John Gillespie
(he/him)
Agile-ity Inc.
Languages
- English
Country
United StatesReviews
What students say about John
Jan 12, 2024
The way on learn theory and put in…
The way on learn theory and put in practice the new acknowledge.
Jan 12, 2024
John's invaluable knowledge
John's examples, lessons learned and suggestions from his vast experience on a variety of industries, company sizes, organizational structures and maturity is exactly what I needed. I can read about Scrum, have the best software tools and even the right team but his tips on how to actually implement and make it work, getting around the challenges faced with culture, people, change, management, and others make him an invaluable source of knowledge.
Dec 7, 2023
Professional Scrum Product Owner class
John is an excellent teacher. He gave clear explanations and did a good job of pulling people into conversations about the topic.
Dec 5, 2023
Interesting and useful course
John is very knowledgable and happy to answer questions and engage students at their level
Dec 4, 2023
John is very knowledgeable
John is very knowledgeable, engages the class in thoughtful exercises, and is open to answer any question!
Dec 1, 2023
Eye opening and very informative
I appreciated that John was able to help me contextualize the information and apply it to real life scenarios. This allowed me to fully grasp the concepts and apply them to learn vs having being theoretical.
Oct 5, 2023
Excellent class!
I loved the hands-on approach to this class. John was extremely knowledgeable and provided a lot of insight to any follow-up questions we had during our collaborations.
Feb 28, 2023
John made the class fun and interesting.
John made the class fun and interesting.
Feb 28, 2023
Informative and Enjoyable
John was great to work with. He provided a well-organized presentation and facilitated and entertained valuable discussion around any questions we had.
Nov 10, 2022
PSPO Class
I really enjoyed getting to practice what we were learning in class. The breakout activities really helped drive home a lot of the principles of Scrum framework.
Jul 14, 2022
I felt that the course was laid out…
I felt that the course was laid out well and there was plenty of time for questions.
Jul 6, 2022
Outstanding Training Classes for a Product Owner
Fabulous sessions on updates to the Scrum manual and information on the Product Owner accountability. The class was interactive and fun.
Jan 21, 2022
John is an excellent trainer
John is an excellent trainer. He takes the time to make sure everyone gets it. I enjoyed the day with him. He has a lot of experience and always has concrete examples to give from his own experience to illustrate a concept or when we ask questions. Would gladly follow another class with him.
Dec 31, 2021
To all those interested in UI/UX with Scrum, this is the best course I have taken!!!
I highly recommend this course to all those who have an interest in understanding how the UI/UX work integrates with Scrum. I particularly enjoyed this class, as the PST is very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. The presentation created by John Gillespie for this course was very detailed and it accurately and confidently presented the Scrum.org point of view related to this topic. An excellent balance of group exercises and lecturing. I also enjoyed the storytelling and videos which helped me better understand the material. I got all of my questions answered and I even got extra answers for questions that went beyond the course topic. The additional material to prepare for the exam recommended by John Gillespie is again very comprehensive and well selected. If you are seriously keen on understanding the foundation of UI/UX and how Scrum recommends this work to be prioritized and delivered, take this class with John!
Sep 19, 2021
John was a very knowledgeable teacher…
John was a very knowledgeable teacher and seemed like a genuinely nice person. You can feel he has a lot of pleasure in passing on his knowledge and insights from his own professional experience.
Just passed my PSU a week later.
Thanks John
Aug 12, 2021
Class review for PSPO II
The scenario based activities in this class help you truly understand what an advance PSPO role entails. The scenarios and exercises were extremely relevant and very helpful for the assessment. John’s also great at ensuring that everyone’s questions are answered. With John there’s never such a thing as a stupid question.
Jul 29, 2021
A wealth of knowledge and experience
I really enjoyed my training with John where we covered such a range of useful tips and techniques for improving my professional development as a Product Owner. I have passed the assessment however the true value of this course is learning from his experience in the industry and wealth of knowledge and suggestions.
I would truly recommend taking a course with John in the future!
Jun 17, 2021
Well worth my time
John did an excellent job of presenting the material. I took away many important nuggets of information that I can apply immediately to my current job. The Lean UX framework was invaluable. The class was well run with nicely timed breaks. John has a wealth of knowledge and experiences to draw from and share that provides more context to help reinforce the material.
Jun 17, 2021
Scrum with UX
This Scrum with UX training with John Gillespie was terrific! Can take this to my organization, and the Lean UX Canvas is intuitive. Anyone that speaks the language of scrum should try this
May 12, 2021
This was a great hands-on class and the…
This was a great hands-on class and the instructor, John, was very helpful in answering all our questions.
Apr 6, 2021
John was a wealth of knowledge.
John was a wealth of knowledge.
