The Comprehensive Guide to Starting a Successful Tech Startup
The comprehensive guide to starting a successful tech startup. Crafting your startup odyssey, from conception to sustained triumph.
Scrum
A popular form of Agile is <anchor>Scrum</anchor>, where you build your product in multiple sprints based on the importance of the features you are building. Scrum is a widely adopted framework by many software product teams. There are other Agile methodologies to choose from based on the scale and structure of your startup, such as Kanban.
What is scrum and how to get started
What is scrum and how to get started

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# What is scrum and how to get started

Scrum Guide - What it is, how it works, and how to start

##### Browse Topics

[Agile manifesto](/agile/manifesto)

[Scrum](/agile/scrum)

[Overview](/agile/scrum)

[Sprints](/agile/scrum/sprints)

[Sprint planning](/agile/scrum/sprint-planning)

[Ceremonies](/agile/scrum/ceremonies)

[Backlogs](/agile/scrum/backlogs)

[Sprint reviews](/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews)

[Standups](/agile/scrum/standups)

[Scrum master](/agile/scrum/scrum-master)

[Retrospectives](/agile/scrum/retrospectives)

[Distributed scrum](/agile/scrum/distributed-scrum)

[Roles](/agile/scrum/roles)

[Scrum of scrums](/agile/scrum/scrum-of-scrums)

[Agile scrum artifacts](/agile/scrum/artifacts)

[Scrum metrics](/agile/scrum/scrum-metrics)

[Jira Confluence scrum](/agile/scrum/jira-confluence-scrum)

[Agile vs Scrum](/agile/scrum/agile-vs-scrum)

[Backlog Refinement Guide](/agile/scrum/backlog-refinement)

[Kanban](/agile/kanban)

[Overview](/agile/kanban)

[Boards](/agile/kanban/boards)

[WIP limits](/agile/kanban/wip-limits)

[Kanban vs Scrum](/agile/kanban/kanban-vs-scrum)

[Kanplan](/agile/kanban/kanplan)

[Kanban cards](/agile/kanban/cards)

[Agile project management](/agile/project-management)

[Overview](/agile/project-management)

[Project management intro](/agile/project-management/project-management-intro)

[Workflow](/agile/project-management/workflow)

[Epics, stories, themes](/agile/project-management/epics-stories-themes)

[Epics](/agile/project-management/epics)

[User Stories](/agile/project-management/user-stories)

[Estimation](/agile/project-management/estimation)

[Metrics](/agile/project-management/metrics)

[Gantt chart](/agile/project-management/gantt-chart)

[Program management vs. project management](/agile/project-management/program-management)

[Project baseline](/agile/project-management/project-baseline)

[Continuous improvement](/agile/project-management/continuous-improvement)

[Lean principles](/agile/project-management/lean-principles)

[3 pillars of Scrum](/agile/project-management/3-pillars-scrum)

[Scrum Board](/agile/project-management/scrum-board)

[Waterfall Methodology](/agile/project-management/waterfall-methodology)

[Velocity in Scrum](/agile/project-management/velocity-scrum)

[What is Definition of Ready](/agile/project-management/definition-of-ready)

[Lean vs. agile](/agile/project-management/lean-vs-agile)

[Scrumban](/agile/project-management/scrumban)

[Lean Methodology](/agile/project-management/lean-methodology)

[Sprint backlog](/agile/project-management/sprint-backlog)

[Burn up chart](/agile/project-management/burn-up-chart)

[4 kanban principles](/agile/project-management/kanban-principles)

[4 kanban metrics](/agile/project-management/kanban-metrics)

[Program vs. Project Manager](/agile/project-management/program-vs-project-manager)

[Gantt chart examples](/agile/project-management/gantt-chart-examples)

[Definition of done](/agile/project-management/definition-of-done)

[Backlog grooming](/agile/project-management/backlog-grooming)

[Lean vs agile project management](/agile/project-management/lean-project-management)

[Lean process improvement](/agile/project-management/lean-process-improvement)

[Backlog refinement meetings](/agile/project-management/backlog-refinement-meeting)

[Scrum values](/agile/project-management/scrum-values)

[Scope of work](/agile/project-management/scope-of-work)

[Scrum tools](/agile/project-management/scrum-tools)

[Tools](/agile/project-management/tools)

[Workflow automation software](/agile/project-management/workflow-automation-software)

[Templates](/agile/project-management/templates)

[Task tracker](/agile/project-management/task-tracker)

[Workflow automation](/agile/project-management/workflow-automation)

[Status report](/agile/project-management/status-report)

[Workflow chart](/agile/project-management/workflow-chart)

[Project roadmap](/agile/project-management/project-roadmap)

[Project schedule](/agile/project-management/project-schedule)

