Illu s t r a t e d

The ^ Guide
to Scrum
By Peter B. Stevens

Rev iewer ’s ed itio n

v007
 The Illustrated Guide to Scrum

The Illustrated Guide to Scrum

By Peter B. Stevens.
Includes original artwork by Thierry Delestre.

Scrum based on the 2020 Edition of the Scrum Guide, courtesy of Ken Schwaber and
Jeff Sutherland.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens

Released under Create Commons Share Alike, Non-Commercial license.

Thanks to Dave Smith, Sara Laurentz, and Reshma Khatun for their invaluable feedback!

Updates to v006
• Include graphics “Inside the Scrum Team” and accompanying explanation text
• Graphic cleanup
• Now called – Reviewer’s Edition
• The community edition only includes Part 1

Tips for Printing

This document is formatted for easy viewing. For best results when printing, I suggest
rotating all the images so that top of the graphic is on the left edge. Print double-sided
with long-edge binding and you can bind the pages together into a book-like form.

Get your copy / support the author at https://leanpub.com/illustrated-scrum/

Get the book!

Part 1 – Scrum According to the Guide

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 1

 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 1: Interacting with the Outside World
(1/3)
Hi! I’d like to take you Inside the Scrum Team. In this
video (and in the pages that follow), you’ll discover how
a Scrum Team interacts with the outside world to
create great products! So here we go!
A simple framework
Scrum is a simple, team-based framework for solving
complex problems. If you only remember one thing
about Scrum, remember this: “Inspect and Adapt at
regular intervals… and tell yourself the truth.”
Scrum was created for software development, where it
is widely used, but today it finds application in many
other complex domains, like corporate transformation,
hardware development, and education, to name just a
few.
The definitive description is found in the Scrum Guide.
This is both the reference and the place to start. With
this video, you can discover how Scrum guides
interactions and relationships with the Scrum Team, so
you can apply Scrum effectively in real life.
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Product Increment
Scrum was modelled on patterns of successful product
development, so let’s start here: The product.
How it works
Scrum works in short iterations, called sprints. At least
once per sprint, the Scrum Team produces a new
version of the product with a few new or upgraded
features.
This is called the “Product Increment,” but I like to call it
a tangible result: Each Sprint produces a tangible result
that supports the overall goal: Something you can use,
something you could sell, something you can test in real
life; most importantly, something the Scrum Team can
review together with its stakeholders.
Whether your team is developing software or doing
something else, the idea is to produce tangible results,
every sprint. You can produce increments more often,
even deploy them continuously, if that makes sense
and your team has the technical excellence to do it.
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 1: Interacting with the Outside World
(2/3)
Stakeholders
A product is built for its stakeholders, and most
development efforts have many of them.
Two of the most important are the users, that is the
people who will actually use the product, and customers,
the people or entities who actually pay for the product,
but many other people could be involved. Without
stakeholders there would be no product!
Frequent Delivery
Stakeholders usually appreciate having a working
increment frequently! This virtually eliminates Delivery
Risk. Direct interaction with stakeholders builds trust and
reduces Market Risk, that is, increases the likelihood that
the product will be a success!
With a working product in hand, you can have good
conversations about what you have, what changes are
needed, and how best to move forward. You can also
identify work to delay or skip entirely, saving both time
and money.
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Done
This is possible because each “Product Increment” works.
It is “Done!”
“Done” is a quality gate: nothing enters the Product
Increment unless it done. Every Scrum team has a
definition of done, and it is applied to every feature and
every increment.
The definition of Done does not address whether the
product is complete or “finished.” As long as a product is
viable, its development never really ends.
The Definition of Done is often a simple checklist that
covers both acceptance criteria and quality control. It
ensures that features from previous sprints still work and
that the team maintains its quality standards.
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 1: Interacting with the Outside World
(3/3)
The Scrum Team
The Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable,
working product increment every sprint. Ideas come into
the team, the product owner sequences them, and the
Scrum Team commits to do its best to turn the most
valuable of those ideas into a working solution by the end
of the sprint.
Accountabilities define each member’s contribution to
the overall result. Scrum forbids hierarchies or sub-teams
within the Scrum Team. There is one team working toward
a common goal.
The Scrum Team consists of Developers who are
accountable for creating the increment, a Product Owner
who is accountable that the increment is valuable, and a
Scrum Master who is accountable that people can work
and collaborate effectively.
A Cross-Functional Team
The Scrum Team solves the problem together. They
organize and manage themselves. A Scrum Team is
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
cross-functional, that is, it has all the skills and authority
necessary to transform incoming “ideas” into something
that is “done” and valuable. This includes making
decisions about the product.
Typically, a Scrum Team has 10 people or less. The limit is
not rigid, but if the team gets larger, effectiveness usually
declines, and performance suffers! Conversely, a small
team may not have all the skills needed to build the
product, especially if someone goes on vacation, gets
sick, or is otherwise unavailable.
Summary
Product development in Scrum is a continuous cycle of
generating ideas, collecting feedback, creating new
product increments, and self-improvement. In Part 2, we’ll
zoom in on the Scrum Team to see how each member
contributes to the whole. I hope this is useful to you!
Watch (and like, comment, and share) the full video on
YouTube at https://youtu.be/-P2RIm7QaL8
4
 Scrum Team in a nutshell
Accountabilities are not about blame nor who does what. They are about your
contribution to the team and the product.

