This document discusses Sprint Zero, which is the preparation period before real sprints begin for a new Scrum team. Sprint Zero is needed because the product owner and team need time to get acquainted, set up the development environment, establish processes like the definition of done, and clarify roles. The document provides a checklist of activities for Sprint Zero, including ensuring team training, setting up tools and infrastructure, defining the technical architecture and coding standards, and agreeing on the sprint agenda and planning process. It also lists signs of good and bad Scrum practices.

1. Sprint Zero: Scrum starts here ...
Hoa Luong, Scrum Master
hoa.luong@swissITbridge.com
swiss IT bridge gmbh
www.swissITbridge.com

2. Agenda
1. Difficulties when setting up new Scrum teams?
2. What is Sprint Zero?
3. Why Sprint Zero?
4. Sprint Zero Checklist
5. Good Scrum Checklist
6. Get back to the difficulties
7. Q&A

3. Who am I?
● Senior Project Manager/Scrum Master at Swiss IT Bridge
● Certified Scrum Master by ScrumAlliance.com
● Speaker & member of AgileVietnam.org
● 14 years in software development
● Used to work for SilkRoad Systems (now Harvey Nash), Axon Active
● 36 years old, one 5-year-old daughter
● Blogger @ http://it-talents.org and http://DongNhacXua.com

4. Warming up ...
What are your problems when establishing a new
Scrum team?

5. What is Sprint Zero?
Very simple:
The preparation period before real sprints start :-)

6. Why Sprint Zero?
Product Owner Team
Scrum Master

7. Why Sprint Zero?
● Product Owner and Team need to get along well
● Environment does not exists
● Processes are not clear
● Definition of Done is not defined
● Sprint agenda is unsure
and what else?

8. Why Sprint Zero?
● Product Owner and Team need to get along well
● Environment does not exists
● Processes are not clear
● Definition of Done is not defined
● Sprint agenda is unsure
and what else?

9. Sprint Zero Checklist (1) - HR
● Are Team/PO/SM available for Sprint Zero?
● Are Team/PO/SM trained for Scrum?
● Are Stakeholders aware of their roles?
● Is Team trained for technologies used in the project?
● Is Team aware and ABLE to be cross-functional?
○ Developers = Testers
● Does Product Owner know how to write user stories?
○ As <> I want <> so that <>.
○ Priority

10. Sprint Zero Checklist (2) -
Environment
● Are workstations/PCs ready? Necessary software
installed?
● Are servers ready? Necessary software installed?
● Are meeting facilities set up?
○ Conference?
○ Team knows how use?
● Version control system setup?
○ Make sure Team knows basic commands
● Is an online project workspace needed?
● Is a physical whiteboard ready?

11. Sprint Zero Checklist (2) - Environment
- Scrum Dashboard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scrum_task_board.jpg

12. Sprint Zero Checklist (3) -
Technical
● Is Team sure about technical architecture?
● Coding conventions are clear to Team?
● Does Team know how to write unit tests?
● Is automated build server setup?
○ Test coverage
○ Pass/Fail notifications
● Team knows how to deploy and Product
Owner knows how to do testing

13. Sprint Zero Checklist (4) - Process
● Is Sprint agenda
agreed?
Sprint Planning 1 Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Daily Scrum
Sprint Planning 2 Product Backlogs Pre-release
Refinement
Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Daily Scrum Daily Scrum
Product Backlogs System testing Sprint review
Refinement Group testing
Cross testing Sprint
Retrospectives
Release
Source: http://it-talents.org/scrum-workshop

14. Sprint Zero Checklist (4) - Process
● Planning poker
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_poker

15. Good Scrum Smells
● Estimates are updated every day.
● Everybody is there at scrum on time every day.
● People offer to help others.
● People ask for help.
● People present the team with problems and solve them as
a team.
● There are lots of talking and interaction.
Source: Alan Atlas and Odd-e.com

16. Bad Scrum Smells
● The Sprint requires a lot more work than was planned.
● Team member reports the same item more than two days
with the same or greater estimates.
● No interaction outside of daily scrum.
● Product Owner not available for consultation.
● Distractions from outside Team.
● Definition of Done/Acceptance Criteria missing.
Source: Alan Atlas and Odd-e.com

17. References
Scrum Handbook by Jeff Sutherland
http://it-talents.org/category/process/scrum

18. Thank you
Hoa Luong can be reached at hoa.luong@swissITbridge.com or
hoa@it-talents.org