“Safe is evolving in small batches now—not just big bangs.” - Nikolaos Kaintantzis

Introduction

Niko moderates this debrief of the 2024 SAFe Summit in Sorrento—but it quickly becomes more than a recap. While only he and Ali attended in person, Stephan and Mark bring layered reflection from the sidelines. What begins as a highlight reel turns into a conversation about direction: not just where the framework is going, but how change agents are meant to meet it. What does it mean to decouple without diluting? How do we contextualize without fragmenting? And how do you lead when the framework’s evolving beneath your feet?

Actionable Insights

Here’s what the Unleashed crew surfaced—explicitly and between the lines—about navigating SAFe's latest shifts:

• Modularity is in. The shift toward continuous delivery and context-driven overlays marks a departure from SAFe’s monolithic past.
• Contextualization is canon. Tailoring is now core guidance, not subtext.
• Disciplines over dimensions. The new structure invites varied learning paths—and sharper competency focus.

Highlights

Configuring SAFe for Continuous Delivery

The crew probes both the mechanics and the implications of breaking the framework into modular, industry-specific parts. While the monolith gave SAFe stability, it also limited adaptability—especially in fast-moving or heavily specialized environments. Now, there's a growing shift toward a leaner, more customizable ecosystem, one where guidance can evolve continuously without requiring a complete re-release.

“How do we decouple it? How do we set ourselves up to get into more of a continuous delivery model with SAFe?” —Mark Richards

The New Discipline and Competency Model

The team reflects on the practical limits of the old competency model and the opportunities created by the new discipline format. The previous structure forced symmetry, even when some dimensions overlapped or felt redundant. With disciplines, SAFe can hold complexity without enforcing uniformity. It also creates clearer on-ramps for learners—and clearer invites for contributors.

Niko shares his own internal tension when offered the chance to contribute to one of the new competencies. At first, he planned to focus tightly—but the new structure made that harder than expected.

“I always had in my mind, I want to specialize... then I realized everything is so interesting.” —Nikolaos Kaintantzis

Insights from the State of SAFe Survey

Ali brings in results from the 2024 State of SAFe report, and the conversation turns toward implementation integrity. From misused titles to rebranded hierarchies, the crew reflects on what makes a transformation feel hollow—and what makes it stick. Rather than avoid hard truths, the report appears to be surfacing them, prompting a more honest community conversation.

Looking Ahead: Between Sorrento and Denver

Instead of closing with conclusions, the crew opens the door to what’s next. They speculate on competency expansions, story-first navigation, and new learning tools—along with risks of fragmentation or fatigue. It’s a hopeful segment, but not a naive one. They’re excited—but they also want to keep the purpose intact.

Conclusion

If SAFe is shifting, so are the questions we ask of it—and of ourselves. This episode doesn’t just explore new structures. It shows what happens when a community chooses curiosity over certainty, and depth over dogma. For the Unleashed crew, the goal isn’t to protect the past. It’s to help shape what’s next—one thoughtful step at a time.

References

• State of SAFe Report
• SAFe Explained PDF

“There are at least four different versions of a process: how managers believe it operates, how it's supposed to operate, how it really operates, and how it could operate.” —Mark Richards

Introduction

This episode begins with beach envy and ends with facilitation mastery. In between: a sharp, field-grounded discussion about Value Stream Mapping—its purpose, practice, and perils.

Ali, Stephan, and Mark trace their own learning curves, revisit facilitation misfires, and offer clear-eyed advice to SPCs who want more than “a map on the wall.” They’re not trying to convince anyone that Value Stream Mapping is magic. They’re trying to make it useful.

Actionable Insights

From anecdotes and cautionary tales, here’s what emerges:

• Start with intent, not format. Mark opens the frame: “What are you trying to use this, the Value Stream Map for?” It’s a design question, not a tooling one​.
  Avoid detail spirals. Ali cautions against over-indexing on passionate specifics: “Even though they're valid, they're not that valid in that detail, in the grand scheme of things.”.
  Don’t outsource ownership. Stephan warns, “It looked like a delegate workshop… that doesn't work.” The lesson? Delegates can prepare, but decisions require presence from empowered leaders.
  Operationalize the map. Mark reminds: “Your Value Stream Map should become your Kanban… then you'd get your data for free.”

