Project PlanningProgram & Project Management

What Is Scrum? A Beginner's Guide

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By Krista Hillis - Guest Contributor

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8 min read
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Rugby fans know that a "scrum" is: a group of players packed tightly together, working in unison to gain possession of the ball. But the spirit of rugby scrum is at the core of another type of Scrum, which also highly depends on effective cohesion.

So, what is Scrum in the business world, and why is it such a buzzword in project management?

Whether it be "burn-down chart" or "Agile manifesto," Scrum terminology can make implementation intimidating. But the good news is that once you break down the Scrum methodology, the premise is relatively simple and can be incredibly valuable. 

Inspired by an Agile mindset, Scrum boosts productivity through flexibility, adaptability, and openness. In our guide, you'll find a Scrum definition, the principles of Scrum, and how it all works together to enhance product quality, minimize risks, and improve teamwork to support better outcomes and a faster ROI.

What is Scrum, in simple terms?

Scrum is an Agile framework that encourages greater team collaboration, especially when working on complex projects.[1] The Scrum approach keeps the management and development of complex projects on track. 

Although Scrum first appeared in a 1986 Harvard Business Review article, its framework was further developed in the early 1990s by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, coauthors of The Scrum Guide, a definitive guide to Scrum.[2]

The Scrum framework arose from a need to address the challenges facing organizations developing large, complex projects with lengthy timelines. In the early days of Scrum, those organizations were primarily software developers. But as Scrum evolved, so have its applications.

Today, the principles of Scrum can help organizations across industries handle large projects by breaking them down into smaller pieces. These projects are managed by tight-knit teams with specific roles who are willing to experiment and innovate.

While companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Salesforce use Scrum and Agile practices, these flexible approaches work just as well for small and midsize businesses.

What is Scrum in Agile?

Agile Scrum embodies the principles of the Agile project management methodology, a set of values and principles that center on flexibility and adaptability in product creation and delivery. The Agile philosophy encourages teamwork, accountability, and constant inspection of processes and products, with a willingness to change course and adopt new approaches based on observation, evidence, and experimentation.

Agile is primarily a mindset—a way of looking at a company's processes. In an Agile environment, products are developed in small steps with constant feedback, emphasizing human contributions rather than tools and processes. The Agile methodology manifests itself on an organizational level, informing all decisions and actions aimed at serving customers and clients. 

Because Agile prioritizes constant evaluation and continuous improvement in response to changing circumstances, this model allows for the rapid delivery of quality products in alignment with company goals and customer needs.

Like Scrum, Agile originates in software development but works in many other environments. Scrum is one of many possible frameworks to implement the Agile mindset. Think of Scrum as a subset of Agile or a structure for applying the Agile philosophy to specific projects and outcomes.[3]

/ What's the bottom line?

When considering Agile vs. Scrum, think of Scrum as an implementation of the Agile methodology—they don't compete. Scrum is a process; Agile is a mindset. Scrum aligns with the principles and values of Agile so you can better understand how to manage a product or team.

What is a Scrum master?

Like most frameworks, Scrum isn't a silver bullet. Agile Scrum heavily relies on established principles and three key roles—the product owner, Scrum master, and Scrum team members.

Scrum teams work in short, time-bound periods called sprints, lasting from one to four weeks. These sprints are the heartbeat of Scrum, allowing ideas to transform into value. 

  • The Scrum master is the leader of the Scrum team. They work with the team and other stakeholders to optimize delivery of product features. The Scrum master manages each sprint's activities, including planning, meetings, and training. 

  • Scrum development team members work collaboratively to complete each sprint. A Scrum development team is a small group with different but complementary skill sets, and each member is committed to the goals of the sprint and the larger project.

  • The product owner is in charge of managing the needs and expectations of a product's end users. They often deeply understand users, the marketplace, trends, and competitors.[4]

Speaking the language of Scrum

A Scrum project's tasks, roles, and deliverables have unique names. The product owner, Scrum master, and other Scrum team members work together to plan each sprint. They select a small set of tasks from the larger product backlog, a comprehensive list of all desirable product features. In Scrum, this subset of tasks is the sprint backlog.

The usable end product that results from tasks defined in the sprint backlog is called an increment—a deliverable that takes another step toward the completed project. This increment can take many forms, depending on the defined goal for a specific sprint.

