SCRUM Can Only Be Used for Technology Team
"The biggest myth around scrum is that it can only be used for technology teams. As a media startup, we utilize the SCRUM framework to produce our content and it helps us bring teams together with different perspectives without the normal friction that I think would occur without it.
For example, in most content organizations the marketing, business development, and content people don't get along. In our organization, these three groups work hand in hand to produce, traffic and monetize our content. This would have been much harder and I think we would have been much less likely to be successful had we not used guiding principles in SCRUM to do so."
- David Waring, the CEO & Co-Founder of FitSmallBusiness
Debunk is Only Technical
"One big myth I'd like to debunk is that only technical and somewhat removed people are influential SCRUM masters. One of the skills that helped me most when working in the SCRUM master's position was my interpersonal skill set, not my technical one. I had to use my emotional intelligence to guide the team, praise and encourage when needed, solve conflicts and remove impediments, interact with people at different levels in the business, and handle criticism well. I believe individuals who possess strong emotional skills are better prepared to handle the stress of SCRUM."
- Laura Fuentes, Operator of Infinity Dish
Developers Love SCRUM
"It’s funny how many people think that developers love SCRUM. A typical response you’d get from an engineer is, "SCRUM, my friend, is only theory whereas things like Kanban are practice." That’s often the farthest they’d go with commenting on the issue. Still, the idea is that what people typically describe as SCRUM is only an ideal framework that is never realized in full and instead takes on different forms, mixing various attributes."
- Joe Tuan, CEO at Topflightapps
SCRUM Needs More Meetings
"Some people will tell you that more meetings mean Scrum is going well but the truth is Scrum was supposed to be meeting-free except for the 5 time-boxed events (kick-off, planning, scrum status, review, and post mortem). There are no more meetings required and if your schedule is filled with bunches of short meetings it’s clear that something has gone wrong."
- Todd Ramlin, Manager of Cable Compare
Scrum Does Not Include Long Term Vision
"Scrum does not include long term vision, yields products that are a mishmash of unconnected features
Reality: Scrum works best when combined with Product Vision, product roadmap and a user story map. The interaction of long term vision and the "fail fast" learning Scrum provides yields very compelling insights into the true nature of customer problem and the trends in market demand, which can impact the product roadmap."
- Travis James Fell, Product Manager at Hypori
Executives Easily Understand Scrum
"A lot of people feel like Scrum is just Waterfall, but better. It can deliver projects faster, with you getting more for that time too. It is a one stop solution for every problem, but this is just not true. The myth itself suggests that executives need more help understanding scrum and how it works. Project managers may compare their own role with 'Scrummaster' and feel like they will be able to transition from their current role to it very easily. They may even think that the role is the same. While a lot of executives do feel better working with Scrum, projectmanagers may feel threatened as their role changes. Scrum masters are there to coach and guide, something not similar to regular project management roles."
- Andrew Roderick, CEO of Credit Repair Companies
The co-location of Teams
"In light of COVID, project teams have had to preserve through project delivery by working remotely. Although SCRUM has a lot of techniques that require the physical presence of teams to collaborate, there are many tools and resources that are available to assist in the planning of the project (such as Microsoft Planner and Smart Sheets)."
- Alexis Nicole White, PMP Contact at
Lack of Definitive Deadlines
"No project management methodology is devoid of its inherent weaknesses. SCRUM is no exception. Our biggest issue with the SCRUM framework is the typical lack of definitive deadlines as it bloats cost and causes scope creep. In our early years this was an even bigger issue when we would have fixed-priced dev projects. It has become less of an issue now that we offer an hourly rate on software development. However, the best project frameworks have definitive start and end dates and the team pushes to deliver on time and under budget. Our finance manager (and especially those of our clients) are not a huge fan of an open-ended project because that typically means an open-ended checkbook."
- Nate Nead of Principal, DEV.co
SCRUM is Often Thought about with Complex Algorithms and Data
"SCRUM is often thought about with complex algorithms and data, however it can be used for some of the simplest tasks. You just need to know how to apply it to what you are focusing on. Take your time when planning out different stages of the matrix, you don't need to rush each task just to complete it quickly, the more detailed it is, the better results you can expect."
- Daniel Foley, Director of Daniel Foley SEO
Scrum Roles are Job Titles
"Scrum roles are not job titles.
Scrum is a surprisingly flexible framework used in developing software to solve user or customer problems, especially in situations where the answer is not easily identified. Teams need to build their processes on top of the framework so that it is fit-for-purpose for that organization.
Because of all the unknowns, the scrum team – with its three roles of product owner, scrum master and development team – needs to stay flexible.
Any person in the team with the right skills can perform a particular scrum role.
An example of this is when a UX Designer is part of the development team—the role doesn’t need to be undertaken by an engineer.
Job titles are very loaded in many organisations regarding power, seniority and compensation and can create unnecessary barriers that hinder good practices. Scrum and agile work effectively when there is true collaboration and egos aren’t front and center in the team."