Mar 31, 2021
Great Class
The class provided the context I needed to better understand scrum and the role of the product owner. We talked about real world examples and it was interactive with engaging activities helping to connect the dots and retain what we were learning.
Mar 24, 2021
A well instructed virtual course
A well instructed virtual course. Thank you!!!
Mar 11, 2021
Extremely informative class
Extremely informative class, the instructor and material were of top quality. I'd recommend this class to anyone seeking better integration of UX and Dev in their agile organization.
Feb 5, 2021
Great Instructor, Great Content, Great Virtual Platform
Jon was great! I will be taking more classes with him in the future. I enjoyed the content and thought Jon did a great job with it virtually. The course is still very interactive.
Jan 8, 2021
Excellent course!
Excellent course!
Jan 5, 2021
Great class - highly recommended
Great class, great interaction, real world examples, clear and candid explanations of the various components that make up the Scrum Framework.
Would definitely recommend taking this class with John Gillespie
Dec 22, 2020
A great introduction to agile product…
A great introduction to agile product management and the scrum product owner role.
Dec 22, 2020
Excellent
Excellent content, structure, detailed explanations by the trainer with real time scenarios. Kept the class lively and focused on exam preparation as well.
Dec 18, 2020
Extra Knowledge
Since there is barely any learning material online about PSU, I now have an idea what a PSU exam might look like.
I liked that we had time-boxed exercises. Limited time put on some pressure, but that made it feel more like a real-life issue.
Some parts were quite confusing, but when asking questions, I got my answers.
Nice, friendly trainer who knew what he was talking about. Explanations were exact and detailed. I learned a lot.
Dec 17, 2020
Very efficient training
It was a great experience to be trained on the agile methodology using Scrum by John. We learned a lot and the breakout sessions were very helpful. John's calm and friendly style helped a lot to create a safe space for efficient learning.
Dec 7, 2020
Open Discussion and Very Collaborative
John was knowledgeable, professional, and prepared. He encouraged camera use and open discussion which I thought was extremely beneficial and helped create participation in this virtual class. He asked difficult questions and provided backup reasoning along with a touch of humor. I took the PSM1 exam about an hour after our course concluded and passed without issue. Great class by a great coach. Thanks John!
Nov 24, 2020
John is a master of the material …
John is a master of the material and excellent coach for the material. After attending his class, I felt confident and after self study and review I successfully passed the certification for Professional Scrum Master on the first attempt.
Nov 20, 2020
PSPO class by John Gillespie Nov19-20.
I enjoyed the class very much. The instructor was great and the content was good. The hands-on exercises were good and the interactive discussions were great.
Nov 13, 2020
John was amazing!
The course exceeded my expectations. The hands-on real-time collaboration really helped me understand the material. I highly recommend this course!
Oct 21, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed the class
I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and despite events and remoteness working against us - it was a great time. It was more focused on teaching Lean UX than I expected, however. I wish there was more I could have learned about how to bring that contemporary practice back to other Development Team members (aside from encouraging them to take the same class).
Sep 4, 2020
Great Course, Great Instructor, Great all around!
This course was great and John was an awesome instructor! The explanation of materials to cover BEFORE the course helped a great deal. I took my exam on the first try and passed. This isn't just an exam prep class, but helps the learner to understand how to APPLY the materials in the real world. I strongly recommend this course to anyone and don't forget to read the materials before the start of the course so you can be fully engaged in the class.
Aug 18, 2020
Great course
Great course, thank you for your efforts
Jul 21, 2020
John was very present and demonstrated…
John was very present and demonstrated a strong mastery of the skills and shared his professional experience adding value to the class. He practiced the principles as he led us through the framework, and he offered guidance and insight throughout the 2 days.
Jun 19, 2020
SPS - Nexus
To the point with great exercises to reinforce the knowledge.
Jun 2, 2020
PSPO-Advanced Remote Learning
It was great to be able to continue my learning journey in Scrum during a trying time such as we're facing with COVID-19. It was already a challenge to be able to find this course near my area. Now I was afforded the opportunity to attend remotely. I was very impressed with the collaboration tools we used, and I feel very much like we still got close to the same amount of value collaborating this way as if we had attended in person. John is a great instructor and facilitator of conversations, and I highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to become a better Product Owner, Scrum Master (coach), trainer, and/or Agile Coach!
May 28, 2020
Fun Hands-On Training!
I didn't expect the training to be so hands-on and with real-time collaboration!! It was so much fun and John was a wonderful teacher and listener.
May 5, 2020
Amazing and very informative course
Amazing and very informative course. There was just the right amount of content mixed in with discussion and exercises to be engaging throughout. The additional resources and ability to reach out and engage with the instructor/community after the course for further insight also is greatly appreciated. Originally, I was skeptical to the virtual training vs Live In Person, but I feel I got just as much out of the class as I would have if it had been in person. Great work! Thank you.
