Scrum is an agile methodology that helps teams work more efficiently and adapt quickly to a changing environment. Scrum supports flexibility, rapid iterations, and team collaboration. In this article, we’ll look at the basic principles of Scrum, how it works in practice, and how it can improve a team’s performance in product development.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an agile methodology that helps teams manage complex projects effectively. It focuses on flexibility, collaboration, and rapid adaptation to change. This enables incremental delivery of results, reducing the risk of failure.

Scrum emerged in the 1990s as a response to the need for more effective management of software projects. Its authors are Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, who first described it in 1995. Since then, it has become one of the most widespread agile approaches, used not only in IT but also in other industries.

The core principle of Scrum is working in short cycles, called sprints, which usually last 1 to 4 weeks. The team meets regularly, reviews progress, and adjusts the plan according to current needs. This approach increases efficiency and enables continuous process improvement.

Basic principles and structure of Scrum

Scrum is built on several key principles that support flexibility, efficiency, and continuous improvement. The foundation is an iterative approach, where development is divided into short cycles—sprints. This enables regular evaluation of results and adjustment of the plan to current needs.

Core values of Scrum

Scrum is based on five core values: courage, focus, openness, respect, and commitment. These values help the team collaborate effectively and overcome obstacles. When a team follows these principles, it increases not only the quality of work but also overall team satisfaction.

• Courage – team members must be willing to face challenges and experiment with new approaches. This fosters innovation and encourages regularly proposing new solutions that can improve the entire process.
• Focus – each sprint has clearly defined goals that the team concentrates on. This helps minimize distractions and ensures work progresses systematically and efficiently.

The Scrum team and its roles

Every Scrum team has three main roles that are essential for successful delivery. Each has clearly defined responsibilities and contributes to effective collaboration.

• Product owner – responsible for the product vision, sets priorities, and communicates with clients and stakeholders. Their task is to ensure the team focuses on the most important features and works on what brings the greatest value.
• Scrum master – helps the team follow Scrum rules, removes impediments, and supports an agile mindset. They ensure the team operates effectively, has a clear work structure, and doesn’t face unnecessary issues.

Scrum processes and ceremonies

Scrum consists of several key ceremonies that ensure effective work organization and continuous improvement. With well-defined processes, the team can better focus on delivering a working product in short cycles. Each ceremony has its purpose and helps the Scrum team work efficiently, respond to change, and continuously learn from previous iterations.

Sprint planning

Sprint planning is the meeting where the team determines what it will do in the upcoming sprint. The team selects tasks from the backlog, distributes them, and sets the sprint goal. Well-executed planning is critical to a successful sprint and ensures everyone on the team knows what they will work on.

• Sprint goal – defines the main outcomes of the sprint that should deliver value to users. It is a key element that keeps the team focused and gives the sprint a clear direction.
• Task selection – the team chooses specific user stories and assigns them to team members. It’s important to consider priority, complexity, and team capacity so the sprint remains realistic.
• Definition of Done (Definition of Done) – before starting work, it’s necessary to clarify the conditions that must be met for a task to be considered complete. This minimizes misunderstandings and ensures consistent quality.

Daily Scrum

The Daily Scrum is a short, daily stand-up where the team shares progress. The main goal is to assess how work is advancing and identify impediments that could slow down the sprint. This meeting lasts a maximum of 15 minutes and enables the team to respond to changes and collaborate effectively.

• Meeting structure – each team member answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I work on today? Do I have any impediments? This format maintains focus on concrete tasks and helps quickly identify problems.
• Transparency – the Daily Scrum gives the team constant visibility into sprint progress. Regular communication prevents delays and keeps the project running smoothly.
• The Scrum master’s role – the Scrum master doesn’t lead the discussion but helps remove impediments and facilitates communication. Their job is to ensure the meeting is effective and focused on sprint goals.

Sprint review and retrospective

After completing a sprint, two key meetings take place—the Sprint Review and the Sprint Retrospective. Both are essential for learning from previous work and improving the process. While the Sprint Review focuses on presenting results, the Sprint Retrospective serves to improve team collaboration and ways of working.

• Sprint review – presentation of completed work to stakeholders, gathering feedback, and discussing next steps. The team shows what was finished and discusses how best to adapt the product to customer needs.
• Backlog discussion – based on feedback, the product owner can update the backlog and prioritize tasks for upcoming sprints. This enables continuous product improvement and adaptation to changing requirements.
• Sprint retrospective – an internal team meeting to evaluate what went well and what can be improved. The goal is to identify strengths and areas for optimization and to adopt concrete actions for improvement.

Scrum processes and ceremonies form the foundation of effective agile management. They help the team maintain a clear work structure, adapt quickly to change, and continuously improve how they work.

What does Scrum run into in practice?

Scrum can be very effective, but implementation often runs into obstacles. These issues can slow down development, reduce team efficiency, and lead to misapplication of agile principles. If the organization or team doesn’t understand Scrum properly, it can become a merely formal process with no real benefits.

• Resistance to change – switching to Scrum requires a shift in mindset, which can be difficult for some team members. Without leadership support or willingness to adapt, implementation can fail.
• Poor understanding of roles – Scrum has clearly defined roles, but in practice they are often mixed with old hierarchical models. If the Scrum master lacks authority or the product owner doesn’t manage the backlog effectively, the team loses direction and efficiency.
• Poorly defined backlog – if the backlog is not well managed, the team may work on the wrong priorities. Vague requirements or too many tasks lead to ineffective sprint planning and confusion in the development process.

Useful links:

1. https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum
2. https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/scrum/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(software_development)