Scrum Cheat Sheet

Short cheat sheet about Scrum, based on The 2020 Scrum Guide.

Scrum Guide

• First Scrum Guide in 2010
• "Developer" includes everyone (Engineer, Tester, Architect ...)

Scrum

• Developed in the early 1990
• Lightweight framework
• Changing the core design or ideas of Scrum covers up problems and limits the benefits
• Helps generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems
• The Scrum Master fosters an environment where:
  1. A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
  2. The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
  3. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
  4. Repeat
• Simple and incomplete
• Founded on empiricism and lean thinking
• Iterative and incremental approach to optimize predictability and control risk

The Empirical Pillars

Scrum combines four formal events for inspection and adaptation within the Sprint. These events work because they implement the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.

Transparency

• The process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving the work
• Transparency enables inspection
• Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful

Inspection

• The Scrum artifacts and goals must be inspected frequently to detect problems.
• Inspection enables adaptation
• Inspection without adaptation is pointless

Adaptation

• If any aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits or if the resulting product is unacceptable, adjustments must be made.
• Adjustment must be made as soon as possible to minimize further problems
• Adaptation becomes more difficult when the people involved are not empowered or self-managing

Scrum Values

Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living five values:

Commitment to achieving the goals and support each other. Focus on the work of the Sprint to make the best possible progress. Open about the work and the challenges. Respect for each other to be capable and independent people. Courage to do the right thing and to work on tough problems.

Scrum Team

• Fundamental unit of Scrum
• Consists of 1 Scrum Master, 1 Product Owner and Developers (<= 10ppl)
• No sub-teams or hierarchies
• Focused on the Product Goal
• Self-managing and has all skills necessary to create value each Sprint
• Multiple cohesive Scrum Teams share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, Product Owner and Definition of Done
• The Scrum Team is responsible for all product-related activities
• The Product Owner and Scrum Master can also be Developers

Developers

• Creating a usable increment
• Creating the Sprint Backlog
• Adhering to a Definition of Done
• Refines the Product Backlog (no more than 10% of capacity)

Product Owner

• Accountable for maximizing the value of the product
• Developing the Product Goal
• Creating and ordering Product Backlog items

Scrum Master

• Accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness
• Accountable for establishing Scrum
• Leading, training and coaching

Scrum Events

• All events are held at the same time and place to reduce complexity
• Each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt Scrum artifacts

The Sprint

• Fixed length, one month or less
• A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint
• A Sprint could only be cancelled by the Product Owner and only if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.

Sprint Planning

• Done by whole Scrum Team
• Possible to invite experts
• 8 hours for a one month sprint

1. Why is this Sprint valuable?

• The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value and utility.
• The whole Scrum Team collaborates to define a Sprint Goal.

2. What can be Done this Sprint?

• The Developers select items from the Product Backlog through discussion with the Product Owner
• The Scrum Team may refine these items at this point

3. How will the chosen work get done?

• Planning the work needed for every item (estimation of complexity)
• The Developers decompose items into work items of one day or less
• Work items need to meet the Definition of Done

Daily Scrum

• 15 minutes
• Held by the Developers
• Inspect progress
• Adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary

Sprint Review

• maximum 4 hours for a one month Sprint
• The Scrum Team presents the results
• Determine future adaptations
• The Product Backlog may be adjusted

Sprint Retrospective

• maximum 3 hours for a one month sprint
• The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done
• Plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness
• Adapting the Definition of Done

Scrum Artifacts

• Represents work or value
• Designed to maximize transparency
• Each artifact contains a commitment

Product Backlog

• Committed to the Product Goal
• The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team.
• Ordered list of what is needed to improve the product
• Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity

Sprint Backlog

• Committed to the Sprint Goal
• composed of:
  • the Sprint Goal (why),
  • set of Product Backlog items (what)
  • an plan for delivering the Increment (how)
• Updated throughout the Sprint
• Enough detail to inspect the progress in the Daily Scrum

Increment

• Committed to the Definition of Done
  • The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
• Provides value, is usable
• Additive to all prior Increments
• Consist only of work that meets the Definition of Done
• Can be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the sprint
• An item that doesn't meat the Definition of Done returns to the Product Backlog
• The Scrum Teams define one Definition of Done