SAFe vs. LeSS: Why less complexity leads to more value

Video Overview & Insights

In this video, Bastiaan van Hamersveld (CEO of The LeSS Company) and Kevin Rommen (Verandert Gewoon) take a deep dive into the tension between the popular SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) and the minimalist approach of LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum).

Many organizations choose SAFe because of its apparent safety and structure, but over time they get trapped in a “feature factory” full of bureaucracy and sub-optimization. Bastiaan and Kevin discuss how, as a Scrum Master or coach within a SAFe environment, you can gradually “heal” by applying LeSS principles:

• Breaking down silos and working with a single, real product backlog

• The importance of Systems Thinking, using Causal Loop Diagrams to uncover pain points

• How to reconnect teams with the real user (for example through a “User Safari”), instead of focusing solely on internal stakeholders

A must-watch for anyone who feels their agile transformation is getting stuck in complexity and wants to return to the core: delivering value to the customer.