Accountabilities Responsibilities

• Creating a valuable, useful

increment every sprint.
• Have all the skills and authority
necessary to create value
each sprint.
The Essentials:
• All product-related activities.
• Stakeholder collaboration
• Decide who does what, when,
and how.
• Define the sprint goal.
• Presents results of their work
to key stakeholders.
• Review what was
accomplished.
Inspect and Adapt
• Increase own quality
and effectiveness.

Inspect
Usually and Adapt
less than 10 people
Size:

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 5

 Who is Accountable for what in Scrum?
Accountabilities define each member’s contribution
while leaving open how they do it.

Product Owner Developers

• Creating a usable
• Maximizing the value Increment each
of the product. Sprint.
• Ensuring each • Creating a plan for
Increment is valuable. the Sprint.
• Effective Product • Instilling Quality
Backlog management. through the Definition
of Done.

Scrum Team Scrum Master

• Creating a valuable,
useful Increment
every Sprint.
• Establishing Scrum.
• Having all the skills
necessary to create • Scrum Team’s
value each Sprint. effectiveness.
• All work necessary to
create the product.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 6

 Product Owner in a nutshell
The Product Owner creates a clear line-of-sight from those doing the work to
those who will benefit from the work.

Accountabilities Responsibilities

• Maximize the
value of the product. • Make decisions about the
• Manage the product.
Product Backlog. • Develop & communicate the
product goal.
• Create & communicate
product backlog items.
Key questions
• Order product backlog.
• Ensure that the product
Ask Stakeholders: Why? backlog is transparent, visible
and understood.
Answer Developers: Why?
• Proposes how to increase
product value each sprint.
• May cancel a sprint.

The Essentials: One person, not a committee.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 7

 Developers in a nutshell
Scrum is a framework for product development. Anyone who creates the
product is a Developer, regardless of their skillset. Including engineers, coders, testers, business
analysts, architect, usability designers, etc.

Accountabilities Responsibilities

• Create the product increment • Select items from the product

each sprint. backlog.
• Create a plan for the sprint. • Plan the work necessary to
create an increment.
• Instill quality.
• Select structure and
• Adapt the plan each day. techniques for the Daily
• Hold each other accountable. Scrum.
• Attend the Daily Scrum.
• Conform to the Definition of
Done.

Key Questions

Answer: How? How big? Together, they have all the skills necessary
Ask: Why? Why now? The Essentials: to create
All the needed the
skills increment.
to create the product.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 8

 Scrum Master in a nutshell
Coach, Ambassador, Change Agent: The Scrum Master is leader who provides
service to the team and the organization to enable better results, sooner.

