continually challenging oneself. He also offers practical advice for authors, such as collaborating with artists and leveraging platforms like Leanpub for iterative publishing. Joe credits Leanpub’s global community for helping him refine and translate *Scrum Master* into multiple languages, making his book a valuable resource for agile practitioners worldwide.

Joe’s enthusiasm for innovation and collaboration extends to his advocacy for connecting with creatives. He shares an inspiring story about collaborating with a watercolor artist to create his book *Everyone Is Santa*, which captures the spirit of meaningful gift-giving. He encourages authors to reach out to artists and other professionals to enrich their work and create new opportunities for connection.

This episode is a deep dive into Joe’s unique perspective on Agile practices, manufacturing, and the transformative power of collaboration. Whether you’re a business leader, software developer, or aspiring author, Joe’s insights offer valuable lessons on innovation, leadership, and continuous improvement.

This interview was recorded on December 20, 2024.

About the Book

This book is the ultimate agile training seminar in book form. Business leaders, professionals who are ready to learn, and instructors will find here a complete training regiment with rich content, a training-tested structure, and high value insights that have already resulted in many thousands of agile projects delivered at all types of top tier organizations, from fortune 100 companies to lean startup companies, around the globe.

About the Author

About Joe Justice: Joe Justice is a TED.com speaker, guest lecturer at both MIT and Oxford University in England, featured in Forbes 5 times to date including as owner of a "Company to watch" by Forbes Billionaire Club, cited in more than 8 business paperbacks and hardcovers, the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary for his work creating the disciplines Extreme Manufacturing, Agile Hardware, and The Justice Method. Joe Justice founded WIKISPEED and operated Agile@Tesla from Tesla's Fremont, California global headquarters.

Clips From This Episode of the Frontmatter Podcast

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