May 5, 2020
Gained a lot of excellent information…
Gained a lot of excellent information from the class. Answered many questions for me. Enjoyed John and his expertise was invaluable!
Thank you,
Cindy
Apr 24, 2020
Everything I hoped it would be
Everything I hoped it would be. Due to the current situation it was a virtual class. Small group so we were able to interact well and move at a good pace. I highly recommend it.
Apr 23, 2020
Scrum Master Virtual Training
I had the opportunity to take a virtual Professional Scrum Master class conducted by John Gillespie and it was very interactive and informative. John didn't miss a beat with sharing all of his knowledge and creating a trusted learning environment where all class attendees felt comfortable participating and raising questions. I would highly recommend taking John's class whether they are classroom or virtual in nature. I feel like I have the tools necessary to pass the PSM assessment and utilize the knowledge gained in my current role.
Apr 5, 2020
John was very helpful
John was very helpful and knowledgeable. I am glad i had the privilege to learn from him.
Apr 2, 2020
Excellent hands on class for beginning…
Excellent hands on class for beginning Scrum Masters!
Apr 2, 2020
Excellent
John teaches a well structured class with plenty of opportunity to collaborate with peers and as questions. Definitely recommend this course for anyone with or without experience with scrum!
Thanks John!
Mar 17, 2020
Enjoyable and focused
John was patient and very explicit in clear simple terms. His approach was one that even a self starter like myself can quickly understand.
The interactive nature of the class made me feel more comfortable. I have been studying Scrumguide and related topics on my own but taking this class was an eye opener especially with the additional links and supplemental reading tips and tricks he provided.
If anything, I'll recommend his class to anyone.
Thank you again John.
Mar 12, 2020
Great!
Great! Loved it!!!!
Feb 29, 2020
I learned a lot
I learned a lot. John/the course material were very engaging. The days flew by and I felt very prepared to take my exam, especially because John recommended good follow up reading that reinforced everything.
Feb 27, 2020
Draw from a wealth of experience with a great instructor!
John was a great instructor with tons of experience to draw from in the class - giving real life examples of scrum in action within an organization as well as the challenges that scrum masters face. I was in a small class, but it was highly interactive, and gave us the ability to ask questions about how scrum could be applied in our work contexts. The exercises we did in the class was invaluable to truly understanding what it means to be a scrum master and the types of situations you would face in that environment. I would recommend this training to anyone serious about DOING the actual work of enacting scrum within an organization or team. The class beats anything you can simply read from the book, and it was a truly enjoyable learning experience.
Feb 11, 2020
Very good class
Liked the openness and honesty of the facilitator, and the content mixing the best of both Scrum and Kanban
Feb 3, 2020
John is very knowledgeable and is great…
John is very knowledgeable and is great at providing insight as to how Scrum applies to your organization. His class was very enjoyable and I successfully passed the PSPO I cert exam after. I definitely recommend taking John's course!
Jan 28, 2020
John is an excellent trainer and the…
John is an excellent trainer and the class was fantastic! Highly recommend!
Jan 28, 2020
Superb Experienced Trainer
John was an excellent trainer and was able to facilitate our questions, with his real life experience. His knowledge and experience is invaluable to this class.
Jan 28, 2020
Professional Scrum Master - John Gillespie
John's class was one of the most enjoyable sessions I have attended in my career. His mix of relate able work experiences mixed with exercises kept us engaged. He was able to coach and provide advice for any challenges we described with our own teams. I hope to be able to implement new scrum initiatives in my organisation with great success after attending this class.
Jan 22, 2020
John exceeded my expectations!
John exceeded my expectations! He was a great teacher and went above & beyond the scope of the course to help me with my business and life! :)
Dec 3, 2019
The instructor John Gillespie was great…
The instructor John Gillespie was great for my class.
Nov 25, 2019
John has very rich experience in his…
John has very rich experience in his profession that he brings to the class and keep the curriculum it on track for two days. However at times during the class he was barely audible due to his low voice making some of the class find the sessions monotonous even though the concepts John explained and presented were very helpful. He did a great job with the exercises and group activities which gave me a lot of perspective on the class.
Nov 16, 2019
John Gillespie is an excellent mentor
John Gillespie is an excellent mentor. He provided the required support whenever I reached out to him even after the class. Great class with an equally knowledgeable and helpful coach!!!
Nov 12, 2019
John is very knowledgeable and can…
John is very knowledgeable and can convey his ideas and experiences clearly. As with all of the level one scrum classes, the classes have some built in "beginner scrum" stuff but the face to face exchanges are always the most valuable.
Oct 30, 2019
Scrum Kanban
Good Job. I will continue to train
Oct 16, 2019
Great class!