Accountabilities Responsibilities

• Establishing Scrum.
• Enable team to improve.
• Team effectiveness.
• Coach team members.
• Help the Scrum team focus on
creating value.
• Cause removal of
impediments.
Key Message
• Lead, train & coach the
organization on Scrum.
Let’s find a better way! • Remove barriers to
stakeholder access.
• Ensure that Scrum events are
positive, productive, and
time-boxed.

The Essentials: Creates the ‘Common’ in Common Sense

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 9

 What would a Project Manager contribute?
Scrum is intended for product development. Scrum does not have (or need) a
project manager because products have life-cycles, not end-dates.

Main Accountabilities More Accountabilities

Time
Scope • Change Management

Cost • Documentation
• Issue Resolution
• Project Closure
• Project Planning
Key Question • Quality Management
• Reporting

Who does what by when? • Resource Management

Project Manager • Risk Management
• Stakeholder Mgmt.
• Task Assignment
• Team Motivation
The Essentials: ”The buck stops here.”

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 10

 The Project Manager’s duties have moved
Scrum rethinks organization for the needs of product development in a fast-
changing world. The Scrum Team now handles the project manager’s duties...
and more!

Scrum Team Product Owner Unnecessary

• Scope Management • Cost Management

• Risk Management
• Quality Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Reporting, Documentation
• Change Management
• Planning
• Time Mgmt. (Releases) • Resource Management
• New: Product Decisions • Task Assignment
• New: Backlog Sequencing
• New: Maximize Value

Scrum Master Developers Not defined

• Time Management • Time Mgmt. (in the Sprint)

(ensures Scrum Flow) • Planning (in Sprint) • Project Closure
• Issue Resolution • Issue Resolution

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 11

 The Sprint from Start to Finish
“The Sprint is a container for turning ideas into value. Each Sprint improves
product and team. Each sprint updates the ideas for improving both.” Stays fixed
until achieved
or abandoned
By and for By and for
Developers For Scrum Team
Stakeholders
Sprint Daily Sprint Sprint
Planning Scrums Review Retro.
New
Increment
Previous Next
Increment Sprint
Value is created
when the idea is
Improvement Value Next improvement
from Retro. from latest Retro.

Product
Updated
Backlog
Product
Backlog

Backlog
Ideas Inputs Refinement Outputs
Do as needed. Just in time delivery.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 12

 The Sprint in a Nutshell
All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal happens in Sprints.
The Scrum Team is responsible for all the work.

Why Events & Activities During the Sprint

Turn ideas into value • Sprint Planning

in cadence. • Begins the Sprint
• What will be created?
• Daily Scrum • No changes are made that
• What will we do today? would endanger the Sprint
Who • Sprint Review Goal.
• Review the outcome with • Quality does not decrease.
Stakeholders.
Scrum Team • The Product Backlog is refined
• Sprint Retrospective as needed.
• Improve Quality and
Effectiveness.
• Scope may be clarified as
more is learned.
Output • Ends the Sprint.
• Backlog Refinement
At least one Product Increment • Get backlog items ready for
meeting the Definition of Done. implementation.

Not an event, so it can take place

anytime during the sprint.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 13

 Sprint Planning in a Nutshell
Each Sprint has a purpose called the Sprint Goal!

Why Typical Agenda Useful Questions

Define the work for the sprint.

Identify best steps toward
Product Goal. • Review Product Goal and
Definition of Done. • What have we learned?
• Why will the result of this • What do we need to learn?
sprint be valuable? • How does this help us achieve
Who ➢Sprint Goal the Sprint Goal?
• What backlog and • Why do we need this feature?
Scrum Team retrospective items will we • Why do we need it now?
deliver?
➢Forecast • How do we know this will bring
value?
• How will we do it?
Output • Why are we spending so
➢Enough planning and much time on estimates?
design to get started.
Sprint Backlog
(Sprint Goal, Forecast, Work Items)

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 14

 Sprint Planning in Three Easy Steps
“Each Sprint represents the best possible step forward to achieve the
Product Goal, given what we know today.”

1. 2. 3.
Why? What? How?