[Tracking software](/agile/project-management/issue-tracking-software)

[Roadmap tools](/agile/project-management/roadmap-tools)

[Technology roadmap](/agile/project-management/technology-roadmap)

[Project scheduling software](/agile/project-management/project-scheduling-software)

[Backlog management tools](/agile/project-management/backlog-management-tools)

[Understanding workflow management strategies](/agile/project-management/workflow-management)

[Workflow examples](/agile/project-management/workflow-examples)

[Create project roadmap](/agile/project-management/create-project-roadmap)

[Sprint planning tools](/agile/project-management/sprint-planning-tools)

[Sprint demo](/agile/project-management/sprint-demo)

[Project Timeline Software](/agile/project-management/project-timeline-software)

[Top task management tools](/agile/project-management/task-management-tools)

[Product backlog vs. sprint backlog](/agile/project-management/sprint-backlog-product-backlog)

[Product Management](/agile/product-management)

[Overview](/agile/product-management)

[Product Roadmaps](/agile/product-management/product-roadmaps)

[Product Manager](/agile/product-management/product-manager)

[Tips for new product managers](/agile/product-management/tips-for-new-product-manager)

[Roadmaps](/agile/product-management/roadmaps)

[Tips for presenting product roadmaps](/agile/product-management/tips-for-presenting-product-roadmaps)

[Requirements](/agile/product-management/requirements)

[Product analytics](/agile/product-management/product-analytics)

[Product development](/agile/product-management/product-development)

[Remote product management](/agile/product-management/remote-product-management)

[Minimal viable product](/agile/product-management/minimum-viable-product)

[Product discovery](/agile/product-management/discovery)

[Product specification](/agile/product-management/product-specification)

[Product development strategy](/agile/product-management/product-development-strategy)

[Product development software](/agile/product-management/product-development-software)

[New product development process](/agile/product-management/new-product-development-process)

[Product management KPIs](/agile/product-management/product-management-kpis)

[Net Promoter Score (NPS)](/agile/product-management/nps-score)

[Product critique](/agile/product-management/product-critique)

[Prioritization frameworks](/agile/product-management/prioritization-framework)

[Product features](/agile/product-management/product-features)

[Product management tools](/agile/product-management/product-management-tools)

[Product Lifecycle Management](/agile/product-management/plm)

[9 best roadmap software for teams](/agile/product-management/roadmap-software)

[Product launch checklist](/agile/product-management/product-launch-checklist)

[Product strategy](/agile/product-management/product-strategy)

[Value Stream Management](/agile/value-stream-management)

[Agile at scale](/agile/agile-at-scale)

[Overview](/agile/agile-at-scale)

[Managing an agile portfolio](/agile/agile-at-scale/managing-an-agile-portfolio)

[Lean portfolio management](/agile/agile-at-scale/lean-portfolio-management)

[Okrs](/agile/agile-at-scale/okr)

[Long-term agile planning](/agile/agile-at-scale/long-term-agile-planning)

[What is SAFe?](/agile/agile-at-scale/what-is-safe)

[Spotify model](/agile/agile-at-scale/spotify)

[Organizational agility with Scrum@Scale](/agile/agile-at-scale/scrum-at-scale)

[Scaling agile with Rosetta Stone](/agile/agile-at-scale/scaling-agile-with-portfolio-for-jira)

[Agile iron triangle](/agile/agile-at-scale/agile-iron-triangle)

[The Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) framework](/agile/agile-at-scale/less)

[Using Improvement Kata to support lean](/agile/agile-at-scale/using-improvement-kata-to-support-lean)

[Beyond the basics whitepaper](/agile/agile-at-scale/beyond-the-basics-whitepaper)

[Software development](/agile/software-development)

[Overview](/agile/software-development)

[Developer](/agile/software-development/developer)

[Dev managers vs scrum masters](/agile/software-development/dev-managers-vs-scrum-masters)

[Git](/agile/software-development/git)

[Branching](/agile/software-development/branching)

[Git branching video](/agile/software-development/git-branching-video)

[Code reviews](/agile/software-development/code-reviews)

[Release](/agile/software-development/release)

[Stress free release](/agile/software-development/stress-free-release)

[Technical debt](/agile/software-development/technical-debt)

[Testing](/agile/software-development/testing)

[Incident response](/agile/software-development/incident-response)

[Continuous integration](/agile/software-development/continuous-integration)

[Design](/agile/design)

[Overview](/agile/design)

[Product design process customer interview](/agile/design/product-design-process-customer-interview)

[Collaborative design in agile teams video](/agile/design/collaborative-design-in-agile-teams-video)

[Agile marketing](/agile/agile-marketing)

[Overview](/agile/agile-marketing)