The only reason why the review is not 5 stars is because the course was too focused on software and not geared enough toward agile marketing. Otherwise, John is fantastic and led a great 2 days...we were lucky to have him!!
Oct 10, 2019
John is Awesome
John is Awesome - very knowledgeable!
Oct 10, 2019
John Gillespie provided a great…
John Gillespie provided a great learning environment and was very successful at ensure the class was engage and interact,
Oct 8, 2019
Professional Product Owner Certification
John Gillespie provided great learning experiences specifically when applying the project courses in class
Oct 8, 2019
PSPO
Very informative, hands-on learning; course was extremely applicable to me as a product owner. Would prefer to have the course be a multi-week, one day a week course to allow myself to put learnings into practice instead of a brain dump where some concepts may be lost in the future. Would also like more info on how to become certified, and market data on what the best orgs are to be certified through. Overall great course, would highly recommend.
Oct 8, 2019
Great Class
It was a great course and learned a lot. The only downside is I wish it would of had more real life teachings.
Oct 4, 2019
Good
Class was really helpful.
Sep 29, 2019
was great as I got basic ideas of the…
was great as I got basic ideas of the values and details about scrum master. But I think the course should be a little longer with a longer case study.
Aug 30, 2019
This was a good class
This was a good class. Our instructor John was extremely experienced and seasoned in the field, which helped him to understand all of our companies and the unique challenges that we face. As our company has been transitioning to Agile, I have felt very confused about the why and how, and our Scrum leaders have done a terrible job explaining it to us. So, it was great to have John clarify everything. I understood Scrum and Agile better after 2 days in this class than I have from months of trainings at work. It also helped me understand how UX fits into Scrum. John knows that every company is different and you can't be overly firm in your definitions or rules of Scrum. It's not meant to be an omnipotent system. I think it was more expensive than the value what we got out of it, hence removing one star. However, as far as the class itself went, I can't imagine a better instructor or much that could have been done in a different way.
Jul 14, 2019
I think the class was well laid out and…
I think the class was well laid out and provided some helpful guidance even to those without a UX background.
Jun 28, 2019
A lot of good information was shared…
A lot of good information was shared that I'll be able to apply to my current job, and will plan to relay it to upper management. Very applicable and useful to my work. Glad I took the class!
Jun 22, 2019
Professional Scrum Master 1
I found the Professional Scrum Master 1 class to be very informative and interesting. Our instructor, John Gillespie, was very knowledgeable and made learning the framework of Scrum enjoyable.
Apr 24, 2019
John did an amazing job presenting the…
John did an amazing job presenting the material and facilitated a completely engaging class.
Mar 9, 2019
I really enjoyed the PSPO class
I really enjoyed the PSPO class. Many of the product owner skills and capabilities overlap well with my portfolio role.
About John
John Gillespie MBA, MSCS, PST, SPC 6
Focused heavily on people and progression, John Gillespie is a renowned Technology and Transformation Executive with over 30+ years of experience advancing technical product delivery efficiencies, team unification, and overall organizational success. To date, John features an extensive background involving the intricacies of (but not limited to) technical entrepreneurship, risk mitigation, Lean/Agile methodologies, and the art of implementing growth multipliers that enable organizations to gain measurable, performance-based results. Applying that as a 10+ year Scrum, Kanban, and Scaled Agile Framework consultant, John enjoys not only positioning leaders/teams for transformational excellence but doing so while ensuring they feel confident as they propel forward as thought-leading professionals.
Throughout his career, John has built a large inventory of experiences supporting executive functions across the data center, solutions architecture, mobile application development, financial institution, and product management sectors. Notably, this includes supporting various Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric, Fleet Bank, Hartford Financial Services, and held the role of Chief Technology Officer at FAIR Health. Here, John successfully led the start-up and initiation of data services for over 700+ customers. During these tenures, John worked closely on several high-profile technical projects – keeping stakeholder and team-best interests in mind and measurably accelerating growth initiatives through integrating Agile practices since 2000. In addition, became highly respected for his strong communication skills, capitalizing on infrastructure strengths, rendering low-risk, high-reward strategies, and ultimately forming mutually beneficial solutions that align with organizational priorities.
That said, John’s agile-centric competencies have also led to his success as a serial technology entrepreneur. Thus far, John has founded and led several Information Technology businesses, one of which he sold for profit to Perficient Inc. in January 2000. Today, John’s focus has been exclusively on coaching large enterprises on adopting Agile/Lean methods, an initiative that sparked in 2011. Since then to now, John has become a licensed educator with Scrum.org.
