Scrum Guide Flashcards
What is Scrum?
A lightweight framework that helps people, teams, and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
What are the three empirical pillars of Scrum theory?
✅ Transparency – Making work visible - Transparency enables inspection. Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful.
✅ Inspection – Checking progress frequently - Inspection enables adaptation. Inspection without adaptation is considered pointless. Scrum events are
designed to provoke change.
✅ Adaptation – Adjusting based on inspection - Adaptation becomes more difficult when the people involved are not empowered or self-managing. A
Scrum Team is expected to adapt the moment it learns anything new through inspection.
What are the five Scrum values?
● Commitment - to achieving its goals and to supporting each other.
● Focus - on the work of the Sprint to make the best possible progress toward these goals
● Openness - Scrum Team and its stakeholders are open about the work and the challenges
● Respect
● Courage - to do the right thing, to work on tough problems
Who makes up a Scrum Team?
● Developers
● Product Owner
● Scrum Master
Within a Scrum Team, there are no sub-teams
or hierarchies. It is a cohesive unit of professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal.
What is the role of the Developers in Scrum?
Create usable increments each Sprint by:
✅ Planning the Sprint
✅ Ensuring quality through the Definition of Done
✅ Adapting plans toward the Sprint Goal
✅ Holding each other accountable
What is the role of the Product Owner in Scrum?
Maximizing the value of the product by:
● Defining and communicating the Product Goal
● Managing the Product Backlog
● Prioritizing work for the team
What is the role of the Scrum Master towards the scrum team?
Ensuring Scrum is understood and applied by:
✅ Coaching self-management and cross-functionality
✅ Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done
✅ Removing impediments
✅ Facilitating Scrum events and are kept within the
timebox
What is the role of the Scrum Master towards the Product Owner?
● Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management;
● Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items;
● Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment;
● Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.
What are the five Scrum Events?
✅ Sprint – A time-boxed cycle to create an increment
✅ Sprint Planning – Plan work for the Sprint
✅ Daily Scrum – Short daily meeting for developers
✅ Sprint Review – Inspect work and adapt backlog
✅ Sprint Retrospective – Identify ways to improve
Sprint – what happens during the sprint ?
All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal (Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective).
● No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal
● Quality does not decrease
● The Product Backlog is refined as needed
● Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner
Sprint – In what case can a sprint be cancelled?
If the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint.
Sprint – In what case can a sprint be cancelled?
If the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint.
What is the role of the Scrum Master towards the organization?
● Leading, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption;
● Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization;
● Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work
● Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams
Sprint Planning – What is its purpose?
Initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint.
What are Scrum Artifacts?
✅ Product Backlog – Ordered list of work needed for the product
✅ Sprint Backlog – Plan for delivering selected backlog items in a Sprint
✅ Increment – Work completed that meets the Definition of Done
What are the commitments in Scrum?
✅ Product Goal – The long-term objective in the Product Backlog
✅ Sprint Goal – The objective for the Sprint in the Sprint Backlog
✅ Definition of Done – A formal description of quality standards
What happens during Sprint Planning?
✅ The Scrum Team addresses:
1️⃣ Why is this Sprint valuable? (Set Sprint Goal)
2️⃣ What can be done this Sprint? (Select backlog items)
3️⃣ How will the work get done? (Create a plan)
What happens during the Daily Scrum?
✅ The Developers inspect progress and adapt the Sprint plan as necessary.
What happens during the Sprint Review?
✅ The Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the increment and adapt the Product Backlog.
What happens during the Sprint Retrospective?
✅ The Scrum Team reflects on the Sprint and identifies improvements for future Sprints.
When can a Sprint be cancelled?
✅ Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
What is the Definition of Done?
✅ A shared understanding of when work is complete and meets quality standards.
How does Scrum promote empiricism?
✅ By continuously applying transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
Scrum Cycle
- A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
- The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
- The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
- Repeat
Empiricism
asserts that knowledge comes from
experience and making decisions based on what is observed.
Lean thinking
reduces waste and focuses
on the essentials
What is a Sprint Retrospective?
A Scrum Event that occurs at the end of each Sprint to reflect on the past Sprint and identify areas for improvement.
What is the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective?
To review the Sprint, identify areas for improvement, and enhance team collaboration.
Who participates in the Sprint Retrospective?
The Developers, Scrum Master, and Product Owner.
What does the Scrum Team review during the Sprint Retrospective?
Their processes and ways to work more effectively together.
How does the Sprint Retrospective help the Scrum Team?
It provides an opportunity for continuous improvement and evolution of their way of working.
What is the outcome of a Sprint Retrospective?
A plan for the next Sprint with a plan for improvements that it may implement in the next Sprint
Implementing these improvements in the next Sprint is the adaptation to the inspection of the Scrum Team itself.
why it is important to have only one Product Owner per product?
- multiple can cause confusion among stakeholders ( It helps avoid barriers to effective communication and rapid decision-making.)
- ensures that there is clear accountability for the ultimate value of the product.
- ensures that there is clarity on who determines the order of the Product Backlog.
When is a Sprint over?
When the time-box expires
All events are time-boxed events, such that every event has a maximum duration.
Product Backlog Refinement
Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items.
This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size.
What is included in the Sprint Backlog?
typically includes a breakdown of the work to be performed during the Sprint, which can be in the form of:
- User Stories,
- associated Tasks,
- Tests to validate functionality,
- Use Cases,
and any other work items deemed necessary by the team to meet the Sprint objectives.
What is the purpose of the Sprint Review?
To inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations.
Who presents the results of the Sprint, and to whom?
The Scrum Team presents their work to key stakeholders.
What is discussed during the Sprint Review?
The progress toward the Product Goal and any changes in the environment.
What do attendees collaborate on during the Sprint Review?
They discuss what to do next based on the Sprint’s outcome and environmental changes.
How does the Sprint Review impact the Product Backlog?
The Product Backlog may be adjusted to align with new opportunities.
Why should the Sprint Review not be just a presentation?
It is a working session where stakeholders and the Scrum Team collaborate on the product’s future direction.
When does the Sprint Review occur in the Sprint cycle?
It is the second-to-last event of the Sprint.
How long is the Sprint Review for a one-month Sprint?
It is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours.
When should the Scrum Team release the increment into production?
When it makes sense
A releasable increment must be delivered at the end of each Sprint. However, the release of this increment into production is not mandatory. It is only done when it is necessary.
The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective
The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done.
points could be discussed by the Scrum Team during a Sprint Retrospective:
- Skills needed to improve the Developers’ ability to deliver
- The way the Scrum Master participates in the Sprint Planning
- Methods of communication
- Its Definition of Done
Which factors should the Scrum Team consider in the release decision?
Market Alignment Risk: Ensure the product remains relevant and valuable in the marketplace.
Customer Absorption: Assess if customers can effectively integrate and use the new release.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Evaluate if the anticipated benefits of the release outweigh the costs involved.
Customer Constraints: Identify any challenges or limitations the new release may impose on customers.
