Scrum
Scrum is an agile framework for managing product development in fixed-length iterations called sprints, using defined roles, events, and artifacts to structure planning, execution, and continuous improvement.
Definition
Scrum is an agile framework for managing product development in fixed-length iterations called sprints, using defined roles, events, and artifacts to structure planning, execution, and continuous improvement.
Overview
Scrum organizes work around sprints — typically one to four weeks long — during which a cross-functional team commits to delivering a set of items pulled from the product backlog. Each sprint follows a consistent rhythm of ceremonies: sprint planning to select and commit to work, the daily standup to synchronize progress, a sprint review to demo completed work to stakeholders, and a sprint retrospective to reflect on process improvements. The framework defines three core roles. The product owner owns the backlog and decides what gets built and in what order; the scrum master facilitates the process and removes impediments; and the development team is a self-organizing, cross-functional group responsible for delivering the work. This role separation is deliberate — it keeps prioritization, process facilitation, and execution as distinct concerns. Scrum was formalized in the mid-1990s by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland and became one of the dominant implementations of agile methodology because its fixed cadence gives stakeholders predictable checkpoints while still allowing priorities to shift between sprints. It works best for product development with evolving requirements and is less suited to highly interrupt-driven work, where teams often prefer Kanban instead.
Key Features
- Fixed-length sprints, typically one to four weeks, with a consistent cadence
- Defined roles: product owner, scrum master, and development team
- Structured ceremonies: sprint planning, daily standup, review, and retrospective
- A prioritized product backlog that feeds each sprint's committed work
- Sprint goals that give the team a shared, focused objective
- Incremental delivery of a potentially shippable product at the end of each sprint
- Continuous process improvement built into every sprint via the retrospective