SCRUM

What is SCRUM? NOT an acronym Framework Mostly software development, but increasingly used elsewhere Inspect & Adapt In a scrum, team players do not work as individuals but as a unit of strength and power, aiming to overpower and break their counterparts to regain the possession of the ball, which then allows them to move in the direction of their goal

https://hbr.org/1986/01/the-new-new-product-development-game Jeff Sutherland ~ 1995 https://hbr.org/1986/01/the-new-new-product-development-game

Form Follows Function To Meet New Business Challenges: 1. Built-in instability 2. Self-organizing project teams 3. Overlapping development phases 4. “Multilearning” 5. Subtle controls 6. Organizational transfer of learning

What’s Changed? Older Paradigm… Execution over innovation Plans didn’t change quickly Predictable work done by machines

SCRUM Evolved to Address Problems With Waterfall Risky & invites failure All project info in the beginning Thus, most important decisions are made when less is known

How SCRUM is Different Blends phases of Waterfall Fixed-length sprints, not “phases” Cross-functional team capable of accomplishing each portion of the sprint

SCRUM expressions Working, tested, potentially shippable product Demonstrate, inspect & adapt Iterations & feedback discovers the right product Not disrupting the organization by not doing it right Fixing impediments is dumb - “DO” SCRUM

Structure Roles Artifacts Meetings

Roles

Product Owner ROI of product development effort Prioritizes product backlog Arbiter of requirements Vision Any requests for the team must go through Product Owner Focused on what not how

SCRUM Development Team Cross-functional 4-9 people Collocated Complete increment each sprint Collaborates Able to count on each other Self-organizing Leadership emerges naturally Control flow from person to person NO HIERARCHY OR TITLES

SCRUM Master NOT the Project Manager Project MGMT split between product owner, team, and master No management authority over the team Protects team Removes impediments Facilitates

SCRUM Master Educate coworkers on SCRUM methodology Promotes improved engineering practice Enforces time boxes Provides visibility

Artifacts Product Backlog Sprint Backlog Anything the team might do What the team has committed to

Product Backlog Force-ranked list Anyone can add items SCRUM Master makes items visible Does NOT contain tasks

Sprint Backlog

Meetings

Sprint Planning PBI = Project Backlog Items Negotiate which PBI’s will be committed to the sprint Top priority items from product backlog Breakdown PBI’s into smaller tasks Right amount of work and clarify what will be accomplished Plan one sprint

Daily SCRUM What I did yesterday What I am doing today What impedes me / what are my blockers

Sprint Review Demonstrate to Stakeholders Provides feedback loop about the product “Now that we see X, we really want Y”

Sprint Retrospective Inspect & Adapt Provides feedback loop about the process Team ownership What went well? What still puzzles us? What could be improved? What did we learn?

Backlog Refinement

More Info Training Material Checklist SCRUM Scorecard

Quiz

1. Which Statement best describes SCRUM? A) a complete methodology that defines how to develop software. B) a defined and predictive process that fits in with traditional mgmt. approaches C) a cookbook that defines best practices for software development. D) a framework with built-in reality checks for complex work in uncertain domains.

1. Which Statement best describes SCRUM? A) a complete methodology that defines how to develop software. B) a defined and predictive process that fits in with traditional mgmt. approaches C) a cookbook that defines best practices for software development. D) a framework with built-in reality checks for complex work in uncertain domains.

2. When is sprint execution completed? A) When all committed Product Backlog Items meet their definition of “done”. B) It depends. C) When all tasks are complete

2. When is sprint execution completed? A) When all committed Product Backlog Items meet their definition of “done”. B) It depends. C) When all tasks are complete

3. How often should the backlog refinement meeting occur? A) Every release cycle. B) Once, at the beginning of the project. C) Every sprint. D) Once, at the end of the project

3. How often should the backlog refinement meeting occur? A) Every release cycle. B) Once, at the beginning of the project. C) Every sprint. D) Once, at the end of the project

4. The CEO asks a team member to do some work outside the goals of the current Sprint in progress. What should the team member do? A) Add it to the current Sprint while swapping out committed work of equal size. B) Inform the Product Owner so they can work with the CEO. C) Add it to the next Sprint. D) Add it to the current Sprint.

4. The CEO asks a team member to do some work outside the goals of the current Sprint in progress. What should the team member do? A) Add it to the current Sprint while swapping out committed work of equal size. B) Inform the Product Owner so they can work with the CEO. C) Add it to the next Sprint. D) Add it to the current Sprint.

5. Which two of the following is a SCRUM development team expected to do during the first sprint? A) Develop a detailed plan for the rest of the project. B) Build a thin slice of potentially shippable functionality. C) Nail down the architecture. D) Test the product.

5. Which two of the following is a SCRUM development team expected to do during the first sprint? A) Develop a detailed plan for the rest of the project. B) Build a thin slice of potentially shippable functionality. C) Nail down the architecture. D) Test the product.

6. Who owns Sprint commitments? A) The SCRUM Master. B) Individuals, as assigned by the SCRUM Master. C) Individuals, as determined during the Sprint Planning Meeting. D) The Team owns them collectively.

6. Who owns Sprint commitments? A) The SCRUM Master. B) Individuals, as assigned by the SCRUM Master. C) Individuals, as determined during the Sprint Planning Meeting. D) The Team owns them collectively.

7. How is the Product Backlog arranged? A) Large items at the top to small items on the bottom. B) Into categories. C) Most important items at the top to least important items at the bottom. D) Randomly

7. How is the Product Backlog arranged? A) Large items at the top to small items on the bottom. B) Into categories. C) Most important items at the top to least important items at the bottom. D) Randomly

8. Who creates the Product Backlog Item’s effort estimate? A) The SCRUM Development Team, after clarifying the requirement. B) The Product Owner, with input from the SCRUM Dev. Team. C) The SCRUM Master, with input from the SCRUM Dev. Team. D) The most senior people in the organization, such as engineering managers of the software architect.

8. Who creates the Product Backlog Item’s effort estimate? A) The SCRUM Development Team, after clarifying the requirement. B) The Product Owner, with input from the SCRUM Dev. Team. C) The SCRUM Master, with input from the SCRUM Dev. Team. D) The most senior people in the organization, such as engineering managers of the software architect.

9. Which of the following is the Team NOT responsible for? A) Increasing productivity and learning. B) Resolving internal conflicts. C) Coordinating daily during the Sprint to meet the Sprint goal. D) Selecting the Product Owner E) Planning how to meet a Sprint goal.

9. Which of the following is the Team NOT responsible for? A) Increasing productivity and learning. B) Resolving internal conflicts. C) Coordinating daily during the Sprint to meet the Sprint goal. D) Selecting the Product Owner E) Planning how to meet a Sprint goal.