Written by Allan Stewart and Zoe Allen, Product Managers; Aastha Shukla, Scrum Master; and Gareth Jones, Senior Delivery Manager at the University of Exeter
This Summer, four members of the University of Exeter’s Digital team – two Product Managers, a Scrum Master, and a Delivery Manager – headed to sunny Falmouth for Agile on the Beach, one of the UK’s leading Agile conferences.
The weather was brilliant, the talks were engaging, and the sea wasn’t as cold as expected! Across two packed days of sessions and informal chats, we soaked up ideas, challenged our assumptions, enjoyed some pasties and had some scones – with jam on first of course…
Our Key Takeaways
We’re already on the right track
One of the most reassuring parts of the conference was realising how much of what we heard reflected what we’re already doing, or actively working towards, in the Digital team. From embedding user value to encouraging cross functional collaboration, a lot of the sessions simply reinforced that we’re thinking in the right ways and putting solid foundations in place.
It’s easy to overlook this in the day to day, but hearing others describe our own ways of working was a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate.
Outcome focused thinking is key
A recurring theme across the conference was the importance of framing our work around outcomes rather than outputs. It’s not just about shipping features, it’s about solving the right problems, and knowing how we’ll measure success.
Culture is as important as process
Many sessions touched on the idea that no process or framework will work without the right team culture. Ideas like psychological safety, empowerment and shared purpose were central themes, and gave us food for thought about how we can continue to support our teams and squads, not just with tools, but with trust.
Things don’t always go as planned
As well as presentations on what went well there were also sessions were people were honest about projects that didn’t go so well. We’ve all been part of pieces of work that didn’t go smoothly and it was reassuring to hear people talk openly about their experiences, and also repeat the message that they key thing is not to fixate on what went wrong but how you can work as a team to resolve the problem.
Our Favourite Sessions
Each of us have picked a standout from the event, here’s what resonated most:
Allan (Product Manager)
Apart from a refreshing swim after the sessions, I really enjoyed the final talk on day one called Calm in the Chaos. It was about treating culture like a product, and not just focusing on delivery, but also how we react to challenges and improve how we work together. A great reminder that mindset and team culture need just as much attention as product outcomes.
Aastha (Scrum Master)
The session I attended focused on the challenges of scaling Agile in large organisations. Many of the concepts shared felt familiar – especially since we already follow Agile in Digital, which was reassuring. It confirmed that we’re already applying similar principles, such as continuous improvement and supporting teams at their individual levels of maturity.
What made this experience even more valuable was attending it with my colleagues. It gave us a chance to step away from our day-to-day work and connect as a cross-functional team. For me, it was more than just a learning opportunity, it felt like a meaningful team-building moment where we could chat, reflect and share a few laughs together in a different setting.
What I appreciated most was that, after the sessions, we took time as a group to share key takeaways from the different talks we attended. It was a simple but powerful way to learn from each other’s perspectives and understand how others think and work.
Gareth Jones (Senior Delivery Manager)
I joined a couple of sessions from the technical workstream and really enjoyed the opportunity to think about challenges from a different perspective. I was also lucky to bump into a couple of former colleagues at the conference which reminded me that wherever you work the most important aspect is always the people you work with – they are the ones that make the difference.
Zoe Allen (Product Manager)
From an implementation perspective, I enjoyed one session on the practicalities and values of a strategy sprint. On a more personal level, I found a talk on how our personal narratives shape our work really interesting. Aside from the sessions themselves, the social aspect, and meeting new people also interested in agile, was a highlight. And of course nothing can beat a sea swim at the end of a long day!
Final thoughts
Agile on the Beach was more than just an inspiring conference, it was a reminder that we’re not alone in what we’re trying to do. The challenges are shared, the wins are worth celebrating, and there’s a big, sometimes salty community of practitioners out there all learning and iterating together.
Sometimes it’s good to step away from the day-to-day to reflect on where we are at – and if it just happens that there is a sandy beach nearby that’s a happy coincidence!
Take a look at our 2030 Digital Strategy.
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