- Alana Fisher-Chejoski, Consulting Chief Product Officer at Brand New Directions
There are no processes in SCRUM
"We can just do what we want, there are no processes. It is the wild west. As an example, I once heard a member of a scrum team say we do not need configuration management because we are agile. They made a part – even if it was software, that was going to be used in a product, and interfaced with other components, into a manufacturing environment. Configuration management is absolutely necessary, perhaps the processes could be tweaked to better fit the working method, but not abandoned.
Management: we are adopting the scrum approach to the work. However, they make little or no attempt to change the management culture. Command and control is the antithesis of scru
- Jon Quigley from Value Transformation
SCRUM and Agile Are One and the Same
"The most common misrepresentation is that SCRUM and Agile are one and the same.
While both coming from the same idea, some of the core differences you will find between scrum and agile are that while Agile is a project management philosophy tool utilising a core set of principles or values made to create early, measurable ROI through defined, iterative delivery of product features.
Scrum is instead a specific agile method within the framework that allows you to facilitate the project you are working on, starting with an idea of what can be seen or be known."
- Shayne Sherman, CEO of Techloris
SCRUM sprint can be anything from two days to two months
"If you want to get people in the industry talking, just mention the S word. Opinions are like backsides - everybody has one! The problem only arises when people state their opinion as fact so, here is one of the most common SCRUM-MY myths:
Myth: A SCRUM sprint can be anything from two days to two months and, the SCRUM master can cancel a sprint if the Development team say that the timebox isn’t do-able.
Fact: In order to be effective, a sprint should be four weeks or less (hey, thats why we call it a sprint, not a marathon).
Shorter cycles make it much easier to plan, spot issues and make changes. In turn, this increases the focus of the team and cuts down on ‘dark work’. Essentially, this is the beauty of SCRUM in a nutshell.
With respecting to cancelling a sprint, only the product owner can do this - and only in extreme circumstances.
SCRUM is designed to make a project smooth, fast and problem free. I could list so many more myths about this - but I won’t!"
- Jack Zmudzinski, Senior Associate at Future-processing.com
There is No Documentation for SCRUM
"One of the common Scrum myths is that it doesn't require documentation. The roots of this myth go back to a time when documentation was created at a separate stage from the project implementation and was of a very structured, cumbersome nature. In practice, Scrum’s documentation approach differs from the traditional Waterfall one.
Its agile nature allows reducing the need for some documents, instead of which a backlog is used. It is a more lively and flexible product in which the collection of user stories is sorted and updated, determining the current development process. Competent backlog management is just as important as managing traditional documentation in Waterfall projects. It implies using crucial documents as specific project deliverables, which should be treated — scheduled and developed — in the same way as a code.
Another radical Scrum myth is the idea that there is no room for planning. In fact, you have to plan a lot of things in Scrum to achieve optimal efficiency. It is just done in a different manner. If the Waterfall approach planning occurs in the first stages of work, then in Scrum, it happens continuously throughout the entire development cycle. This peculiarity stems from the constant changes in plans with agile methodologies, which forces employees to focus on the activity of planning, and not on the plan itself.
Scrum planning begins with a Sprint Planning meeting, where requirements and goals are discussed by everyone involved. Besides, each Scrum event has the planning as part of its process and expresses it through the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and during the Sprint Retrospective.
Thus, because Scrum's plan is presented as a shared understanding, not detailed descriptions in the documented form, the erroneous belief of no place for planning in Scrum has settled."
- Maxim Ivanov, CEO at Aimprosoft
"One of the biggest myths about SCRUM is that there is no documentation, which makes it difficult to manage projects and look into details of who’s doing what and how. The truth is that all SCRUM projects have a nice product backlog, which can tell you just as much about all the necessary details as a project document of some other sort."
- DmytroOkunyev, Founder of Chanty
"1. It’s easy – The concept of Scrum is conceptually simple and follows a very logical process – it just makes sense! However, the practical application can be challenging. Most people are very comfortable and familiar with the processes and tools aligned to the Waterfall methodology, and the Scrum framework really turns that on its head. While the benefits of Scrum are great and can drive significant positive changes, it takes discipline and substantial leadership support to make a complete Agile transformation.
2.No documentation is needed – Compared to the Waterfall Methodology, Scrum deemphasizes the importance of project documentation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Quality documentation is critical to the success of a project to ensure alignment with project team members and stakeholders, as well as driving effective and efficient delivery."
- Amy Goad, Principal at Sendero
It's Process Over People
"One thing I've noticed with teams doing Scrum is that they think it's process over people. This can't be further from the truth. Just because Scrum recommends a set of principles for your team to follow doesn't make it a processes-over-people technique. In the Scrum Guide, multiple references are made to the Agile mindset which means that Scrum is definitely not a processes-over-people framework."
- Momchil, Marketing Manager at Codegiant