[What is Agile Marketing?](/agile/agile-marketing/what-is-agile-marketing)

[How to create an agile marketing team](/agile/agile-marketing/agile-marketing-team)

[The agile advantage](/agile/advantage)

[Overview](/agile/advantage)

[Connecting business strategy to development reality](/agile/advantage/connect-business-strategy-to-development-reality)

[Agile is a competitive advantage](/agile/advantage/agile-is-a-competitive-advantage)

[Cultivating an agile mindset](/agile/advantage/agile-mindset)

[Going agile](/agile/advantage/going-agile)

[DevOps](/agile/devops)

[Agile Teams](/agile/teams)

[Overview](/agile/teams)

[Remote teams](/agile/teams/remote-teams)

[Working with specialists](/agile/teams/working-with-specialists)

[Release ready teams](/agile/teams/release-ready-teams)

[Agilent’s agile transformation journey](/agile/teams/agilents-agile-transformation-journey)

[Advanced Roadmaps](/agile/teams/advanced-roadmaps-teams)

[How Twitter uses Jira](/agile/teams/jira-twitter-unified-projects-teamwork)

[How we chose our agile](/agile/teams/scrum-kanban-agile)

[Agile tutorials](/agile/tutorials)

[Overview](/agile/tutorials)

[Jira and Confluence sprint refinement](/agile/tutorials/jira-confluence-sprint-refinement)

[How to do scrum with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira)

[Learn advanced scrum with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-advanced-scrum-practices-with-jira-software)

[Learn kanban with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-kanban-with-jira)

[Learn how to use Epics in Jira](/agile/tutorials/epics)

[Learn how to create an agile board in Jira](/agile/tutorials/creating-your-agile-board)

[Learn how to use sprints in Jira](/agile/tutorials/sprints)

[Learn Versions with Jira](/agile/tutorials/versions)

[Learn Issues with Jira](/agile/tutorials/issues)

[Learn burndown charts with Jira](/agile/tutorials/burndown-charts)

[Auto-create sub-tasks and update fields in Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-auto-create-subtasks-with-jira-automation)

[How to automatically assign issues with Jira Automation](/agile/tutorials/how-to-automatically-assign-issues-with-jira-software-automation)

[How to sync epics stories with Jira Automation](/agile/tutorials/how-to-sync-epics-stories-with-jira-software-automation)

[Automatically escalate overdue issues in Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-escalate-overdue-issues-with-jira-software-automation)

[Agile conversations](/agile/agile-conversations)

[Overview](/agile/agile-conversations)

[Unlocking marketing agility](/agile/agile-conversations/marketing-agility)

[The power of agile and customer insights](/agile/agile-conversations/customer-research-tips)

[Think big, work small](/agile/agile-conversations/think-big-work-small)

[About the Agile Coach](/agile/about)

[Overview](/agile/about)

[Dan Radigan](/agile/about/dan-radigan)

[Max Rehkopf](/agile/about/max-rehkopf)

[Claire Drumond](/agile/about/claire-drumond)

[Laura Daly](/agile/about/laura-daly)

[Sherif Mansour](/agile/about/sherif-mansour)

[Martin Suntinger](/agile/about/martin-suntinger)

[All articles](/agile/articles)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/7egTEfLw7zKrKi69jm8uL/85ed73b10e82ec008b07de922a4daa94/illustrations-spot-Agile.svg)

### Get started free with the Jira scrum template

Streamline your project and easily plan, track and manage work across sprints. The Jira scrum template includes boards, backlogs, roadmaps, reports — and more!

Use template

## What is scrum?

Scrum is an [agile project management](/en/agile/project-management) framework that helps teams structure and manage their work through a set of values, principles, and practices. Much like a rugby team (where it gets its name) training for the big game, scrum encourages teams to learn through experiences, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve.

While the scrum I’m talking about is most frequently used by software development teams, its principles and lessons can be applied to all kinds of teamwork. This is one of the reasons scrum is so popular. Often thought of as an agile project management framework, scrum describes a set of meetings, tools, and roles that work in concert to help teams structure and manage their work.

