As Scrum’s popularity continues to grow, so do associated myths and misunderstandings. Through this presentation, AxisAgile and Scrum Australia Director Ilan debunked many of the common misinterpretations of the world’s most popular Agile Framework.

1. Ilan Goldstein
@ilagile
AxisAgile.com
ilan@axisagile.com
Scrum Myths

2. Popularity of Agile Development
7th Annual State of Agile Development Survey 2013 by Version One (Sample size = 4048 respondents)
Organisations practicing Agile
84% 16%
More than 84% of respondents said their organisations were practicing Agile
development, up from 80% in 2011 (sample size = 4048).
YES
NO
3400 respondents
648 respondents

3. Scrum

4. Recognition
Implementation ?

5. Myth 1

6. S c r u m
is an acronym

7. SCRUM
Speaker
Claims to
Really
Understand
Myths

9. Tight, self-organising, collaborative teamwork

11. Ancient Spartan shield-locking phalanx

12. is an acronym
S C R U M

13. Myth 2

14. Sprints
S P E E D
=

18. 84%?

19. Agile processes promote
The team should be able
to maintain a
sustainable
development.
constant pace
indefinitely
Agile Manifesto 8th principle

20. Focus Vs No end...

21. Feature

22. Sprints
S P E E D
=

23. Myth 3

24. only for
software
development
Scrum is an
approach

25. Software???
Engineering???

26. § Schools
§ Homes
§ Research
§ Training materials
SAAB Gripen Fighter Jet
WikiSpeed Car

28. only for
software
development
Scrum is an
approach

29. Myth 4

31. As a something user, I
want to perform a certain
function to achieve some
benefit.

32. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items
on the right, we value the items on the
LEFT MORE.
Thanks
to:
Agile
Alliance

33. We don’t
document,
we’re agile!

34. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items
on the right, we value the items on the
LEFT MORE.
Thanks
to:
Agile
Alliance

37. Not just
1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1
0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Code
Testing
Documentation
Audit
Support
User

38. Memory
Control
upfront

39. of detail at the
Right level
right time

40. anti-
documentation
Scrum is

41. Myth 5

42. User Story
Scrum teams
must use the
format

43. As a something user, I
want to perform a certain
function to achieve some
benefit.

44. Product Backlog
Items
User Stories
Bugs
Technical Work
Knowledge
Acquisition
The product backlog can be cosmopolitan

45. User Story
Scrum teams
must use the
format

46. Myth 6

47. Planning Poker
Sprint Task Board Sprint Burndown Chart

48. Planning Poker
1004020138
5321
1
2
∞

49. Estimation is optional

50. Not
Started
In
Progress
Ready to
Verify Done!!!
As a……
I want to……
So that……
As a……
I want to……
So that……
As a……
I want to……
So that……

51. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days
?
Sprint Burndown

53. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days
Team tallies up duration of
collective sprint tasks

54. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days
Daily tally

55. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days

56. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days

57. YOU GUYS SUCK!
You’re already
behind and you’ve
barely started!

58. Total
hours
of
work
left
to
do
on
expected
days
300
270
240
210
180
150
120
90
60
30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Days

59. It’s not all bad….
Swarming

60. USE WITH CARE

61. are fundamental to Scrum
Planning Poker
Sprint Task Board
Sprint Burndown

62. Myth 7

63. two
weeks
Pre-work
must fit into

64. Work before first delivery
Sprint

65. Official
Mandated
Sprint Zero

66. Initial Product
Backlog
Formulation
SMDPO
Vision Creation
Team Formation
Sourcing
Environments

67. Sprint 0
=
2 weeks???

68. FOR
PURPOSE
F TI

69. two
weeks
Pre-work
must fit into

70. Myth 8

71. end
You
must ship
or
can only ship
at the
of every Sprint

72. Potentially
shippable
increment
product
Potentially

73. T
E
S
D
V
A
L
I
DT
D E M O N S T R EB LA
T
E
D

74. Release after multiple sprints
Release every sprint
Release every feature

75. Scrum is no
longer agile
enough!

76. At LEAST
have
something
potentially
shippable

77. end
You
must ship
or
can only ship
at the
of every Sprint

78. Myth 9

79. Product
Owner
Sprint Review
is the event
to engage the

81. Scrum Team
D D D
DPO SM
SHSH SH
Broader stakeholder community

82. PO D
Walkthrough

83. G PASenerallyG
cceptedA crumS
racticeP

84. Product
Owner
Sprint Review
is the event
to engage the

85. Myth 10

86. failure
Sprint is a
when the team
does not complete
everything
in the Sprint Backlog

87. Sprint
Backlog
Sprint
Commitment=

88. Team commits
to do their best
“
”

89. SPRINT
COMMITMENT

90. PLAN GUARANTEE
≠
PERFECT
KNOWLEDGE
WHEN
DONE=

91. Commitment
Forecast

92. Sprint
Is my Sprint a success or failure?
Success Failure

93. 100%
0%
Team 1
0%
100%
Team 2

94. BONU
Constant accuracy is a false economy

95. Day
Tester
Programmer
1
Programmer
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Test Design
Test Design
Test Design
Programming
Programming
Programming
Programming
Programming
Programming
Test Automation
Test Design
Test Automation Programming
Programming
Programming
Test Automation
Programming
Programming
Rework
Programming
Programming
Test Automation
Programming
Backlog Refinement
Exploratory Testing
Confirm Adjustments
Backlog Refinement
Walkthrough
Sprint Planning
Review and Retrospective
ReworkRework
Walkthrough
Walkthrough
Exploratory Testing

96. Fear of over-extending

97. NEAR HORIZON PLANNING

98. Swarm to deliver product increments
Swarming

99. LESS
MORE

100. 100%
ACCURATE
FORECAST
CULTURE
OF
FEAR=

101. PLANNED
PLANNED
PLANNED
PLANNED
PLANNED
0%
100%
PLANNED
PLANNED
PLANNED
PLANNED
0%
100%
Sometimes over
EXTRA
Sometimes under
PLANNED

102. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

103. failure
Sprint is a
when the team
does not complete
everything
in the Sprint Backlog

104. Myth 11

105. end-to-end
Requirement
must
in the one Sprint
be completed

106. D
D
D
D
D

107. FUNCTIONAL DESIGN
TECHNICAL DESIGN
TEST DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
TESTING
PBIA
SPRINT3

109. Sprint...

110. often unpredictability
=
Functional
design
requires
socialization

111. Delays
Waste
Confusion

113. end-to-end
Requirement
must
in the one Sprint
be completed

114. Myth 12

115. cross-
functional
All
Scrum team
members
must be

116. Design Team
Front-end
Development
Team
Testing
Team
Back-end
Development
Team

118. TESTING
TECHNICAL WRITING
USEREXPERIENCE

119. Can a UX designer
potentially conduct
some testing?

120. Teamwork

121. D
My bit is done,
it’s your
problem now
D

122. cross-
functional
All
Scrum team
members
must be

123. Final
Myth...

124. D
D
D
D
D

125. SCRUMBUT
Scrum butWe try to do we have to
conduct a testing Sprint from time to time
“
”

126. Rome wasn’t built
in a day!

127. SCRUMBUT
SCRUM IN
PROGRESS

128. HYPOCRITICAL

129. Incrementally
iteratively improve
products
process of Scrum
&
not just our
but also the

130. It’s not about loops and lists...

131. Close feedback loops as
soon as possible
Continuously improve
both product & process

133. Ilan Goldstein
@ilagile
AxisAgile.com
ilan@axisagile.com
Scrum Myths