Academically, John earned an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Leadership from NYU Stern School of Business, an MS in Computer Science, and a BS in Economics. Though much of John’s successes come from his educational baselines and dynamic technical delivery experiences, it is also a product of his passion for leveraging the art of agile innovations to secure personal and professional development. Moreover, for his track record of transparent communications that ensure everyone across the pipeline is unambiguous about where they have been, where they currently stand, and where they are heading. Overall, John is a professional who values the integrity of people and processes, is a firm believer that better business and community futures start by instilling positive trajectories today, and understands that the most successful outcomes are the ones that stem from the formation of strong, shared-value teams.
What students say about John
Jan 12, 2024
The way on learn theory and put in…
The way on learn theory and put in practice the new acknowledge.
Jan 12, 2024
John's invaluable knowledge
John's examples, lessons learned and suggestions from his vast experience on a variety of industries, company sizes, organizational structures and maturity is exactly what I needed. I can read about Scrum, have the best software tools and even the right team but his tips on how to actually implement and make it work, getting around the challenges faced with culture, people, change, management, and others make him an invaluable source of knowledge.
Dec 7, 2023
Professional Scrum Product Owner class
John is an excellent teacher. He gave clear explanations and did a good job of pulling people into conversations about the topic.
Dec 5, 2023
Interesting and useful course
John is very knowledgable and happy to answer questions and engage students at their level
Dec 4, 2023
John is very knowledgeable
John is very knowledgeable, engages the class in thoughtful exercises, and is open to answer any question!
Dec 1, 2023
Eye opening and very informative
I appreciated that John was able to help me contextualize the information and apply it to real life scenarios. This allowed me to fully grasp the concepts and apply them to learn vs having being theoretical.
Oct 5, 2023
Excellent class!
I loved the hands-on approach to this class. John was extremely knowledgeable and provided a lot of insight to any follow-up questions we had during our collaborations.
Feb 28, 2023
John made the class fun and interesting.
John made the class fun and interesting.
Feb 28, 2023
Informative and Enjoyable
John was great to work with. He provided a well-organized presentation and facilitated and entertained valuable discussion around any questions we had.
Nov 10, 2022
PSPO Class
I really enjoyed getting to practice what we were learning in class. The breakout activities really helped drive home a lot of the principles of Scrum framework.
Jul 14, 2022
I felt that the course was laid out…
I felt that the course was laid out well and there was plenty of time for questions.
Jul 6, 2022
Outstanding Training Classes for a Product Owner
Fabulous sessions on updates to the Scrum manual and information on the Product Owner accountability. The class was interactive and fun.
Jan 21, 2022
John is an excellent trainer
John is an excellent trainer. He takes the time to make sure everyone gets it. I enjoyed the day with him. He has a lot of experience and always has concrete examples to give from his own experience to illustrate a concept or when we ask questions. Would gladly follow another class with him.
Dec 31, 2021
To all those interested in UI/UX with Scrum, this is the best course I have taken!!!
I highly recommend this course to all those who have an interest in understanding how the UI/UX work integrates with Scrum. I particularly enjoyed this class, as the PST is very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. The presentation created by John Gillespie for this course was very detailed and it accurately and confidently presented the Scrum.org point of view related to this topic. An excellent balance of group exercises and lecturing. I also enjoyed the storytelling and videos which helped me better understand the material. I got all of my questions answered and I even got extra answers for questions that went beyond the course topic. The additional material to prepare for the exam recommended by John Gillespie is again very comprehensive and well selected. If you are seriously keen on understanding the foundation of UI/UX and how Scrum recommends this work to be prioritized and delivered, take this class with John!
Sep 19, 2021
John was a very knowledgeable teacher…
John was a very knowledgeable teacher and seemed like a genuinely nice person. You can feel he has a lot of pleasure in passing on his knowledge and insights from his own professional experience.
Just passed my PSU a week later.
Thanks John
Aug 12, 2021
Class review for PSPO II
The scenario based activities in this class help you truly understand what an advance PSPO role entails. The scenarios and exercises were extremely relevant and very helpful for the assessment. John’s also great at ensuring that everyone’s questions are answered. With John there’s never such a thing as a stupid question.
Jul 29, 2021
A wealth of knowledge and experience
I really enjoyed my training with John where we covered such a range of useful tips and techniques for improving my professional development as a Product Owner. I have passed the assessment however the true value of this course is learning from his experience in the industry and wealth of knowledge and suggestions.
I would truly recommend taking a course with John in the future!
Jun 17, 2021
Well worth my time
John did an excellent job of presenting the material. I took away many important nuggets of information that I can apply immediately to my current job. The Lean UX framework was invaluable. The class was well run with nicely timed breaks. John has a wealth of knowledge and experiences to draw from and share that provides more context to help reinforce the material.
Jun 17, 2021
Scrum with UX
This Scrum with UX training with John Gillespie was terrific! Can take this to my organization, and the Lean UX Canvas is intuitive. Anyone that speaks the language of scrum should try this
May 12, 2021
This was a great hands-on class and the…
This was a great hands-on class and the instructor, John, was very helpful in answering all our questions.