In this article, we’ll discuss how a traditional scrum framework is comprised with the help of the [Scrum Guide](https://www.scrumguides.org/) and David West, CEO of Scrum.org. We’ll also include examples of how we see our customers stray from these fundamentals to fit their specific needs. For that, our own Megan Cook, Head of Product for Jira and former agile coach, will give tips and tricks in our Agile Coach video series:

[![What is scrum-c](data:image/png;base64,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)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/b02ZkndLk1Y?si=AupENx5sVC6oaNKA)

[Read on below](#continued)

### Scrum featured content

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Sprints

#### Article

A sprint is a short, time boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprints)

[Sprints](/agile/scrum/sprints)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Sprint Planning

#### Article

Sprint Planning is an event in scrum that defines what can be delivered in the upcoming sprint and how that work will be achieved.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprint-planning)

[Sprint Planning](/agile/scrum/sprint-planning)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Four agile ceremonies, demystified

#### Article

Learn how to facilitate great agile ceremonies like sprint planning, daily stand-ups, iteration review and retrospectives.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/ceremonies)

[Four agile ceremonies, demystified](/agile/scrum/ceremonies)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### The product backlog: your ultimate to-do list

#### Article

What is a product backlog in agile or scrum? Learn about the best practices for managing and prioritizing a healthy product backlog.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/backlogs)

[The product backlog: your ultimate to-do list](/agile/scrum/backlogs)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Three steps to better sprint reviews

#### Article

Learn how sprint reviews demonstrate the hard work of the entire team: designers, developers, and the product owner.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews)

[Three steps to better sprint reviews](/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Standups for agile teams

#### Article

Learn how standups contribute to a healthy agile program and some tips and tricks for you and your team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/standups)

[Standups for agile teams](/agile/scrum/standups)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### What is a Scrum Master?

#### Article

Learn what a Scrum Master is (and what they are NOT), and how the role supports and works with other members of an agile team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/scrum-master)

[What is a Scrum Master?](/agile/scrum/scrum-master)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Agile retrospectives: Use the past to define the future

#### Article

A retrospective helps teams perform better over time. See what the agile community is saying and learn how to run your own retrospective meetings.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/retrospectives)

[Agile retrospectives: Use the past to define the future](/agile/scrum/retrospectives)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Agile Scrum Roles

#### Article

Learn about the responsibilities and activities associated with the three major agile scrum roles: scrum master, product owner, and development team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/roles)

[Agile Scrum Roles](/agile/scrum/roles)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Scrum of scrums

#### Article

Scrum of scrums is a scaled agile technique that offers a way to connect multiple teams who need to work together to deliver complex solutions. Learn how to scale scrum with examples from Atlassian and others.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/scrum-of-scrums)

[Scrum of scrums](/agile/scrum/scrum-of-scrums)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/5U0QSDbO8grOHUVHBCZX6o/0f45384030e6579b50b42aee677fe532/ScrumTutorial.svg)

### Learn scrum with Jira

#### Tutorial

A step-by-step guide on how to drive a scrum project, prioritize and organize your backlog into sprints, run the scrum ceremonies and more, all in Jira.

[Try this tutorial](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

[Learn scrum with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

### From silo to cohesion with Jira Scrum Boards

#### Product Feature

The Jira Scrum Board is the visual display of progress during the development cycle.

[Get it free](/software/jira/features/scrum-boards)

[From silo to cohesion with Jira Scrum Boards](/software/jira/features/scrum-boards)

\[Continued\]

## Agile vs. scrum

People often think scrum and agile are the same thing because scrum is centered around [continuous improvement](/en/agile/project-management/continuous-improvement), which is a core principle of agile. However, scrum is a framework for getting work done, whereas [agile](/agile) is a philosophy. The agile philosophy centers around continuous incremental improvement through small and frequent releases. You can’t really “go agile”, as it takes dedication from the whole team to change the way they think about delivering value to your customers. But you can use a framework like scrum to help you start thinking that way and to practice building agile principles into your everyday communication and work.

The difference between agile and the definition of scrum can be found in the Scrum guide and the [Agile manifesto](/en/agile/manifesto). The Agile manifesto outlines four values:

- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

- Working software over comprehensive documentation

- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

- Responding to change over following a plan


The definition of scrum is based on empiricism and lean thinking. Empiricism says that knowledge comes from experience and that decisions are made based on what is observed. Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on essentials. The scrum framework is heuristic; it’s based on continuous learning and adjustment to fluctuating factors. It acknowledges that the team doesn’t know everything at the start of a project and will evolve through experience. Scrum is structured to help teams naturally adapt to changing conditions and user requirements, with re-prioritization built into the process and short release cycles so your team can constantly learn and improve.

![sprint-cycle-c](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/8DvkKeArR8KNVYvmf539p/495fd3a3c6c136e2d3e38ed623b11054/image.png?fm=webp&w=740)

While scrum is structured, it is not entirely rigid. Its execution can be tailored to the needs of any organization. There are many theories about how exactly scrum teams must work in order to be successful. However, after more than a decade of helping agile teams get work done at Atlassian, we’ve learned that clear communication, transparency, and a dedication to continuous improvement should always remain at the center of whatever framework you choose. And the rest is up to you.

## The scrum framework

The scrum framework outlines a set of values, principles, and practices that scrum teams follow to deliver a product or service. It details the members of a scrum team and their accountabilities, “artifacts” that define the product and work to create the product, and scrum ceremonies that guide the scrum team through work.

