Scrum Cheatsheet: Scrum is a term from RUGBY. It is an ordered formation of players, used to restart play, in which the forwards of a team form up with arms interlocked and heads down, and push forward against a similar group from the opposing side. The ball is thrown into the scrum and the players try to gain possession of it by kicking it back toward their own side. Let’s define Scrum from Software Delivery perspective.
Use this Scrum Cheatsheet for quick reference on Agile/Scrum Methodology. For certifications refer Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance.
Scrum Cheatsheet : Scrum Roles
Scrum Team
- The team is cross-functional and consists of 5-9 people
- There are no set project roles within the team
- The team defines tasks and assignments
- The team is self-organizing and self-managing
- Maintains the Sprint Backlog
- Conducts the Sprint Review
Product Owner (PO)
- Accountable for product success
- Defines all product features
- Responsible for prioritizing product features
- Maintains the Product Backlog
- Ensures team working on the highest valued features
Scrum Master (SM)
- Holds daily 15-minute team meeting (Daily Scrum)
- Removes obstacles Shields the team from external interference
- Maintains the Sprint Burndown Chart
- Conducts Sprint Retrospective at the end of a Sprint
- Is a facilitator not a manager
Process
- Sprint Planning
- Product Backlog
- Sprint Backlog
- Sprint Execution
- Daily Scrum
- Sprint Review
- Sprint Retrospective
Task Board
- White Board containing teams Sprint goals, backlog items, tasks, tasks in progress, “DONE” items and the daily Sprint Burndown chart.
- Scrum meeting best held around the task board
- Visible to everyone
Scrum Cheatsheet : Artifacts
Product Backlog – (PB)
- List of all desired product features
- The list can contain bugs and non-functional items
- Product Owner responsible for prioritizing
- Items can be added by anyone at anytime
- Each item should have a business value assigned
- Maintained by the Product Owner
Sprint Backlog – (SB)
- To-do list (also known as Backlog item) for the Sprint
- Created by the Scrum Team
- Product Owner has defined as the highest priority
Burndown Chart – (BC)
- Chart showing how much work remaining in a Sprint
- Calculated in hours remaining
- Maintained by the Scrum Master daily
Release Backlog – (RB)
Same as the Product Backlog. May involve one or more sprints dependent on a determined Release date
“DONE”= Potentially Shippable!
Who decides when a Release happens?
At the end of any given Sprint, the PO can initiate a Release.
Who is responsible for managing the teams?
The teams are responsible for managing themselves.
What is the length of a task?
Tasks should take no longer than 16 hours. If longer then the task should be broken down further.
Who manages obstacles?
Primary responsibility is on the Scrum Master. However, teams must learn to resolve their own issues. If not able then escalated to SM.
What are two of the biggest challenges in Scrum?
Teams not self-managing, Scrum Master managing not leading
Scrum Cheatsheet : Meetings
Sprint Planning – Day 1 / First Half
- Product backlog prepared prior to the meeting
- First-half – Team selects items committing to complete
- Additional discussion of PB occurs during actual Sprint
Sprint Planning – Day 1 / Second Half
- Occurs after first half done – PO available for questions
- Team solely responsible for deciding how to build
- Tasks created/assigned – Sprint Backlog produced
Daily Scrum
- Held every day during a Sprint
- Lasts 15 minutes
- Team members report to each other not Scrum Master
- Asks 3 questions during the meeting
- “What have you done since last daily scrum?”
- “What will you do before the next daily scrum?”
- “What obstacles are impeding your work?”
- Opportunity for team members to synchronize their work
Sprint Review
- The team presents “done” code to PO and stakeholders
- Functionality not “done” is not shown
- Feedback generated – PB maybe reprioritized
- Scrum Master sets next Sprint Review
Sprint Retrospective
- Attendees – SM and Team. PO is optional
- Questions – What went well and what can be improved?
- SM helps the team in discovery – not provide answers
Glossary of Terms
Time Box – A period of time to finish a task. The end date is set and cannot be changed
Chickens – People that are not committed to the project and are not accountable for deliverables
Pigs – People who are accountable for the project’s success
Single Wringable Neck – This is the Product Owner!
Scrum Cheatsheet : Estimating
User Stories
- A very high-level definition of what the customer wants the system to do.
- Each story is captured as a separate item on the Product Backlog
- User stories are NOT dependent on other stories
- Story Template: “As a <User> I want <Function> So that <Desired result>
- Story Example: As a user, I want to print a recipe so that I can cook it.
Story Points
- A simple way to initially estimate the level of effort expected to develop
- Story points are a relative measure of feature difficulty
- Usually scored on a scale of 1-10. 1=very easy through 10=very difficult
- Example: “Send to a Friend” Story Points = 2 “Shopping Cart” Story Points = 9
Business Value
- Each User Story in the Product Backlog should have a corresponding business value assigned.
- Typically assign (L,M,H) Low, Medium, High
- PO prioritizes Backlog items by the highest value
Estimate Team Capacity
- Capacity = # Teammates (Productive Hrs x Sprint Days)
- Example – Team size is 4,
- Productive Hrs are 5, Sprint length is 30 days.
- Capacity = 4 (5 x30) = 600 hours
- NOTE: Account for vacation time during the Sprint
Velocity
The rate at which team converts items to “DONE” in a single Sprint – Usually calculated in Story Points.
For more details on Scrum Cheatsheet please refer below video
Table of Contents (PSM ™, PSPO ™ & PSD ™ Certification)
- Scrum Framework – Scrum Theory
- Scrum Framework – Scrum Roles
- Scrum Framework – Scrum Events
- Scrum Framework – Scrum Artifacts
- Scaling Scrum – DoD – DoR – Scrum Framework
- Developing People and Teams
- Managing Products with Agility
- Developing and Delivering Products Professionally
- Evolving the Agile Organization – Scaled Scrum, Portfolio Planning & EBM
Recommended Practice Exams
- Scrum.org
- Scrum Alliance
- PMI