Sprint Actionable
Forecast
Goal Plan
”Work Items”
Product Product Owner Sequencing from Enough • Tasks
Backlog proposes how Product Backlog. planning and • Spikes
this Sprint can design to get • Improvements
bring value. Developers take started • Etc.
in what they to achieve the
Previous Product Owner
think they can Sprint Goal
Increment sequences.
complete.
Can
Retrospective
Peter says: Should Scope can be
renegotiated during the
Inputs Sprint Backlog Sprint to achieve the
Sprint Goal.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 15

 Daily Scrum in a Nutshell
For Developers to figure out what they are going to do each day.
It’s not about reporting.
Why Popular Methods
Inspect progress toward the
Sprint Goal. • Three questions
• What did I accomplish?
Adapt the plan as needed. • What's my goal for today?
• What's slowing me down?
Who • Walk the board
• What are we stuck on?
For Developers.
SM & PO may observe or
participate as Developers. • Focus question
• How can I contribute to
achieve the Sprint Goal?
• How can I contribute to get
Output the top item done?
Plan for the day,
Developers choose the format.
toward the Sprint Goal.
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Tips for Success
• Same time, same place
• Use a talking stick
• Stay in the 15 minutes
• Identify issues
• Discuss & solve them later
• Block time for offline
discussions
• Authority figures have risks but
can be helpful
• May observe, but speak
only when spoken to.
• Be aware of side-effects
• Scrum Master never touches
“the board.”
16
 Sprint Review in a Nutshell
”You want to avoid working on the wrong thing for more than
one sprint. Inspect outcomes and get feedback on the product."
Why Possible Topics
Inspect the Sprint outcome.
• What’s new in this increment?
Determine future adaptation
• What business outcome has
been achieved?
• What are the metrics telling
Who us?
• What has been learned?
Scrum Team
• What expectations were not
Stakeholders aligned?
• Do we still have the right
Product Goal? What needs to
Output change?
• What would be valuable next
sprint?
Updated Product Backlog
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Tips for Success
• Something is wrong if
Stakeholders don’t come. Find
out why.
• The Review is for inspecting
on the product and the
outcome.
• More substance, fewer slides.
Avoid slide shows.
• For large projects, try a
‘farmers market.’
• Don’t evaluate team
performance or accuracy of
estimates.
17
 Retrospective in a Nutshell
Regardless of how you do it, stay focused on why you do it:
Improve Quality and Effectiveness.
Why Typical Agenda
Improve Quality and
Effectiveness.
• Purpose of this event
• Create safety
• What happened?
Who • What do we do well?
• What could we do differently?
Scrum Team.
• Classify on
Others if invited.
• Quality & Effectiveness,
• We can do it vs. we need
help.
Output • Prioritize
• Choose which to do first.
Commit to at least one
improvement in next sprint.
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Tips for Success
• Implement at least one
change every sprint!
• “Prime Directive”
• Assume good intent
• A trust culture cannot be
limited to the Retro.
• Invite others who can
contribute to the solution.
• Vary format and location
• Explore alternatives
• Forget items not chosen
• They can weigh you down
• If important, they will
reappear
18
 What Happens When in Scrum?
Each event in Scrum is an opportunity to ask powerful questions
about your endeavor!
Backlog
Sprint Planning Daily Scrum Sprint Review Retrospective
Refinement

Lay out the work to be Inspect & adapt on Make high priority
Inspect & adapt on the Increase quality
Purpose performed in the Sprint: progress toward the backlog items
outcome of the Sprint and effectiveness
Why, What, How? Sprint Goal small & understood

Stakeholders
For Scrum Team Developers Scrum Team Scrum Team
Scrum Team

Product Owner Stakeholders

Who could Other Invitees Other Invitees Other Invitees
Scrum Master Other Invitees

Uninvited guests
Caution Senior Stakeholders
Product Owner Uninvited guests Uninvited guests Uninvited guests
advised Uninvited guests*
Scrum Master
for shorter sprints
Usually shortened

Product Goal & Backlog Recent achievements,

current impediments, Experience
Inputs Business Objectives Latest Increment Product Backlog
in the Sprint
Current Increment state of work

Goal, Forecast & Plan Plan for next 24 hours, Updated Helpful Updated
Outputs
Sprint Backlog Updated Sprint Backlog Product Backlog changes Product Backlog

8 hours for 4 hours for 3 hours for

Timebox 15 Minutes Not specified
one-month Sprint one-month Sprint one-month Sprint

Format is up to the Ongoing activity.