Highlights

Don’t Let the Map Derail the Dialogue

Ali recalls early workshops where things spiraled into endless details—some valid, some not.

“People are really passionate… even though they're valid, they're not that valid in that detail, in the grand scheme of things.” —Ali Hajou

Stephan agrees: the core challenge is “this competition between over-complication and over-simplification.”

Delegate ≠ Disengaged

Stephan names the trap bluntly: “It looked like a delegate workshop… that doesn't work.” But Mark reframes it. Delegates can help build the map—if the real decision-makers show up to own the outcomes. And those delegates must speak from real experience: “It’s their ‘aha’ moment that comes out of that.”

Mapping as Sensemaking

Ali offers a systems lens: Value Stream Mapping “is a trick to try to understand the system” as it really works—not just on paper.

Stephan builds on that metaphor: “Value Stream Mapping for me is this magnifying glass… your crime scene of inefficiency.”

Maps That Breathe

Mark’s closing gem is a pragmatic vision: when maps become systems, insight becomes flow.

“Your Value Stream Map should become your Kanban… then you'd get your data for free.” —Mark Richards

Conclusion

This episode isn’t about selling Value Stream Mapping. It’s about rescuing it.

From vague templates. From overzealous data obsession. From workshops that deliver nothing but fatigue.

And the biggest rescue move? Invite the right people. Ask the right question. Then let the map do its real job: show you what’s really going on.

"Don't underestimate how much fear is in the room" - Ali Hajou

In this episode of SPCs Unleashed, Mark Richards, Stephan Neck, Ali Hajou, and Nikolaos Kaintantzis bring their collective experience to one of the most pivotal—and high-risk—moments in a SAFe transformation: the Value Stream and ART Identification Workshop.

Each voice brings a distinct perspective. Stephan sets the stage with a sharp metaphor and a focus on structure. Ali warns of the workshop’s destructive potential if rushed or misused. Nikolaos grounds the conversation in organizational reality and long-term systems thinking. And Mark reminds us that the goal isn’t to get it perfect, but to start the journey of learning and adaptation.

Key Highlights

1. A Honeypot With Bees

Stephan opens with a perfect metaphor: this workshop is a honeypot—but it attracts bees. While it promises alignment and flow, it also brings organizational tension and complexity to the surface.

2. It Can Make or Break a Transformation

Ali calls it potentially the most destructive workshop in a SAFe rollout. Get it wrong, and you embed misalignment from day one—creating teams that still can't deliver value together.

3. Respect What Already Works

Nikolaos cautions against wiping the slate clean. While redesigning for value flow is essential, facilitators must acknowledge existing relationships, patterns, and practices that are already enabling success. Change for change’s sake is just as risky as standing still.

4. Set the Stage for Learning

Mark emphasizes that the real outcome of this workshop isn’t finality—it’s understanding. It's a first draft of a system that will evolve through inspection and adaptation.

5. Use Two Workshops, Not One

The group strongly advocates for a second workshop. The first is about exploring the system, the second about committing to decisions. The gap between the two allows for assumption testing and fact finding to enable more informed commitments.

Actionable Takeaways

• Set expectations up front: This isn’t a two-day org design sprint—it’s the start of a systems-thinking journey.
• Don’t overwrite what works: Start from current state patterns that are already delivering value.
• Pause before deciding: Come back in a second workshop to refine, adjust, and commit.
• Focus on learning over certainty: Evolution, not perfection, is the goal.

If you’re preparing to run a Value Stream and ART Identification Workshop—or coaching leaders through one—this episode is a must-listen. It’s a real-world guide to helping organizations shift from structure-first to value-first thinking.