What is Scrum?
Scrum is a lightweight Agile framework used by millions of teams to deliver complex products incrementally. This guide explains the 3 roles, 5 events, and 3 artifacts — based on the 2020 Scrum Guide.
Scrum definition
Scrum is an Agile framework built around 1–4 week Sprints, three accountabilities (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developers), five events, and three artifacts. Teams use it to deliver working product continuously rather than in one large release.
"Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems." — 2020 Scrum Guide
The 3 Scrum accountabilities
The 2020 Scrum Guide replaced "roles" with "accountabilities" to emphasize responsibility over job title.
Scrum Master
Facilitates Scrum events, coaches the team on Scrum theory, and removes impediments. The Scrum Master serves the team — not manages it.
Product Owner
Owns and orders the Product Backlog, communicates the product goal, and maximizes the value delivered by the Developers.
Developers
Cross-functional team members who create the Increment every Sprint. They self-organize and are responsible for quality.
The 5 Scrum events
Sprint
A time-box of one month or less in which a Done Increment is created. Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort.
Sprint Planning
Opens the Sprint. The Scrum Team plans the work to be done in the Sprint and creates a Sprint Goal.
Daily Scrum
A 15-minute event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the plan as needed.
Sprint Review
At the end of the Sprint, the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog.
Sprint Retrospective
The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went — people, interactions, processes, tools — and creates a plan for improvements.
The 3 Scrum artifacts
Product Backlog
An emergent, ordered list of everything needed to improve the product. The Product Owner is responsible for it.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Goal + the selected Product Backlog Items + the plan for delivering the Increment. Created by the Developers.
Increment
The sum of all completed Product Backlog Items in a Sprint — plus the value of previous Increments. Must be Done and potentially releasable.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scrum only for software?
No. While Scrum was created for software development, it's used in marketing, HR, education, manufacturing, and more. The 2020 Scrum Guide deliberately removed software-specific language.
How many people should a Scrum team have?
The Scrum Guide recommends 10 or fewer people. Smaller teams are more agile; larger teams need to be split.
Can you do Scrum without a Scrum Master?
Technically no — all three accountabilities are part of Scrum. In practice, many small teams do without a dedicated Scrum Master, but they often struggle with impediments and Agile coaching.
Test your Scrum knowledge
Take the free Scrum Quiz — role-based questions aligned to the 2020 Scrum Guide.
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