Agile Software Development

What is Scrum

According to the Scrum Guide

Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.

Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking. Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed. Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on the essentials.

Scrum in a nutshell

In a nutshell, Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:

  1. A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
  2. The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
  3. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
  4. Repeat

3-3-5-5 in Scrum

A helpful way to remember Scrum’s structure is the 3-3-5-5 pattern: 3 roles, 3 artifacts, 5 events, and 5 values.

Three Roles

  • Product Owner – Responsible for maximizing the value of the product by managing and prioritizing the Product Backlog.
  • Developers – The people who do the work of creating a usable Increment each Sprint. (Previously called the Development Team in earlier versions of the Scrum Guide.)
  • Scrum Master – Serves the team by facilitating Scrum practices, removing impediments, and coaching the organization on agile principles.

Three Artifacts

  • Increment – The sum of all completed work in a Sprint, which must meet the Definition of Done and deliver value.
  • Product Backlog – An ordered list of everything that might be needed in the product, owned and managed by the Product Owner.
  • Sprint Backlog – The set of Product Backlog items selected for the current Sprint, along with the plan for delivering them.

Five Events

  • Sprint – A time-box of one month or less during which all other Scrum events take place and a usable Increment is created.
  • Sprint Planning – Kicks off the Sprint by aligning the team on what to work on and how to approach it.
  • Daily Scrum – A short daily meeting for Developers to inspect progress and adapt the plan for the next 24 hours.
  • Sprint Review – Held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and gather feedback from stakeholders.
  • Sprint Retrospective – The team reflects on the past Sprint to identify improvements for the next one.

Five Values

  • Commitment – Team members commit to achieving team goals and supporting each other.
  • Courage – The team has the courage to do the right thing and tackle difficult problems.
  • Focus – Everyone focuses on the work of the Sprint and the goals of the Scrum Team.
  • Openness – The team and stakeholders are open about the work and any challenges that arise.
  • Respect – Team members respect each other as capable, independent individuals.

Scrum Certifications

Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance are two of the most well-known Scrum certification bodies. Both are widely respected, and the right choice often depends on your goals and organization.

One notable difference between them is their philosophy on certificate renewal:

  • Scrum.org – Treats Scrum knowledge as a lifetime skill. Once certified, your certificate does not expire and requires no renewal.
  • Scrum Alliance – Believes Scrum knowledge should be refreshed periodically. Certificates expire and must be renewed on a regular cycle.