Apr 6, 2021
John was a wealth of knowledge.
John was a wealth of knowledge.
Mar 31, 2021
Great Class
The class provided the context I needed to better understand scrum and the role of the product owner. We talked about real world examples and it was interactive with engaging activities helping to connect the dots and retain what we were learning.
Mar 24, 2021
A well instructed virtual course
A well instructed virtual course. Thank you!!!
Mar 11, 2021
Extremely informative class
Extremely informative class, the instructor and material were of top quality. I'd recommend this class to anyone seeking better integration of UX and Dev in their agile organization.
Feb 5, 2021
Great Instructor, Great Content, Great Virtual Platform
Jon was great! I will be taking more classes with him in the future. I enjoyed the content and thought Jon did a great job with it virtually. The course is still very interactive.
Jan 8, 2021
Excellent course!
Excellent course!
Jan 5, 2021
Great class - highly recommended
Great class, great interaction, real world examples, clear and candid explanations of the various components that make up the Scrum Framework.
Would definitely recommend taking this class with John Gillespie
Dec 22, 2020
A great introduction to agile product…
A great introduction to agile product management and the scrum product owner role.
Dec 22, 2020
Excellent
Excellent content, structure, detailed explanations by the trainer with real time scenarios. Kept the class lively and focused on exam preparation as well.
Dec 18, 2020
Extra Knowledge
Since there is barely any learning material online about PSU, I now have an idea what a PSU exam might look like.
I liked that we had time-boxed exercises. Limited time put on some pressure, but that made it feel more like a real-life issue.
Some parts were quite confusing, but when asking questions, I got my answers.
Nice, friendly trainer who knew what he was talking about. Explanations were exact and detailed. I learned a lot.
Dec 17, 2020
Very efficient training
It was a great experience to be trained on the agile methodology using Scrum by John. We learned a lot and the breakout sessions were very helpful. John's calm and friendly style helped a lot to create a safe space for efficient learning.
Dec 7, 2020
Open Discussion and Very Collaborative
John was knowledgeable, professional, and prepared. He encouraged camera use and open discussion which I thought was extremely beneficial and helped create participation in this virtual class. He asked difficult questions and provided backup reasoning along with a touch of humor. I took the PSM1 exam about an hour after our course concluded and passed without issue. Great class by a great coach. Thanks John!
Nov 24, 2020
John is a master of the material …
John is a master of the material and excellent coach for the material. After attending his class, I felt confident and after self study and review I successfully passed the certification for Professional Scrum Master on the first attempt.
Nov 20, 2020
PSPO class by John Gillespie Nov19-20.
I enjoyed the class very much. The instructor was great and the content was good. The hands-on exercises were good and the interactive discussions were great.
Nov 13, 2020
John was amazing!
The course exceeded my expectations. The hands-on real-time collaboration really helped me understand the material. I highly recommend this course!
Oct 21, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed the class
I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and despite events and remoteness working against us - it was a great time. It was more focused on teaching Lean UX than I expected, however. I wish there was more I could have learned about how to bring that contemporary practice back to other Development Team members (aside from encouraging them to take the same class).
Sep 4, 2020
Great Course, Great Instructor, Great all around!
This course was great and John was an awesome instructor! The explanation of materials to cover BEFORE the course helped a great deal. I took my exam on the first try and passed. This isn't just an exam prep class, but helps the learner to understand how to APPLY the materials in the real world. I strongly recommend this course to anyone and don't forget to read the materials before the start of the course so you can be fully engaged in the class.
Aug 18, 2020
Great course
Great course, thank you for your efforts
Jul 21, 2020
John was very present and demonstrated…
John was very present and demonstrated a strong mastery of the skills and shared his professional experience adding value to the class. He practiced the principles as he led us through the framework, and he offered guidance and insight throughout the 2 days.
Jun 19, 2020
SPS - Nexus
To the point with great exercises to reinforce the knowledge.
Jun 2, 2020
PSPO-Advanced Remote Learning
It was great to be able to continue my learning journey in Scrum during a trying time such as we're facing with COVID-19. It was already a challenge to be able to find this course near my area. Now I was afforded the opportunity to attend remotely. I was very impressed with the collaboration tools we used, and I feel very much like we still got close to the same amount of value collaborating this way as if we had attended in person. John is a great instructor and facilitator of conversations, and I highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to become a better Product Owner, Scrum Master (coach), trainer, and/or Agile Coach!
May 28, 2020
Fun Hands-On Training!
I didn't expect the training to be so hands-on and with real-time collaboration!! It was so much fun and John was a wonderful teacher and listener.
