Scrum
An Agile framework that organises work into fixed-length sprints (1–4 weeks) with defined roles, ceremonies, and artifacts to deliver working software iteratively.
What is Scrum?
Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework. It organises work into time-boxed iterations called sprints (typically 1–2 weeks), with a defined set of roles, ceremonies, and artifacts.
Scrum roles
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Product Owner | Owns the backlog; prioritises work; represents customer needs |
| Scrum Master | Removes blockers; facilitates ceremonies; coaches the team |
| Development Team | Self-organising engineers, designers, and QA |
Scrum ceremonies
| Ceremony | Frequency | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint Planning | Start of sprint | Agree what to build this sprint |
| Daily Standup | Daily | 15-min sync on progress and blockers |
| Sprint Review | End of sprint | Demo to stakeholders; gather feedback |
| Retrospective | End of sprint | How to improve the process |
Scrum artifacts
- Product Backlog — ordered list of all work to be done
- Sprint Backlog — subset committed to the current sprint
- Increment — working, potentially shippable software produced each sprint
Free templates for Scrum
Frequently asked questions
Is the Product Manager the same as the Product Owner?
In small companies, often yes. In larger orgs, the PM owns strategy and discovery; the Product Owner handles day-to-day backlog management and is embedded in the Scrum team. They can be the same person or different people.
How long should sprints be?
2 weeks is the most common. 1 week is faster feedback but more ceremony overhead. 4 weeks risks too much work in progress and slow learning. Default to 2 weeks and adjust based on team velocity and product maturity.
Apply Scrum to your real product data
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Related terms
Agile
An iterative approach to software development that delivers working software in short cycles, embraces changing requirements, and prioritises collaboration over documentation.
Product Backlog
A prioritised list of all work — features, bugs, improvements, and technical debt — that a product team intends to build, ordered by value and urgency.
Sprint
A fixed-length iteration (usually 1–2 weeks) in Scrum during which a team completes a set amount of work from the backlog and delivers a potentially shippable increment.