## Members of a scrum team

A scrum team is a small and nimble team dedicated to delivering committed product increments. A scrum team’s size is typically small, at around 10 people, but it’s large enough to complete a substantial amount of work within a sprint. A scrum team needs three specific roles: product owner, [scrum master](/en/agile/scrum/scrum-master), and the development team. And because scrum teams are cross-functional, the development team includes testers, designers, UX specialists, and ops engineers in addition to developers.

[![Scrum roles-c](data:image/png;base64,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)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/fIY-yi4ckkE?si=Ulae7Yv-JAZEm72y)

### The scrum product owner

Product owners are the champions for their product. They are focused on understanding business, customer, and market requirements, then prioritizing the work to be done by the engineering team accordingly. Effective product owners:

- Build and manage the product backlog.

- Closely partner with the business and the team to ensure everyone understands the work items in the product backlog.

- Give the team clear guidance on which features to deliver next.

- Decide when to ship the product with a predisposition towards more frequent delivery.


The product owner is not always the [product manager](/en/agile/product-management/product-manager). Product owners focus on ensuring the development team delivers the most value to the business. Also, it's important that the product owner be an individual. No development team wants mixed guidance from multiple product owners.

### The scrum master

Scrum masters are the champions of scrum within their teams. They coach teams, product owners, and the business on the scrum process, and look for ways to fine-tune their practice of it.

An effective scrum master deeply understands the work being done by the team and can help the team optimize their transparency and delivery flow. As the facilitator-in-chief, he/she schedules the needed resources (both human and logistical) for sprint planning, stand-up, sprint review, and the sprint retrospective.

### The scrum development team

Scrum teams get s\*%& done. They are the champions for sustainable development practices. The most effective scrum teams are tight-knit, co-located, and usually five to seven members. One way to work out the team size is to use the famous ‘two pizza rule’ coined by Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon (the team should be small enough to share two pizzas).

Team members have differing skill sets, and cross-train each other so no one person becomes a bottleneck in the delivery of work. Strong scrum teams are self-organizing and approach their projects with a clear ‘we’ attitude. All members of the team help one another to ensure a successful sprint completion.

The scrum team drives the plan for each sprint. They forecast how much work they believe they can complete over the iteration using their historical velocity as a guide. Keeping the iteration length fixed gives the development team important feedback on their estimation and delivery process, which in turn makes their forecasts increasingly accurate over time.

## Scrum artifacts

[Scrum artifacts](/en/agile/scrum/artifacts) are important information used by the scrum team that helps define the product and what work to be done to create the product. There are three artifacts in scrum: product backlog, a sprint backlog, and an increment with your definition of “done”. They are the three constants a scrum team should reflect on during [sprints](/en/agile/scrum/sprints) and over time.

[![Scrum artifacts-c](data:image/png;base64,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)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/BkiAMlUF3YI?si=O7JlQ9PT8r5RY5Nb)

- **Product Backlog** is the primary list of work that needs to get done and maintained by the product owner or product manager. This is a dynamic list of features, requirements, enhancements, and fixes that acts as the input for the sprint backlog. It is, essentially, the team’s “To Do” list. The product backlog is constantly revisited, re-prioritized and maintained by the Product Owner because, as we learn more or as the market changes, items may no longer be relevant or problems may get solved in other ways.

- **Sprint Backlog** is the list of items, [user stories](/en/agile/project-management/user-stories), or bug fixes, selected by the development team for implementation in the current sprint cycle. Before each sprint, in the sprint planning meeting (which we’ll discuss later in the article) the team chooses which items it will work on for the sprint from the product backlog. A sprint backlog may be flexible and can evolve during a sprint. However, the fundamental sprint goal – what the team wants to achieve from the current sprint – cannot be compromised.

- **Increment** (or Sprint Goal) is the usable end-product from a sprint. At Atlassian, we usually demonstrate the “increment” during the end-of-sprint demo, where the team shows what was completed in the sprint. You may not hear the word “increment” out in the world, as it’s often referred to as the team’s definition of “Done”, a milestone, the sprint goal, or even a full version or a [shipped epic](/en/agile/project-management/epics). It just depends on how your teams defines “Done” and how you define your sprint goals. For example, some teams choose to release something to their customers at the end of every sprint. So their definition of ‘done’ would be ‘shipped’. However, this may not be realistic of other types of teams. Say you work on a server-based product that can only ship to your customers every quarter. You may still choose to work in 2-week sprints, but your definition of ‘done’ may be finishing part of a larger version that you plan to ship together. But of course, the longer it takes to release software, the higher the risk that software will miss the mark.