May 5, 2020
Amazing and very informative course
Amazing and very informative course. There was just the right amount of content mixed in with discussion and exercises to be engaging throughout. The additional resources and ability to reach out and engage with the instructor/community after the course for further insight also is greatly appreciated. Originally, I was skeptical to the virtual training vs Live In Person, but I feel I got just as much out of the class as I would have if it had been in person. Great work! Thank you.
May 5, 2020
Gained a lot of excellent information…
Gained a lot of excellent information from the class. Answered many questions for me. Enjoyed John and his expertise was invaluable!
Thank you,
Cindy
Apr 24, 2020
Everything I hoped it would be
Everything I hoped it would be. Due to the current situation it was a virtual class. Small group so we were able to interact well and move at a good pace. I highly recommend it.
Apr 23, 2020
Scrum Master Virtual Training
I had the opportunity to take a virtual Professional Scrum Master class conducted by John Gillespie and it was very interactive and informative. John didn't miss a beat with sharing all of his knowledge and creating a trusted learning environment where all class attendees felt comfortable participating and raising questions. I would highly recommend taking John's class whether they are classroom or virtual in nature. I feel like I have the tools necessary to pass the PSM assessment and utilize the knowledge gained in my current role.
Apr 5, 2020
John was very helpful
John was very helpful and knowledgeable. I am glad i had the privilege to learn from him.
Apr 2, 2020
Excellent hands on class for beginning…
Excellent hands on class for beginning Scrum Masters!
Apr 2, 2020
Excellent
John teaches a well structured class with plenty of opportunity to collaborate with peers and as questions. Definitely recommend this course for anyone with or without experience with scrum!
Thanks John!
Mar 17, 2020
Enjoyable and focused
John was patient and very explicit in clear simple terms. His approach was one that even a self starter like myself can quickly understand.
The interactive nature of the class made me feel more comfortable. I have been studying Scrumguide and related topics on my own but taking this class was an eye opener especially with the additional links and supplemental reading tips and tricks he provided.
If anything, I'll recommend his class to anyone.
Thank you again John.
Mar 12, 2020
Great!
Great! Loved it!!!!
Feb 29, 2020
I learned a lot
I learned a lot. John/the course material were very engaging. The days flew by and I felt very prepared to take my exam, especially because John recommended good follow up reading that reinforced everything.
Feb 27, 2020
Draw from a wealth of experience with a great instructor!
John was a great instructor with tons of experience to draw from in the class - giving real life examples of scrum in action within an organization as well as the challenges that scrum masters face. I was in a small class, but it was highly interactive, and gave us the ability to ask questions about how scrum could be applied in our work contexts. The exercises we did in the class was invaluable to truly understanding what it means to be a scrum master and the types of situations you would face in that environment. I would recommend this training to anyone serious about DOING the actual work of enacting scrum within an organization or team. The class beats anything you can simply read from the book, and it was a truly enjoyable learning experience.
Feb 11, 2020
Very good class
Liked the openness and honesty of the facilitator, and the content mixing the best of both Scrum and Kanban
Feb 3, 2020
John is very knowledgeable and is great…
John is very knowledgeable and is great at providing insight as to how Scrum applies to your organization. His class was very enjoyable and I successfully passed the PSPO I cert exam after. I definitely recommend taking John's course!
Jan 28, 2020
John is an excellent trainer and the…
John is an excellent trainer and the class was fantastic! Highly recommend!
Jan 28, 2020
Superb Experienced Trainer
John was an excellent trainer and was able to facilitate our questions, with his real life experience. His knowledge and experience is invaluable to this class.
Jan 28, 2020
Professional Scrum Master - John Gillespie
John's class was one of the most enjoyable sessions I have attended in my career. His mix of relate able work experiences mixed with exercises kept us engaged. He was able to coach and provide advice for any challenges we described with our own teams. I hope to be able to implement new scrum initiatives in my organisation with great success after attending this class.
Jan 22, 2020
John exceeded my expectations!
John exceeded my expectations! He was a great teacher and went above & beyond the scope of the course to help me with my business and life! :)
Dec 3, 2019
The instructor John Gillespie was great…
The instructor John Gillespie was great for my class.
Nov 25, 2019
John has very rich experience in his…
John has very rich experience in his profession that he brings to the class and keep the curriculum it on track for two days. However at times during the class he was barely audible due to his low voice making some of the class find the sessions monotonous even though the concepts John explained and presented were very helpful. He did a great job with the exercises and group activities which gave me a lot of perspective on the class.
Nov 16, 2019
John Gillespie is an excellent mentor
John Gillespie is an excellent mentor. He provided the required support whenever I reached out to him even after the class. Great class with an equally knowledgeable and helpful coach!!!
Nov 12, 2019
John is very knowledgeable and can…
John is very knowledgeable and can convey his ideas and experiences clearly. As with all of the level one scrum classes, the classes have some built in "beginner scrum" stuff but the face to face exchanges are always the most valuable.