Comments Starts the Sprint Ends the Sprint
developers As needed.

* An invitee is someone whose presence is helpful, hence the invite. An ‘uninvited guest’ is anyone else.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 19

 Product Backlog in a Nutshell
“A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It could be a service, a physical
product, or something more abstract.”

Product Backlog Commitment

• Product Goal describes the

Contrary to popular belief, a PBI
does not have to be a user story.

• Single source of work for the 1

Scrum Team PBIs target future state and
2 guides planning
• Emergent, ordered list 3
“Grains • Fulfill or abandon the
• Lists what is needed to of Sand” 4 Product Goal, before taking
improve the product
… on a new one

PBI
Product Backlog Item (PBI) Ready
“Features” PBI
Typical
Accountable PBI An item is ready if it can be
Attributes
Done in one sprint:
Description Scrum Team • Small
Value Product Owner
P • Transparent
“Epics” B • Understood
Sequence Product Owner
I (See Backlog Refinement)
Sizing Developers

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 20

 Sprint Backlog in a Nutshell
“The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for how they intend to achieve the
Sprint Goal.”

1. 2. 3.
Sprint Planning → Why? What? How?

Sprint Actionable
Forecast
Goal Plan
Sprint Backlog

Sprint Backlog Commitment Purpose

• Sprint Goal (why) • By and for Developers

• Selected Product Backlog No changes • Visible, real-time picture of
items (what) during the Sprint work remaining
• An actionable plan for that would impact • Developers use it to inspect
delivering the Increment the Sprint Goal. their progress in the Daily
(how). Scrum

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 21

 Backlog Refinement in a Nutshell
Refinement is a continuous process of making upcoming backlog items
small, transparent, and understood!

Why When Helpful Questions

• ‘Activity’ means there is no

Get upcoming Backlog Items defined slot in the Sprint. Do it
ready for selection in a Sprint. as needed.
• “Story” of the day, biweekly,
weekly… what works best for
you?
Who
Scrum Team.
Stakeholders, users, and other Timebox
experts when invited
• Not defined
Output
• If Why and What are difficult in
Sprint Planning, invest more
Enriched Backlog Items with time in Backlog Refinement.
clearer information.
• What do we need to learn?
• What business goals do we
expect?
• What input have user and
customers given us?
• Who needs this feature
and why? Why now?
• How does this help us achieve
the Product Goal?
• What is the minimum necessary
to achieve the objective?
• How to show it to users or
customers?
• How to split this into smaller yet
still testable pieces?