As you can tell, there are lots of variations, even within artifacts, that your team can choose to define. That’s why it’s important to be remain open to evolving how you maintain even your artifacts. Perhaps your definition of ‘done’ provides undo stress on your team, and you need to go back and pick a new definition.

status-exclaim

Pro Tip:

You should be just as agile with your framework as you are with your product. Take the necessary time to check in on how things are going, make adjustments if needed, and don’t force something just for the sake of consistency.

## Scrum ceremonies or events

The scrum framework includes scrum practices, ceremonies, and meetings that scrum teams perform on a regular basis. The [agile ceremonies](/en/agile/scrum/ceremonies) are where we see the most variations for teams. For example, some teams find doing all of these ceremonies cumbersome and repetitive, while others use them as a necessary check-in. Our advice is to start out using all of the ceremonies for two sprints and see how it feels. You can then perform a quick [retro](/en/agile/scrum/retrospectives) and see where you might need to adjust.

[![how scrum works-c](data:image/png;base64,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)](https://www.youtube.com/embed/js8qoCVuQko?si=2SkR13tqsxnlvbIZ)

Below is a list of all the key ceremonies a scrum team might partake in:

1. **Organize the backlog**: Sometimes known as backlog grooming, this event is the responsibility of the product owner. The product owner’s main jobs are to drive the product towards its product vision and have a constant pulse on the market and the customer. Therefore, he/she maintains this list using feedback from users and the development team to help prioritize and keep the list clean and ready to be worked on at any given time. You can read more about [maintaining a healthy backlog here](/en/agile/scrum/backlogs).

2. **Sprint planning**: The work to be performed (scope) during the current [sprint](https://confluence.atlassian.com/agile/glossary/sprint) is planned during this meeting by the entire development team. This meeting is led by the scrum master and is where the team decides on the sprint goal. Specific user stories are then added to the sprint from the product backlog.  These stories always align with the goal and are also agreed upon by the scrum team to be feasible to implement during the sprint.

At the end of the planning meeting, every scrum member needs to be clear on what can be delivered in the sprint and how the increment can be delivered.

3. **Sprint**: A sprint is the actual time period when the scrum team works together to finish an increment. Two weeks is a pretty typical length for a sprint, though some teams find a week to be easier to scope or a month to be easier to deliver a valuable increment. Dave West, from Scrum.org advises that the more complex the work and the more unknowns, the shorter the sprint should be. But it’s really up to your team, and you shouldn’t be afraid to change it if it’s not working! During this period, the scope can be re-negotiated between the product owner and the development team if necessary. This forms the crux of the empirical nature of scrum.

All the events — from planning to retrospective — happen during the sprint. Once a certain time interval for a sprint is established, it has to remain consistent throughout the development period. This helps the team learn from past experiences and apply that insight to future sprints.

4. [**Daily scrum or stand up:**](/agile/scrum/standups) This is a daily super-short meeting that happens at the same time (usually mornings) and a place to keep it simple. Many teams try to complete the meeting in 15 minutes, but that’s just a guideline. This meeting is also called a ‘daily stand-up’ emphasizing that it needs to be a quick one. The goal of the daily scrum is for everyone on the team to be on the same page, aligned with the sprint goal, and to get a plan out for the next 24 hours.

**The stand up is the time to voice any concerns you have with meeting the sprint goal or any blockers.**

A common way to conduct a stand up is for every team member to answer three questions in the context of achieving the sprint goal:



• What did I do yesterday?

• What do I plan to do today?

• Are there any obstacles?



However, we’ve seen the meeting quickly turn into people reading from their calendars from yesterday and for the next day. The theory behind the stand up is that it keeps distracting chatter to a daily meeting, so the team can focus on the work for the rest of the day.  So if it turns into a daily calendar read-out, don’t be afraid to change it up and get creative.

5. **Sprint review**: At the end of the sprint, the team gets together for an informal session to view a demo of, or inspect, the increment. The development team showcases the backlog items that are now ‘Done’ to stakeholders and teammates for feedback. The product owner can decide whether or not to release the increment, although in most cases the increment is released.

This review meeting is also when the product owner reworks the product backlog based on the current sprint, which can feed into the next sprint planning session. For a one-month sprint, consider time-boxing your [sprint review](/en/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews) to a maximum of four hours.

6. **Sprint retrospective**: The [retrospective](/en/agile/scrum/retrospectives) is where the team comes together to document and discuss what worked and what didn’t work in a sprint, a project, people or relationships, tools, or even for certain ceremonies. The idea is to create a place where the team can focus on what went well and what needs to be improved for the next time, and less about what went wrong.


