About Mountain Goat Software
Helping Software Teams Succeed With Agile for More Than 25 Years
Mountain Goat Software helps software teams apply Scrum and agile practices to the real work of developing products.
Our focus is customized private training, delivered live online or in person. We train intact teams, groups of teams, product owners, Scrum Masters, leaders, and others who need to work together effectively.
Every Mountain Goat Software course is designed by Mike Cohn and taught by an experienced trainer he has selected, trained, and continues to work with closely.
Trusted by organizations around the world
Why Mountain Goat Software Exists
Mike Cohn founded Mountain Goat Software to help teams use agile ideas in practical, sustainable ways.
He had seen teams benefit from Scrum, user stories, iterative planning, and frequent feedback. He had also seen those ideas lose their value when organizations treated them as rules, meetings, and new terminology.
Mountain Goat Software helps people understand what to do, why it works, and how to apply it thoughtfully in their circumstances.
That remains our focus today.
Courses Designed by Mike Cohn
Every Mountain Goat Software course is designed by Mike Cohn.
Mike began using Scrum in 1995, co-founded the Agile Alliance and Scrum Alliance, and wrote User Stories Applied, Agile Estimating and Planning, and Succeeding with Agile.
Today, he focuses on course design, trainer development, and continually improving how Mountain Goat Software teaches. He selects and prepares our trainers and works closely with them as courses evolve.
Clients benefit from Mike’s decades of experience through courses he has designed and trainers he has carefully prepared to teach them.
Experienced Trainers, Carefully Prepared
Mountain Goat Software courses are delivered by experienced agile practitioners who know how to teach.
Mike selects and trains each instructor. He continues to work closely with the trainer team to maintain a consistent approach, strengthen the courses, and keep the material practical and current.
Our trainers need more than a thorough knowledge of Scrum. They must respond thoughtfully to difficult questions, adjust to the needs of the group, and connect the course to the work participants do every day.
They help teams think through questions such as:
- How can we split a difficult backlog item?
- Why does work keep carrying into the next sprint?
- What should a product owner do when stakeholders disagree?
- How can we forecast while being honest about uncertainty?
- Where does Scrum require consistency, and where should the team use judgment?
The answers often depend on the team, product, and organization. Our trainers help participants understand the principles and make sound decisions in their own context.
Private Training Built Around Your Organization
All of our training is private. Participants come from your organization, so discussions can focus on your teams, products, and challenges.
Courses are delivered live online or in person at your location.
Before the training, we learn who will attend, what they already know, and what you need them to do better. We may adjust the emphasis, examples, exercises, or agenda based on the group’s experience and your priorities.
The course keeps its proven structure while giving more attention to the issues that matter most to your organization.
Depending on the course, participants may work with their own backlog items, examine a current planning problem, discuss product decisions, or explore situations their teams are facing.
Teams Learn Together
Whether training is delivered live online or in person, people who work together learn together.
Developers, testers, product owners, Scrum Masters, leaders, and stakeholders hear the same guidance and discuss what it means for them.
This often exposes differences in how people understand Scrum, planning, ownership, priorities, and team responsibilities. The training gives the group a shared language and a clearer basis for deciding how they will work together.
Participants leave with practical techniques they can begin using immediately.
Our View of Agile
We teach agile as a way to make better decisions while developing products in uncertain conditions.
User stories help teams discuss needs and build shared understanding. Story splitting allows teams to deliver and learn sooner. Estimates and forecasts support decisions. Scrum events should improve planning, feedback, and adaptation.
Teams also need to understand the reasoning behind the practices.
Real product development involves changing priorities, technical uncertainty, organizational dependencies, competing stakeholder needs, and pressure to predict delivery. Applying agile well requires judgment grounded in sound principles.
Our training helps participants build the understanding and confidence to make those decisions.
Organizations We Work With
Mountain Goat Software has worked with startups, government agencies, global companies, and organizations operating in complex and highly regulated environments.
Some clients are beginning their use of Scrum. Others have worked in agile ways for years and need help with a specific problem.
Organizations come to us to:
- Establish a shared understanding of Scrum
- Improve user stories, story splitting, and backlog refinement
- Create more useful estimates, plans, and forecasts
- Strengthen product ownership
- Help leaders create better conditions for agile teams
- Give experienced teams a practical reset
We meet teams where they are and focus the training on what they need to do next.
Practical Guidance Beyond the Course
Mountain Goat Software has shared practical agile guidance for more than two decades.
Our books, articles, guides, videos, weekly tips, and free tools give prospective clients a clear view of how we think and help course participants continue learning after the training ends.
Talk With Us About Private Training
Tell us what your teams need to do better, who needs to participate, and what you have already tried.
We will help you select the right course, determine how it should be customized, and choose between live online and in-person delivery.