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 22

Part 2 – Applying Scrum IRL

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 23

 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(1/6)
Hi! In Part 1, we looked at how the Scrum Team interacts
with the outside world and discovered how product
development in Scrum is a continuous cycle of
generating ideas, collecting feedback, creating new
product increments, and self-improvement.
With this video, you will explore how Scrum guides
interactions and relationships within the Scrum Team,
again so you can apply Scrum effectively in real life.
Let’s look at what happens inside...
Product Owner
Here is the product owner. She is accountable for
maximizing the value of the product resulting from the
work of the Scrum Team. Her key question is ‘why?’ It
shows up frequently, both in her conversations with the
stakeholders and with the rest of the team.
Role of Stakeholders
Stakeholders are tremendous sources of ideas, know-
how, feedback, validation, and priorities. The challenge
is that stakeholders can be noisy, have differing
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
priorities, and have other things to do. Committees can
be notoriously slow in making decisions. Let’s call this
the alignment problem!
The Product Owner Solution
Scrum solves the alignment problem by designating
one person who is authorized to make decisions about
the product: The Product Owner. Her decisions are
visible in the content and sequencing of the Product
Backlog and in the increments produced every Sprint.
Those decisions include Sequencing, Acceptance
criteria, Release or Abandon.
The Product Owner can decide what will be done first
and can have final say both on the definition of
acceptance criteria and whether an item is done.
Since each increment is really done, whether to release
or not becomes a business decision. And if the return
on the investment will not be satisfactory, the Product
Owner is expected to pull the emergency brake.
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(2/6)
Role of Product Owner (continued)
The product owner is often called the voice of the
customer or stakeholder. Her primary focus is not
simply on staying within the budget, but on achieving a
good investment. She ensures that the sponsor’s
money is well spent. How does she know? By having
good conversations with stakeholders and getting good
answers to the why-questions.
Vision, Focus and Flow
The Product Owner’s mission is often summarized in
three words: Vision, Focus and Flow.
Vision: The long-term answer to the why question
covers, what are we building? What are we not building?
What impact or benefit should this product have on the
company, its users, its customers, and the world?
Focus: Each sprint should be the best step forward to
achieving the overall vision, given what is known today.
Why these features? Why these acceptance criteria?
And why do them now?
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Flow: The developers need work, and that work is
represented in the Product Backlog. Product Backlog
Items that are well understood and small enough to be
completed in a sprint are considered ready.
Refinement
Backlog Refinement is the process of making the most
important Backlog Items transparent, visible,
understood, and small. In other words: ready. The whole
team is involved, stakeholders can be invited, and the
product owner is accountable.
Product Goal, Backlog and Sprint Backlog
The Product Owner defines work for the team using the
product backlog. The Product Goal describes a future
state of the product. The rest of the Product Backlog
emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal.
The Scrum Team takes on work through the Sprint
Planning process, which addresses three questions:
Why, What, and How.
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(3/6)
Product Goal, Backlog and Sprint Backlog
(continued)
Why - Why are we doing this sprint? The answer, called
the Sprint Goal, is a business goal that represents the
best step forward to achieve the product goal. It is not
a stretch goal; the team believes that they can
accomplish the Sprint Goal during the sprint.
What - What are we going to deliver this sprint? This is
a list of backlog items that the team believes will enable
them to achieve the sprint goal. I call this the forecast,
and like the sprint goal, the team believes it can deliver
the forecasted items.
How - How will we accomplish the sprint goal? This is an
actionable plan for achieving the sprint goal. The Sprint
Backlog consists of the Sprint Goal, the Forecast, and
the Task Planning, but does not define who does which
tasks when. Those decisions are taken by the
Developers in the daily scrum.
What if your team has work to do that doesn’t support
the current product goal? While existing products
sometimes need maintenance, constantly changing
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
priorities slow you down and can even put your
investment at risk. The Product Owner is accountable
for finding the right balance.
Developers
Developers create the product increment. They solve
the problem and deliver the solution. Together they
have all the skills needed to create the increment. Even
though no one individual can do everything, together
they are strong.
The key question for developers is “How?” The
developers are self-organizing and self-managing. They
make the forecast, plan their work, design the solution,
and ensure the quality of their work. They are
professionals who care about results.
The Developers are dedicated 100% to the project. If
they worked on more than one project at a time,
commitment to results and accountability would not be
possible.
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(4/6)
Developers (continued)
The skills needed depend on the problem to solve. For
software products, this often includes user experience,
analysis, design, engineering, and testing, and may
involve multiple different technologies.
For organizational transformation, the skills may include
coaching and facilitation, knowledge of the organization,
authority to change the organizational structure, and
access to senior leadership.
The Developers estimate the work because they do the
work. Combining these estimates into schedules,
release plans, and budgets is usually handled by the
product owner.
Thanks to the transparency and tangible results
created by Scrum, traditional command and control is
no longer necessary to hold the team together. Scrum
teams create better results faster using trust,
transparency, and fast feedback.
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Collaboration with other teams
Sometimes more than one scrum team will be working
on the same product. Regardless of the number of
teams involved, the responsibility for “how” stays with
the developers. The Scrum Masters do not become
intermediaries between developers, but rather facilitate
and encourage direct communication between the
experts involved.
Clear Line of Sight
Direct communication usually leads to the clearest
understanding of the user’s needs, so Scrum ensures a
clear line of sight from those doing the work to those
benefitting from the work.
Communicating through intermediaries is error-prone
and inefficient, so the agile manifesto recommends
frequent collaboration. Nothing in Scrum prevents
Developers from talking to directly to stakeholders
when it is helpful to do so!
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 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(5/6)
Clear Line of Sight (continued)
Each Sprint, the Scrum team holds a Sprint Review for
its Stakeholders to demonstrate the latest increment,
discuss what has been learned, and identify what
changes are needed to the future version of product.
The team also refines the backlog frequently and can
invite stakeholders to support them.
Scrum Master
The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s
effectiveness. He does this by enabling the Scrum Team
to improve its practices and collaboration. He doesn’t
tell people what to do, but rather coaches them to
recognize, understand, and address issues as they arise.
A high-performance team is continually improving, so
the Scrum Master is continually helping the Team and
the organization to find better ways of doing what they
do.
Of all the metaphors for the Scrum Master, I find “voice
of the common sense” to be the most compelling.
Common sense is often not be very common, so the
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens
Scrum Master helps the Developers, the Product Owner,
and the organization to create a common
understanding of how to work together effectively.
Impediments
Anything the slows the team down is considered an
impediment. Most impediments arise within the Scrum
Team.
The Scrum Master may not resolve those issues
personally but is accountable that they are recognized
and dealt with promptly. Both the daily scrum and the
sprint retrospective are opportunities to identify and
respond to impediments, but you can raise issues even
sooner if that is helpful.
Some issues can be really difficult and require time,
perseverance, and persuasiveness to fix. The Scrum
Master will usually take the lead on such issues, so the
Developers can focus on creating the product. I like to
think of the Scrum Master as the team’s ambassador to
the outside world. When the developers need outside
help, the Scrum Master is usually most able to focus on
the issue.
28
 Inside the Scrum Team:
Part 2: Interactions within the Scrum Team
(6/6)

