Who is Paulo Caroli?

Paulo Caroli is a highly regarded advisor, author and speaker, known for creating the Lean Inception methodology. As the author of five influential books on business agility, including the bestseller Lean Inception, he brings a wealth of hands-on experience to his role as an advisor and expert facilitator at Thoughtworks -- Expert in Product and Project Inception, Advisor on Team OKR. Paulo is deeply involved in strategic workshops, digital product development, and guiding teams on business agility and product strategy.

What is Paulo Caroli Most Known For?

Paulo is widely recognized for his expertise in collaboration and agile methodologies. His approach to guiding teams and organizations has consistently led to impressive results. His numerous publications, from books to articles, have solidified his status as a thought leader in agile effectiveness and teamwork.

Paulo Caroli's Journey

Paulo's career began at PUC-Rio, where he contributed as a developer in research labs, earning his B.S. and M.Sc. in software engineering from 1992 to 1999. He moved to Silicon Valley from 2000 to 2008, embracing the agile and lean startup movement, then to India until 2010, integrating personal and professional growth. From 2010 to 2019, back in Brazil, he co-founded AgileBrazil and expanded ThoughtWorks Brazil, aiding agile transformations across organizations. In Spain since 2019, he continues to lead collaborative efforts in agile practices for high-performing teams.

Martin Fowler´s preface to the Lean Inception book

“The naive view of agile software development is that everyone just dives in and starts writing code without spending any time at the beginning figuring out what to do... At ThoughtWorks, our response has been a process called an inception. We have put together a good sample of the people who will be affected by the product and have an intensive session to set an initial direction, using a series of exercises focusing on collaboration and the capture of broad goals... Armed with Paulo’s experience, you can practice this technique and adapt it to suit your circumstances.”

Jeff Gothelf`s preface on the PBB book

“Scrum has given us a whole new way to work. And in the years that we've used it, it's caught on like wildfire. Perhaps the most important process or artifact that came out of Scrum is the backlog. On its own, it's a simple concept: a prioritized list of work that is time-boxed. It tells a team, “we're planning on doing this much work in this amount of time.” That simplicity is its strength…. However, as is often the case, simple things are rarely easy to implement. Many questions arise when it is time to work on the backlog… This book helps teams that are pursuing backlog success to determine exactly how to build a cross functional, successful, and realistic backlog that delivers value, collects evidence, and updates the prioritization and the work being done in each Sprint, objectively and in a customer-centered way.“

Dianna Larsen´s preface on the FunRetrospectives book

“Wherever I go, I hear: “My team doesn’t want to hold retrospectives anymore. They say they are a boring waste of time. What can I do?” … I’m delighted that Paulo and TC have decided to pull all their ideas for improving retrospectives into one place: this book! Now I have a handy answer to the inevitable question. I can recommend this book. I’ll say: “It will give you guidance for designing your retros, along with an extensive catalog of collaborative learning activities.”

David Anderson`s preface on the Cumulative Flow Diagram book

“Flow is so important to managing modern work and enabling customer satisfaction. The Cumulative Flow Diagram is very efficient: it integrates a lot of information in a single picture. People often struggle to interpret and master the usage of CFDs. Paulo’s book delivers step-by-step guidance to maximize your understanding and demystify this important tool.”

Linda Rising´s preface for the Sprint by Sprint book

“I like to play sports – baseball, tennis, pickleball, basketball, and my current favorite, bicycling. I grew up with two younger brothers in a neighborhood of mostly boys who liked to gather in a churchyard near-by and play whatever depending on who brought what equipment that day. However, I’ve never really enjoyed watching sports. I do find, though, that if I’m at someone’s house for a Super Bowl party that if the sports casters are especially knowledgeable and/or entertaining that I can be drawn in to follow the action. The sports casters are key. It’s not the game itself but having someone explain and call attention to the highlights. In Sprint by Sprint, Mary and Paulo are just like superb sportscasters. They are experienced players themselves so they, like the TV talking heads, are seasoned veterans of the sport they are describing, Mary and Paulo point out the important facets of the game as it is being played and do an excellent job of wrapping up at the end.“

Paulo's Trail of Excellence

Beyond his written contributions, Paulo is the creator of FunRetrospectives.com, a widely read resource on retrospectives and team building. His impact extends beyond theory, as he actively helps organizations build better products and executives shape cultures for product excellence. A seasoned trainer and keynote speaker, Paulo is currently working on his next book on Team OKR, showcasing his ongoing commitment to advancing the field.

How to attend a training by Paulo Caroli?

If you're part of Thoughtworks, connect with your local L&D or check the training agenda for sessions led by Paulo. If you're not from Thoughtworks, Paulo dedicates select hours (typically late afternoon or night in Spain, afternoon in Brazil) to share knowledge. He occasionally teaches classes in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, without conflicting with his Thoughtworks schedule. You can also catch him giving workshops at major conferences. Find open sessions on Caroli.org.

Connect and Collaborate!

Interested in business agility, keynotes, training, or collaborative workshops? Whether you have a question, want to share insights, or explore potential collaborations, Paulo Caroli would love to connect with you. Feel free to reach out via email, WhatsApp, or connect with him on LinkedIn. Looking forward to the possibilities!

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