From Scrum Master to TPM: A Conversation

Darcy Feld is an experienced, data-driven technical program manager who specializes in healthcare and SaaS. In her career she’s led a range of programs, including a $30M mobile healthcare initiative for Pfizer that equipped their employees with critical health management tools. Thank you, Darcy, for the conversation!

Brad Hipps: Set the stage. You start life as a research scientist, and then find yourself being transformed into a Scrum Master…

Darcy Feld: Right. Three years into my role as a lab technician, I transitioned into project management. One of my early projects was a significant one—a website redesign for Sharp Healthcare. This was a complex task that involved multiple cross-functional teams. The project was a success, and it was during this time that I found my talent for bridging communication gaps and understanding the unique needs of engineers. This success led to Sharp Healthcare inviting me to lead their first Scrum team, marking the beginning of a full Agile adoption that significantly transformed the organization.

I loved that Agile put me “on the court” rather than managing from a distance—it felt like I was working alongside the team rather than just directing traffic. Early on, we had funny moments, like using the Scrum Guide almost as our playbook: “Here’s where we try planning poker!” Over time, everyone developed this real sense of ownership. There was one particular sprint where the team overcommitted, trying to tackle a 40-point API story in one go. They were so ambitious but didn’t hit the mark, so we retrospected deeply on that. It taught us the importance of breaking down tasks and showed the team how they could improve. By the time we completed a few sprints, everyone felt more empowered and engaged.

Brad: I imagine you were also introducing Agile practices that the team hadn’t encountered before. Did you have to advocate for them?

Darcy: A little, yes. People often come in with preconceived notions about Agile or Scrum. Some expected Agile to make everything instantaneously faster, while others worried it was just a fad. What I found was that Agile works best when you adapt to the team’s strengths and let them experience it organically. At Sharp, everyone embraced it because they could see the value firsthand. Even the head of the PMO started joining our standups!

Brad: Moving from Scrum Master to Technical Program Manager (TPM) sounds like a big shift. Was it a natural progression for you?

Darcy: It felt natural but definitely required a shift in thinking. When I joined Safe Health as an Agile lead, they were still early in terms of processes and structure. We started by organizing the teams, setting up workflows, and developing standard operating procedures—essential in a regulated environment. Then, we landed a huge project with Pfizer, which had a tight timeline and lots of dependencies. If I’d simply waited for tasks to flow into the backlog, we’d have missed deadlines, so I brought on a senior Scrum Master and coordinated with a team architect and a release manager. This way, I could take on the broader task of aligning the project with critical paths and regulatory standards. It was a perfect example of how TPMs need a big-picture perspective to keep things moving.

Brad: So, was the Scrum Master role sort of ill-suited for these bigger projects?

Darcy: Scrum Masters are invaluable for small, agile teams. But for larger, more complex projects, the TPM role becomes essential. A TPM can coordinate multiple dependencies across functions and adapt Agile practices to fit each team’s needs. At Safe Health, for instance, we were managing several teams in different time zones. I would check in with the Scrum Master every morning to address any blockers, and we tracked a release burndown to keep stakeholders informed. Having a big-picture view helped us identify gaps and anticipate roadblocks, which is crucial in a complex environment.

The TPM role is in demand because it combines strategic oversight with Agile principles. It’s about going from managing tactical tasks to guiding entire programs with multiple dependencies. Companies are realizing that Scrum is great for small teams, but large-scale projects need a TPM to bridge the gaps and maintain alignment across functions.

Brad: What advice would you give Scrum Masters wanting to transition into TPM roles?

Darcy: Building strong relationships is essential. You need to develop rapport with product managers, technical leads, and executives. For instance, with the Pfizer project, having solid relationships helped me manage the project’s complex requirements and coordinate between teams. Also, you need to understand the technical landscape—cloud systems, architecture, and dependencies. The ability to break down complex topics and communicate across levels is invaluable in the TPM role.

Brad: What’s the day-to-day difference between a Scrum Master and a TPM?

Darcy: TPMs focus more on strategy and high-level planning. We track dependencies, monitor team progress, and report up to executives. While Scrum Masters are more embedded with their teams, TPMs keep the program aligned with long-term goals and handle cross-functional blockers. We’re also concerned with KPIs and broader metrics instead of just velocity or burndown rates.

Brad: In AI projects, do you see unique challenges that TPMs need to address?

Darcy: Definitely. AI projects add layers of complexity because you’re often coordinating data science, machine learning, and engineering teams.

I was at an AI conference recently, and one of the speakers asked the audience how many had developed an AI project. Pretty much every hand went up. Then he said, “All right, how many of you have an AI project that's in production?” There were maybe two hands up.

Getting AI into production is a different beast. In healthcare, for instance, we’re dealing with high-stakes data and rigorous testing requirements. A TPM in an AI project ensures everything aligns, from data gathering to model deployment, and manages the larger strategic goals.

Particularly in regulated industries, where scale and compliance are critical, you need a TPM’s strategic view from the start. Recently, I worked on a project with big scalability goals, and I saw how important it was to start with that end goal in mind. The team wanted to build an MVP, but they also envisioned scaling to millions of users. A TPM can guide these projects from MVP to long-term scalability.

Brad: One last question: What do you see as the future of Scrum Masters and TPMs? Are TPMs replacing Scrum Masters, or are both roles evolving?

Darcy: I think both roles have a place. Scrum Masters are vital for empowering smaller teams and fostering Agile practices. But for complex, multi-team projects, a TPM brings the needed strategic oversight. A TPM is like the central point holding everything together, especially when you add AI, data science, etcetera into the mix. So, while Scrum Masters will remain crucial, TPMs are becoming essential for larger programs that require a higher level of coordination and long-term vision.