Ongoing Scrum team activities within a sprint are called events or ceremonies. Scrum itself is an event—a meta event that contains all the events that structure the Scrum team's work. Other Scrum ceremonies include:

  • Sprint planning: Where everyone on the team accepts and commits to the sprint goal—a step toward the product goal. 

  • Daily standup: A quick meeting at the start of every workday where all team members and the Scrum master check in and strategize for the day's activities.

  • Sprint review: A way to share the work completed in the sprint with others outside the team.

  • Sprint retrospective: The entire team looks back on the sprint and learns from its way of working to achieve the sprint goal.[5]

The 6 principles and 5 values of Scrum

In the Scrum methodology, openness and a willingness to experiment are essential. This methodology is founded within a set of Scrum principles based on three pillars:

  • Transparency: Every team member is aware of the challenges others are facing. Regular, candid conversations between team members and product owners can expedite work and make a team more cohesive.  

  • Reflection: Throughout each sprint and at many other points in the Scrum framework, teams have opportunities to reflect on and learn from their activities, eliminating guesswork and improving outcomes.

  • Adaptation: Team members respond to changing circumstances, such as new customer requests or information revealed through experimentation, on a rolling basis, allowing them to adjust course and incorporate new processes as they work.[6]

The principles of Scrum are:[7]

  1. Control over the empirical process

  2. Self-organization

  3. Collaboration

  4. Value-based prioritization

  5. Time-boxing

  6. Iterative development

What about Scrum values?

To support these principles, Scrum also has core values, which shape a team's interactions with each other and with other company stakeholders during a project:

    Commitment: Scrum team members consciously commit to the time-based tasks of each sprint and the company's larger goals.

    Courage: Scrum teams dare to ask challenging questions and offer honest answers. They engage in open dialogue and transparent discussions about the best course of action.

    Focus: In any sprint, Scrum team members work on tasks from the product backlog, giving them their full attention. This step produces the selected deliverables within each sprint's stated time frame.

    Openness: Scrum team members are open to new ideas and opportunities for learning that improve team relationships and product quality.

    Respect: Scrum teams respect the Scrum process, their teammates, project managers, and the company as a whole. That respect supports collaboration, cooperation, and dedication to the company's vision.[8]

These values rest on a foundation of trust among team members and other stakeholders in the process, with everyone operating in unison to achieve the goals of the project at hand.

Who does the Scrum methodology work best for?

While designed to solve complex development challenges, Scrum now applies to teams, organizations, and project managers across varying disciplines, including smaller teams. This framework works well when there are changing deliverables or unknown solutions. It is also effective if you frequently interact with end-users or clients. 

Here are some real-life examples of how Scrum helped companies enhance efficiencies and evolve:

  • During the pandemic, Unilever was able to pivot, transforming its business using Scrum techniques. The company saw the need for sanitizer, adapted the Agile methodology, and got the product to market quicker than expected. The core objective was to deliver value to customers quickly, moving from concept to market in just six weeks. In less than a day, their inventory was sold out.[9]

  • While many use cases focus on product development, the university team Blue Flash is a prime example of how Scrum promotes greater cross-team collaboration and, in this case, across multiple small teams to achieve a common goal. Many of these teams were working in silos, and a lack of steady leadership was causing a rapidly-changing organizational structure. By adapting Scrum, the team efficiently built a race car for an annual international competition.[10]

Whether priorities are changing, you need to get a product to market faster, or you want better visibility into ongoing projects, Scrum can help. It also allows you to assess risks earlier so that you can work on solutions to deliver greater value.

What resources do you need to get started with Scrum?

To get started, your practical first steps can include investing in education and training, assigning roles, creating a product backlog, and planning your first sprint. 

While, in theory, you could get down to business with a whiteboard, a room of enthusiastic team members, and Scrum knowledge, you no longer (or should) rely on manual methods. The right Scrum software and tools options will make your Scrum implementation even easier and more effective.

Check out Capterra’s Scrum software Shortlist and Buyers Guide for all the information you need to find the right tool for your business.



Looking for Project Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Project Management software solutions.

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About the Author

Headshot of Krista Hillis

Krista is a writer specializing in business, health, and psychology. Her work is featured in print and digital publications, including Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine.

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