![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/7egTEfLw7zKrKi69jm8uL/85ed73b10e82ec008b07de922a4daa94/illustrations-spot-Agile.svg)

### Get started free with the Jira scrum template

Streamline your project and easily plan, track and manage work across sprints. The Jira scrum template includes boards, backlogs, roadmaps, reports — and more!

[Use template](/software/jira/templates/scrum)

## Scrum values

In 2016, five scrum values were added to the Scrum Guide. These values provide direction toward work, actions, and the behavior of the scrum team. They are considered essential to a scrum team’s success.

### Commitment

Because scrum teams are small and agile, each team member plays a significant role in the team’s success. Therefore, each team member should agree to commit to performing tasks they can complete and not overcommit. There should be frequent communication regarding work progress, often in stand-ups.

### Courage

Courage for a scrum team is simply the bravery to question the status quo or anything that hampers its ability to succeed. Scrum team members should have the courage, and feel safe enough, to try new things. A scrum team should have the courage and feel safe to be transparent about roadblocks, project progress, delays, and so on.

### Focus

At the heart of the workflow for scrum teams is the sprint, a focused and specified period of time where the team completes a set amount of work. The sprint provides structure but also focus to complete the planned amount of work.

### Openness

The [daily stand-up](/en/agile/scrum/standups) fosters an openness that allows teams to talk openly about work in progress and blockers. At Atlassian we often have our scrum teams address these questions:

- What did I work on yesterday?

- What am I working on today?

- What issues are blocking me?


This helps to highlight progress and identify blockers. It also helps to strengthen the team when everyone shares progress.

### Respect

The strength of an agile team lies in its collaboration and recognizing that each team member contributes to work in a sprint. They celebrate each other’s accomplishments and are respectful to one another, the product owner, stakeholders, and the scrum master.

## Scrum, kanban, and agile

Scrum is such a popular agile framework that scrum and agile are often misunderstood to be the same thing. But there are other frameworks, like [kanban](/en/agile/kanban), which is a popular alternative. Some companies even choose to follow a hybrid model of scrum and kanban, which has acquired the name of "Scrumban" or " [Kanplan](/en/agile/kanban/kanplan)," which is Kanban with a backlog.

Both scrum and kanban use visual methods such as the scrum board or [kanban board](/en/agile/kanban/boards) to track the progress of work. Both emphasize efficiency and splitting complex tasks into smaller chunks of manageable work, but their approaches towards that goal are different.

Scrum focuses on smaller, fixed-length iterations. Once the time period for a sprint is finalized, the stories or product backlog entries that can be implemented during this sprint cycle are then determined. In kanban, however, the number of tasks or the work in progress (WIP limit) to be implemented in the current cycle is fixed at first. The time taken to implement these features is then calculated backward.

Kanban is not as structured as scrum. Other than the WIP limit, it is fairly open to interpretation. Scrum, however, has several categorical concepts enforced as part of its implementation such as sprint review, retrospective, daily scrum, etc. It also insists on cross-functionality, which is the ability of a scrum team to not depend on external members to achieve their goals. Putting together a [cross-functional team](/en/agile/teams) is not straightforward. In that sense, kanban is easier to adapt whereas scrum can be considered as a fundamental shift in the thought process and functioning of a development team.

## Getting started with scrum

The scrum framework itself is simple. The rules, artifacts, events, and roles are easy to understand. Its semi-prescriptive approach actually helps remove the ambiguities in the development process, while giving sufficient space for companies to introduce their individual flavor to it.

The organization of complex tasks into manageable user stories makes it ideal for difficult projects. Also, the clear demarcation of roles and planned events ensure that there is transparency and collective ownership throughout the development cycle. Quick releases keep the team motivated and the users happy as they can see progress in a short amount of time.

However, scrum could take time to fully understand, especially if the development team is acclimatized to a typical waterfall model. The concepts of smaller iterations, daily scrum meetings, sprint reviews, and identifying a scrum master could be a challenging cultural shift for a new team.

But, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial learning curve. Scrum’s success in developing complex hardware and software products across diverse industries and verticals makes it a compelling framework to [adopt for your organization](/en/agile/agile-at-scale).

To learn scrum with Jira, [check out this tutorial](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software).

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/7egTEfLw7zKrKi69jm8uL/85ed73b10e82ec008b07de922a4daa94/illustrations-spot-Agile.svg)

### Get started free with the Jira scrum template

Streamline your project and easily plan, track and manage work across sprints. The Jira scrum template includes boards, backlogs, roadmaps, reports — and more!

