Scrum Study Guide

1. Scrum Roles & Responsibilities

Key Concepts:

  • Product Owner (PO): Owns the Product Backlog, maximizes product value, decides ordering of backlog items, communicates Product Goal.

  • Scrum Master (SM): Ensures Scrum events happen, coaches the team, removes impediments, ensures events are timeboxed and productive.

  • Developers: Self-managing professionals, turn backlog items into increments, collectively own Sprint Backlog, accountable for the Definition of Done (DoD).

Flashcards:

  • Q: Who is responsible for maximizing product value?
    A: Product Owner.

  • Q: Who attends the Daily Scrum?
    A: Developers (PO/SM only if working as Developers).

  • Q: Who owns the Sprint Backlog items?
    A: All Developers collectively, not individuals.

  • Q: Who creates the Definition of Done if none exists at the org level?
    A: The Scrum Team.

2. Scrum Artifacts

Key Concepts:

  • Product Backlog: Single source of all product work. Ordered by PO. Transparent, visible, evolving.

  • Sprint Backlog: Owned by Developers. Emergent plan to reach Sprint Goal. Updated daily.

  • Increment: Must meet the Definition of Done. Usable but does not have to be released every Sprint.

  • Definition of Done: Shared standard of quality. All Scrum Teams working on a product must share one.

Flashcards:

  • Q: Who has final say on Product Backlog ordering?
    A: Product Owner.

  • Q: When can the Sprint Backlog change?
    A: Anytime during Sprint as Developers learn more.

  • Q: Must an Increment be released every Sprint?
    A: No — but it must be usable.

  • Q: What ensures Increment quality across multiple teams?
    A: A shared Definition of Done.

3. Scrum Events

Key Concepts:

  • Sprint: Container for all events. Fixed length ≤ 1 month. Starts immediately after the last Sprint ends. Ends with the Sprint Retrospective.

  • Sprint Planning: Defines Sprint Goal, backlog items, plan. Timeboxed (≤ 8 hours for 1-month Sprint).

  • Daily Scrum: 15 mins. Developers inspect progress toward Sprint Goal. Same time/place for simplicity.

  • Sprint Review: Inspect Increment, adapt Product Backlog. Timeboxed (≤ 4 hrs for 1-month Sprint).

  • Sprint Retrospective: Inspect team process, plan improvements. Timeboxed (≤ 3 hrs for 1-month Sprint).

Flashcards:

  • Q: When does the next Sprint begin?
    A: Immediately after the previous Sprint ends.

  • Q: What are the timeboxed events?
    A: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective.

  • Q: When does a Sprint end?
    A: With the Sprint Retrospective (unless PO ends early if goal obsolete).

  • Q: Timebox of Sprint Review?
    A: Max 4 hrs for monthly Sprint (shorter for shorter Sprints).

4. Scrum Principles & Pillars

Key Concepts:

  • Empiricism: Knowledge from experience.

  • Lean Thinking: Reducing waste, maximizing value.

  • Three Pillars: Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation.

Flashcards:

  • Q: What are the three pillars of Scrum?
    A: Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation.

  • Q: Scrum is a ___ for creating complex products in complex environments.
    A: Framework.

  • Q: Is Scrum a methodology or cookbook?
    A: No, it’s a lightweight framework.

5. Rules & Misconceptions

Key Concepts:

  • External interference: No one outside Scrum Team can change Sprint Backlog once Sprint starts.

  • Ownership: No single Developer owns a Sprint Backlog item.

  • Scrum ≠ methodology: It’s not pick-and-choose. Must implement fully.

  • Misconceptions: Doesn’t eliminate complexity; doesn’t replace PMs directly; not predictive.

Flashcards:

  • Q: Who can add new work to an active Sprint?
    A: No one outside the Scrum Team.

  • Q: Can Scrum eliminate complexity?
    A: No, it helps manage it.

  • Q: Is Scrum like traditional processes with self-org instead of PMs?
    A: No.

6. Definition of Done & Work Completed

Key Concepts:

  • Increment meets DoD each Sprint.

  • Work required each Sprint: enough so that Increment meets DoD (not “everything possible”).

Flashcards:

  • Q: How much work must Developers complete each Sprint?
    A: Enough so Increment meets DoD.

  • Q: When many teams work on a product, how many Product Backlogs exist?
    A: One.