From Tickets to Problems: Klaus Breyer // Head of Product & Technology @ Edding

You know how agile transformations always promise better collaboration but somehow teams end up chasing tickets like a factory assembly line? Klaus Breyer from Edding has some thoughts on why this keeps happening—and what actually works instead.

Klaus's path to leading product and technology at Germany's most famous pen company wasn't exactly traditional. Before Edding, he spent years managing 40-person World of Warcraft raids (yes, really) and running startups. Now he's applying those lessons to build software teams that actually solve problems instead of just completing tasks.

The conversation digs into Shape Up methodology, but more importantly, Klaus explains the mindset changes needed to stop treating software development like an assembly line. His team at Edding has built some pretty cool stuff too—like a B2B driver license verification system using invisible conductive ink that smartphones can read.

What you'll learn:

Why "give me a ticket" thinking kills collaboration (even in tiny teams)
How 6-week cycles help teams focus on one problem without distractions
The art of separating problems from solutions before jumping into code
Why late-stage compromises usually mean your team isn't really collaborating
When senior teams can ditch tickets entirely and just… work
Klaus's templates for getting everyone aligned on what problems are worth solving

Chapters.

00:51Klaus's background and how Edding ended up doing serious tech

01:30The invisible ink technology that got my attention

05:11Why building cool tech is easier than building teams that work well together

06:05Learning management from World of Warcraft raids (seriously)

08:40The realization that most project failures aren't technical

09:29The shift from "give me a ticket" to "let me solve the problem"

10:35How Shape Up actually works in practice—6 weeks, small teams, single focus

11:26Why tiny teams still end up with silos

13:22Red flags that your team is in assembly-line mode

14:16Late compromises as a symptom of poor collaboration

15:40The magic number for team size and why bigger gets messy

16:28Matching the right people to the right problems

18:17Breaking down specialization barriers

19:23How "business" ruined the original agile manifesto

20:35Getting clear on what actually matters

22:28The art of problem definition (harder than it sounds)

24:23Having honest conversations about how much effort problems deserve

27:17Building projects that can be cut at any point

29:41When senior teams can just... work without tickets

32:17What product managers actually do in this model

35:00Conway's Law and organizing around what you're building

38:10Dealing with matrix organizations and temporary teams

39:58First steps for teams stuck in traditional agile

42:05The question Klaus asks to cut through confusion

43:39Remote collaboration tools and templates

45:46Starting solution sessions with blank slates

48:19Timeline from problem to working code

49:02How you know when it's actually working

From Tickets to Problems: Klaus Breyer // Head of Product & Technology @ EddingWhy agile transformations turn into mini-waterfalls and what actually works instead

Chapters.

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