Interviewer: What happens in a daily standup?

Expert: Each team member answers three questions: What did I finish yesterday? What am I working on today? What is blocking my progress? That's it. The whole meeting lasts 15 minutes, sometimes less.

Interviewer: Why standing up?

Expert: The name comes from literally standing during the meeting. When people stand, they stay focused and keep it short. Nobody wants to stand around for 30 minutes. Though remote teams obviously sit at their computers now.

Interviewer: This sounds like a status report meeting.

Expert: Common mistake. Status meetings are for managers to collect information. Standups are for the team to coordinate with each other. If someone mentions a blocker, another team member might say they can help. You're synchronizing daily work, not reporting upward.

Interviewer: Does every team need these?

Expert: They work best for teams working on interconnected tasks where coordination matters daily. If everyone works independently on separate projects, you probably don't need daily check-ins.

Interviewer: What makes them fail?

Expert: Running over 15 minutes consistently. Turning them into problem-solving sessions instead of quick coordination. Managers treating them as status reports. Or people giving vague updates that don't help anyone.