Use template

![Claire Drumond](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/50Lljow5TxZLDkyLXEiRF1/6a5396fd00e5bb0bafb12ad294482601/ClaireDrumond_Circle_Headshot_AceShirt.png?fm=webp&w=100)

Claire Drumond

Claire Drumond is a marketing strategist, speaker, and writer for Atlassian. She is the author of numerous articles published on the Trello and Atlassian blogs and is a regular contributor to various publications on Medium including HackerNoon, Art+Marketing, and PoetsUnlimited. She speaks at tech conferences around the world about agile, breaking down silos, and building empathy.

### Scrum featured content

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Sprints

#### Article

A sprint is a short, time boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprints)

[Sprints](/agile/scrum/sprints)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Sprint Planning

#### Article

Sprint Planning is an event in scrum that defines what can be delivered in the upcoming sprint and how that work will be achieved.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprint-planning)

[Sprint Planning](/agile/scrum/sprint-planning)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Four agile ceremonies, demystified

#### Article

Learn how to facilitate great agile ceremonies like sprint planning, daily stand-ups, iteration review and retrospectives.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/ceremonies)

[Four agile ceremonies, demystified](/agile/scrum/ceremonies)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### The product backlog: your ultimate to-do list

#### Article

What is a product backlog in agile or scrum? Learn about the best practices for managing and prioritizing a healthy product backlog.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/backlogs)

[The product backlog: your ultimate to-do list](/agile/scrum/backlogs)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Three steps to better sprint reviews

#### Article

Learn how sprint reviews demonstrate the hard work of the entire team: designers, developers, and the product owner.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews)

[Three steps to better sprint reviews](/agile/scrum/sprint-reviews)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Standups for agile teams

#### Article

Learn how standups contribute to a healthy agile program and some tips and tricks for you and your team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/standups)

[Standups for agile teams](/agile/scrum/standups)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### What is a Scrum Master?

#### Article

Learn what a Scrum Master is (and what they are NOT), and how the role supports and works with other members of an agile team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/scrum-master)

[What is a Scrum Master?](/agile/scrum/scrum-master)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Agile retrospectives: Use the past to define the future

#### Article

A retrospective helps teams perform better over time. See what the agile community is saying and learn how to run your own retrospective meetings.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/retrospectives)

[Agile retrospectives: Use the past to define the future](/agile/scrum/retrospectives)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Agile Scrum Roles

#### Article

Learn about the responsibilities and activities associated with the three major agile scrum roles: scrum master, product owner, and development team.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/roles)

[Agile Scrum Roles](/agile/scrum/roles)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/64zThTa62mfG209YoEU2K3/c7ed5e27c83dd313f60fd6c3726ed3eb/ScrumTitle2018.svg)

### Scrum of scrums

#### Article

Scrum of scrums is a scaled agile technique that offers a way to connect multiple teams who need to work together to deliver complex solutions. Learn how to scale scrum with examples from Atlassian and others.

[Read this article](/agile/scrum/scrum-of-scrums)

[Scrum of scrums](/agile/scrum/scrum-of-scrums)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/5U0QSDbO8grOHUVHBCZX6o/0f45384030e6579b50b42aee677fe532/ScrumTutorial.svg)

### Learn scrum with Jira

#### Tutorial

A step-by-step guide on how to drive a scrum project, prioritize and organize your backlog into sprints, run the scrum ceremonies and more, all in Jira.

[Try this tutorial](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

[Learn scrum with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

### From silo to cohesion with Jira Scrum Boards

#### Product Feature

The Jira Scrum Board is the visual display of progress during the development cycle.

[Get it free](/software/jira/features/scrum-boards)

[From silo to cohesion with Jira Scrum Boards](/software/jira/features/scrum-boards)

![](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/5U0QSDbO8grOHUVHBCZX6o/0f45384030e6579b50b42aee677fe532/ScrumTutorial.svg)

### Learn scrum with Jira

#### Tutorial

A step-by-step guide on how to drive a scrum project, prioritize and organize your backlog into sprints, run the scrum ceremonies and more, all in Jira.

[Try this tutorial](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

[Learn scrum with Jira](/agile/tutorials/how-to-do-scrum-with-jira-software)

![KanbanTitle](//images.ctfassets.net/xjcz23wx147q/2bMqnhN9wBPQNXpO8xXxqI/6d5fd33f68f834e7a19716d3a59046bd/KanbanTitle.svg)

### Kanban

#### Article

An introduction to kanban methodology for agile software development and its benefits for your agile team.

[Read this article](/agile/kanban)

[Kanban](/agile/kanban)

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Up Next

[Sprints](/agile/scrum/sprints)

Agile Topics

[Agile project management](/agile/project-management)

[Scrum](/agile/scrum)

[Kanban](/agile/kanban)

[Design](/agile/design)

[Software development](/agile/software-development)

[Product management](/agile/product-managment)

[Teams](/agile/teams)

[Agile at scale](/agile/agile-at-scale)

[DevOps](/agile/devops)

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