Affiliate Link: https://NatThompson.com/learn-kanban-fundamentals

Author: Steve Smith

What I love about Kanban is that it doesn't take months or years of practice to start seeing benefits from it.  With a basic introduction and brief demonstration you can start using Kanban and deliver improved throughput in usually less than a day.

I just finished Steve Smith's course, Kanban: Getting Started.  I wanted to evaluate how well it served as starting point for new initiates to Kanban.  I am pleased to report that I can fully, with good conscience, recommend it as a great place to start.

I will go into more detail in a moment but the tldr; summary is that it defines, demonstrates, and details exactly what anyone needs to get started with Kanban.  If you want to dive in right away you can access the course via a free trial at https://natthompson.com/learn-kanban-fundamentals.  

Now for a deeper dive…

What I Liked

  • Very thorough coverage.  Mr. Smith starts off defining Kanban, the What, the why, and the how in detail.  No prior knowledge required.  A complete beginner can start this course and rest assured they will walk away with a great working knowledge of Kanban.
  • Well organized.  The concepts build on one another well creating a foundation of knowledge that is added onto as the course progresses.
  • Good examples.  Some of the concepts of Kanban are abstract.  Mr. Smith provides good metaphors and case studies to help you understand and retain them.
  • Practical instruction.  The course teaches you how to implement Kanban in your personal and professional life.  This can be applied in both daily life and technical pursuits.

What I didn't like…

  • There is a section of the course that veers into theoretical territory.  It is possible that for an introduction to Kanban this might be a bit over the heads of some of the audience.
  • The workflow demonstrations jumped around a bit.  I would have liked to see an end to end example that help up throughout the instruction.

Overall Thoughts…

  • Well worth exploring for getting not just an introduction to Kanban but skills to put Kanban to daily use.
  • You will walk away with more knowledge and confidence in Kanban.
  • Great for complete beginners as well as intermediate practitioners of Kanban.
  • 4 out of 5 stars 

Notice of Affiliate Links: some of the links above are Affiliate links.   This means that if you click on them and make a purchase, I will be paid a commission at no additional charge to you.  That being said, I only recommend products I have used myself and think will be of benefit to you.