Oct 30, 2019
Scrum Kanban
Good Job. I will continue to train
Oct 16, 2019
Great class!
The only reason why the review is not 5 stars is because the course was too focused on software and not geared enough toward agile marketing. Otherwise, John is fantastic and led a great 2 days...we were lucky to have him!!
Oct 10, 2019
John is Awesome
John is Awesome - very knowledgeable!
Oct 10, 2019
John Gillespie provided a great…
John Gillespie provided a great learning environment and was very successful at ensure the class was engage and interact,
Oct 8, 2019
Professional Product Owner Certification
John Gillespie provided great learning experiences specifically when applying the project courses in class
Oct 8, 2019
PSPO
Very informative, hands-on learning; course was extremely applicable to me as a product owner. Would prefer to have the course be a multi-week, one day a week course to allow myself to put learnings into practice instead of a brain dump where some concepts may be lost in the future. Would also like more info on how to become certified, and market data on what the best orgs are to be certified through. Overall great course, would highly recommend.
Oct 8, 2019
Great Class
It was a great course and learned a lot. The only downside is I wish it would of had more real life teachings.
Oct 4, 2019
Good
Class was really helpful.
Sep 29, 2019
was great as I got basic ideas of the…
was great as I got basic ideas of the values and details about scrum master. But I think the course should be a little longer with a longer case study.
Aug 30, 2019
This was a good class
This was a good class. Our instructor John was extremely experienced and seasoned in the field, which helped him to understand all of our companies and the unique challenges that we face. As our company has been transitioning to Agile, I have felt very confused about the why and how, and our Scrum leaders have done a terrible job explaining it to us. So, it was great to have John clarify everything. I understood Scrum and Agile better after 2 days in this class than I have from months of trainings at work. It also helped me understand how UX fits into Scrum. John knows that every company is different and you can't be overly firm in your definitions or rules of Scrum. It's not meant to be an omnipotent system. I think it was more expensive than the value what we got out of it, hence removing one star. However, as far as the class itself went, I can't imagine a better instructor or much that could have been done in a different way.
Jul 14, 2019
I think the class was well laid out and…
I think the class was well laid out and provided some helpful guidance even to those without a UX background.
Jun 28, 2019
A lot of good information was shared…
A lot of good information was shared that I'll be able to apply to my current job, and will plan to relay it to upper management. Very applicable and useful to my work. Glad I took the class!
Jun 22, 2019
Professional Scrum Master 1
I found the Professional Scrum Master 1 class to be very informative and interesting. Our instructor, John Gillespie, was very knowledgeable and made learning the framework of Scrum enjoyable.
Apr 24, 2019
John did an amazing job presenting the…
John did an amazing job presenting the material and facilitated a completely engaging class.
Mar 9, 2019
I really enjoyed the PSPO class
I really enjoyed the PSPO class. Many of the product owner skills and capabilities overlap well with my portfolio role.
Courses taught by John
Applying Professional Scrum
Applying Professional Scrum for Software Development
Professional Agile Leadership - Essentials
Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence Based Management
Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills
Professional Scrum with Kanban
Professional Scrum Master
Professional Scrum Master II
Professional Scrum Master and Professional Scrum Product Owner
Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills
Professional Scrum Product Owner
Professional Scrum Product Owner - Advanced
Professional Scrum with User Experience
Scaled Professional Scrum
Other Services by John
- Coaching/Consulting
- Immersion Classes
- Private Courses
Upcoming Classes by John
See all upcoming classes
Live Virtual
Date: Feb 15, 2024
Language: English
Class Format: Traditional
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM America/New_York
Live Virtual
Date: Feb 28-29, 2024
Language: English
Class Format: Traditional
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM America/New_York
Latest Blogs by John
See all blogsJohn's Certifications
Professional Scrum Trainer
Professional Scrum Master I
Professional Scrum Master II
Professional Scrum Master III
Professional Scrum Product Owner I
Professional Scrum Product Owner II
Professional Scrum Product Owner III
Professional Scrum Developer I
Scaled Professional Scrum
Professional Agile Leadership I
Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence-Based Management
Professional Scrum with Kanban I
Professional Scrum with User Experience I
Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills
Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills
Classes Attended by John
Professional Scrum Product Owner - Advanced
Trainers:
Sjoerd Kranendonk, Robbin Schuurman, Chris Lukassen, Ralph Jocham
Partner:
Prowareness
Date:
Jul 17-18, 2019
Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence Based Management
Trainers:
Mark Wavle, Chris Conlin
Date:
Jul 7-8, 2021
Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills
Trainers:
Todd Miller, Ryan Ripley
Partner:
Agile for Humans
Date:
Sep 28, 2023