There’s been a long-standing debate: Is Scrum truly aligned with Agile? Scrum is often seen as a framework with structure, but that doesn’t mean it’s rigid. In fact, for many teams, Scrum provides a flexible system to apply Agile principles effectively in real-world scenarios. That said, Scrum may not be the right fit for every team or organization. There are multiple ways to increase agility, and Scrum is just one framework that can help—but it’s not always the only or best option.
Scrum’s Origins and the Agile Manifesto
It’s worth noting that Scrum existed before the Agile Manifesto was written. Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland, and early adopter, and one of my mentors, Mike Beedle were signatories of the Agile Manifesto, helping to shape the values and principles of Agile. While Scrum wasn’t designed to perfectly align with Agile, much of what they practiced with Scrum informed the Agile values and principles.
Mapping Scrum to the Agile Manifesto
Let’s take a closer look at how the 2020 Scrum Guide aligns with the Agile Manifesto’s values and principles. The table below summarizes how Scrum measures up:
1. 👥 Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Rating: 🟨 Medium (2)
Evidence: "The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools..." (Sprint Retrospective)
Commentary: Interactions are mentioned in Retrospectives, and there's a focus on collaboration, but Scrum emphasizes roles and frameworks, making this value less emphasized.
2. 💻 Working software over comprehensive documentation
Rating: 🟩 High (4)
Evidence: "The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint."
Commentary: While documentation isn't explicitly mentioned, the focus on delivering usable increments implies lightweight documentation.
3. 🤝 Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Rating: 🟨 Medium (3.5)
Evidence: "The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed." (Sprint Review)
Commentary: Scrum promotes collaboration with stakeholders, which may include customers, but specific mention of customer collaboration could strengthen alignment.
4. 🔄 Responding to change over following a plan
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "If the work turns out to be different than they expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog."
Commentary: Scrum fully supports change, with flexibility in the Sprint Backlog and the option to adjust scope in real-time with the Product Owner.
5. 😊 Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "Sprints are fixed length events of one month or less... A usable Increment must be created."
Commentary: Scrum's frequent delivery of usable increments ensures continuous feedback and customer satisfaction.
6. 🔀 Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "The Product Backlog is refined as needed."
Commentary: Scrum allows for continuous refinement, welcoming changes even late in development.
7. 🚀 Deliver working software frequently
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "Sprints are fixed length events of one month or less to create consistency... Each Sprint may be considered a short project."
Commentary: Scrum ensures frequent delivery of working software through its time-boxed Sprints.
8. 🤲 Business people and developers working together daily
Rating: 🟨 Medium (2.5)
Evidence: "The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog."
Commentary: While Scrum doesn't require daily interaction between business people and developers, the Product Owner (often from the business side) ensures regular collaboration.
9. 🏗️ Build projects around motivated individuals and trust them to get the job done
Rating: 🟩 High (4)
Evidence: "Scrum Teams are self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how."
Commentary: Scrum focuses on one product goal at a time and allows the team to self-manage, though it doesn't explicitly mention motivation.
10. 💬 The most efficient and effective method of conveying information is face-to-face conversation
Rating: 🟨 Medium (2)
Evidence: "The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary."
Commentary: Scrum does not explicitly mention face-to-face communication. Collaboration is emphasized, but it can be virtual or in other formats.
11. 📊 Working software is the primary measure of progress
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "The Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal... In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable."
Commentary: Scrum directly aligns with this principle by measuring progress through the Done Increment at the end of each Sprint.
12. 🌱 Agile processes promote sustainable development
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "Working in Sprints at a sustainable pace improves the Scrum Team's focus and consistency."
Commentary: Scrum supports sustainable development through its fixed-length Sprints, helping teams maintain a consistent pace of work.
13. 🔧 Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility
Rating: 🟩 High (4)
Evidence: "Developers are accountable for instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done."
Commentary: Scrum promotes technical excellence through adherence to the Definition of Done, but it doesn't specify particular technical practices.
14. 🧘 Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential
Rating: 🟨 Medium (2)
Evidence: "Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items."
Commentary: While Scrum promotes simplicity through refinement, simplicity is not emphasized as a core principle. The focus on delivering increments may imply simplicity, but it's an inference.
15. 🏛️ The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams
Rating: 🟩 High (4)
Evidence: "Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint."
Commentary: Scrum supports self-organization, but architecture isn't explicitly mentioned. This aligns more with software projects, and Scrum is used outside of software.
16. 🔍 At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective
Rating: 🟩 High (5)
Evidence: "The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness."
Commentary: The Sprint Retrospective ensures regular reflection and improvement, making this principle a key part of Scrum.The Concept of Bright Scrum and Dark Scrum
Table 1: Agile Scrum Alignment Map
It’s clear that Scrum aligns well with many Agile values and principles, especially in areas like delivering working software, responding to change, and supporting self-organizing teams. However, there are other areas where Scrum’s alignment isn’t as explicit, and some inferences are needed—like daily business collaboration or simplicity.
For a more detailed explanation of Bright Scrum (where Scrum fully embraces Agile values) and Dark Scrum (where Scrum loses sight of those values), check out my article here.
The Scrum Guide: The Minimum, Not the Goal
The 2020 Scrum Guide provides the minimum requirements to call it Scrum, but simply meeting the minimums doesn’t guarantee success. Bright Scrum requires teams to go beyond the basics, aspiring to Agile principles like delivering working software, responding to change, and collaborating with customers.
The key to Bright Scrum is not just following the rules but understanding the why behind them.
Conclusion: Where Does Scrum Fit for You?
Scrum is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a framework that can help teams increase agility, but it’s not always the best fit for everyone. There are many ways to implement Agile, and Scrum is just one tool. The key is understanding how to use Scrum in a way that best aligns with Agile principles and when it’s not the right choice for your team.