Agile Journeys is an ongoing series of candid conversations with Agile professionals from across the spectrum – from technical leads and enterprise architects to Scrum Masters, Agile coaches, and transformation leaders. Each conversation dives into the realities of Agile transformations, adoption, and scaling: the frameworks that work (and the ones that don’t), the processes and tools that enable change, the techniques and tips that make a difference, and the challenges teams face along the way.
Our goal is simple: share unfiltered, practical insights from the people living Agile every day – so you can learn, adapt, and make your own teams thrive.
In this installment, we spoke with Phong Nguyen (AgileOps expert profile, LinkedIn), an Atlassian Consultant, Scrum Master, Product Manager, and ITSM Specialist. With a background spanning both technical and business domains, Phong is passionate about helping organizations get things done with minimum effort, automating workflows, and increasing ROI. Through his current work at AgileOps - the all-in-one IT services partner, he supports companies across Asia-Pacific in scaling Agile practices with Atlassian tools.
From Developer to Atlassian Consultant
Phong’s Agile journey began on the technical side.
“I started my career as a mobile developer — Java, Android, web. Over time, I saw that teams had powerful tools but weren’t connecting them to workflows. That gap pushed me into Agile consulting. With my ITSM and Agile background, Atlassian became the perfect platform to make products visible and alive for teams.”
Today, Phong designs and delivers solutions across Jira, Jira Service Management, and Confluence, always focusing on scalability and usability. Much of this work happens through AgileOps - an Atlassian Gold Solution Partner in Vietnam, where he helps clients bridge the gap between technology and business outcomes.
The Alignment Challenge in Large Organizations
Phong has consulted for enterprises across New Zealand, Australia, and Asia-Pacific — from fintech to e-commerce and traffic management.
“The biggest challenge in scaling Agile is alignment. Tools alone don’t solve it. You need a shared understanding of priorities, dependencies, and workflows. I often use a Miro board with admins and stakeholders to ensure everyone has the same view before moving to Jira configuration.”
Remote Work and Transparency
Like many Agile practitioners, Phong has experienced the shift to remote-first collaboration.
“In the past, teams relied on quick in-person discussions. Now, visualization and transparency are critical. Tools like Confluence, Jira, and Miro keep everyone aligned without endless status calls.”
He sees manual handoffs and scattered data as the biggest blockers to productivity in remote teams. The fix? Automation and integrated workflows.
Automation, Integrations, and Marketplace Apps
Phong’s sweet spot is making Atlassian tools feel effortless for end users.
“As a former developer, I know how important it is not to overload Jira with unnecessary fields. Automation makes the experience smoother — connecting Jira with GitHub, Bitbucket, or third-party tools like Zapier. It reduces friction and keeps developers happy.”
He frequently recommends Tempo Timesheets, ScriptRunner, and advanced dashboard add-ons to give teams better reporting without overwhelming them.
Balancing Visibility and Autonomy
One tension Phong often encounters is enterprise demand for visibility vs. developer desire for autonomy.
“Sometimes clients want 100% transparency into what developers do. But too much control makes teams uncomfortable. The balance depends on the client — but I always recommend moderation. Too much tracking creates distrust, and Agile cannot thrive in that environment.”
AI, Rovo, and the Future of Agile
Looking ahead, Phong is both excited and cautious about AI.
“AI can replace a lot of basic consulting — suggesting solutions, answering questions. What will make the difference is who can design better agents. Atlassian Rovo is a big step in that direction. Extending it with custom actions and integrations will be a game-changer.”
He predicts that in three to five years, the winners will be those who can design and deploy powerful AI agents across the Atlassian ecosystem.
Advice for Teams and Leaders
Phong’s advice is practical and grounded in experience:
- For new leaders: “Delegate, delegate, delegate. Don’t try to do it all. Empower your team, coach them, and let them own the work.”
- For organizations new to Agile: “Start simple. Begin with Kanban in Jira. Once you’re comfortable, evolve into Scrum — but make sure you have a skilled Scrum Master to guide you.”
- For teams starting out: “Test new features. Stay curious. Atlassian Cloud changes daily — admins and Scrum Masters need to experiment before rolling features out to teams.”
Lessons from Misconceptions
Phong has also observed cultural misconceptions around retrospectives.
“Too often, retrospectives turn into blame sessions. In Scrum, the focus should be on solving problems, not assigning fault. Teams need to learn to separate issues from individuals.”
Final Reflections
Phong’s blend of technical expertise, Agile mindset, and focus on automation makes him a valuable guide for organizations navigating Agile transformation. Through his ongoing work at AgileOps, he continues to help clients automate processes, reduce friction, and achieve measurable ROI with Atlassian tools.
Follow him on LinkedIn to stay connected with his insights and consulting work, and connect with Phong on Upwork for collaboration opportunities.
Explore more conversations like this in the Agile Journeys series on the Catapult Labs blog.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Alignment is the hardest challenge in scaling Agile.
- Remote work demands visualization and transparency.
- Automation is the key to developer happiness and ROI.
- Balance enterprise visibility with team autonomy.
- AI and Atlassian Rovo will shape the next wave of Agile transformation.