3Back Dan Rawsthorne

Dan Rawsthorne

Chief Scientist and Senior Agility Instructor

From Military Intelligence to Scrum intelligence, Dan Rawsthorne has been applying agile for a mighty long time. Dan began his agile life with the biggest long-term user of agile principles: the military. As an officer in the U.S. Army, Dan was charged with applying artificial intelligence to computer security and developing sophisticated battlefield management systems that were used during the Persian Gulf War. Now retired from the military, Dan has traded the war room for the training room, teaching and coaching thousands of learners and organizations across the globe.

Dan is a true pioneer in the Scrum community, with years in the trenches as an expert focused on agility, use cases, and object-oriented technologies. Dan has held nearly every available role in software development including Coder, Systems Analyst, Business Analyst, Architect, Team Leader, Project Manager, QA Director, Engineering Director, and more. Dan has sharp skills and extensive experience with many agile tools and techniques, including RUP, XP, Scrum, UML, and Get to Done®

Putting pen to paper, Dan has condensed his Scrum knowledge into a hefty, three hundred page reference book: Exploring Scrum: The Fundamentals, in collaboration with Doug Shimp. This book will steer you around impediments, clear the way for improved processes, and bring practicality to the mastery of Scrum. Exploring Scrum: The Fundamentals is the culmination of Dan’s work so far. Stay tuned, there is definitely more to come – he’s currently working on a book for Agile Project Management.

At 3Back, Dan is a transformation agent who helps organizations improve themselves through the application of agile techniques such as Scrum. Dan’s PhD in Mathematics guides him to look for underlying problems; his military background helps him understand the importance of teamwork and empowerment; and Dan’s common sense says change must happen in small, manageable bites.

After a day of Scrum training, Dan brings focus and energy to bear on the bowling alley. A perfect 300 game is never far from his reach and if you peek inside those extra bags of his, you may find a bowling ball or two or six!