Stage 1: Foundation
Blocker
There is no Agile team yet.
Solution
Pick 4 to 9 people to make a strong core team.
Focus on getting people that have cross-functional skills.
Mix of Talent
When building a strong Agile team, one of the most important factors is the right mix of talent.
That means 4–9 people — each bringing unique skills, but able to deliver value together.
We call this having cross-functional skills.
A cross-functional team can take an idea all the way to a finished product — without waiting on other teams.
In other words: all the skills needed to go from problem to production, in one team.
Finding the Right People
Look for people who:
Communicate and collaborate — They value teamwork, not just doing their part.
Take ownership and grow — They learn outside their comfort zone and care about the outcome, not just the task.
See the bigger picture — They understand how their work connects to the product, the customer, and the business.
Cross-functionality is as much about mindset as it is about skillset.
Documenting Talent
To identify all the skills in the team, we use the Roles & Responsibility Builder — our first (and free) template.
Its purpose: bring full clarity to who knows what.
How it works: Each team member fills out:
Name
Role
Access
Primary Responsibility
Secondary Responsibility
Handoff Partner