Impediments (continued) work proactively on impediments, especially those

The Scrum Master is often called a change agent.
Change is easiest when everyone wants to do it, so a
good Scrum Master will ensure that everyone genuinely
wants to improve, is willing to change for the better, and
wants to do Scrum.
Your first impediments
A Scrum Team is a happy team. If your team is not
happy doing Scrum, that is a warning sign that
something is amiss. The goal is not to cram more work
into the sprint, the goal is to produce more value,
sooner. Listen to your team and address at least one
concern, every sprint!
The first impediment that most Scrum Masters face is
whether the team even has the necessary skills and
authority. Can the Product Owner make decisions
about the product? Are the developers dedicated
100%? And do they have all the skills needed to
produce a working increment every sprint? Finally, as
Scrum Master, do you have time and permission to
originating outside the team?
After that, frequent sources of impediments include
excessive pressure, multitasking, bugs, and
dependencies. The best way to manage these issues is
not to have them, so start working on them soon!
Summary
The goal of Scrum is to help you create better products,
sooner. The Scrum Team is intended to be both
effective and a joy to work in.
That’s a look inside the Scrum Team. I hope it is useful
to you!
Watch (and like, comment, and share) the full video on
YouTube at https://youtu.be/-P2RIm7QaL8
Get PDFs and other resources at
https://bit.ly/insideScrum

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 29

Is it Okay to Change Scrum?
“I like to think of Scrum as a Working Agreement. Change to improve, but not
to accommodate dysfunction.”

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 30

Clarity of purpose enables self-organization.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 31

 Types of Product Owner
Empowerment levels and their consequences
Focuses more on
users than internal
stakeholders.

If your Product Not the decision-

Can decide
about money.

Owner is a… maker, but well-

connected and
influential

An interface role I speak for

the business Entrepreneur
who lacks authority

Just present
Sponsor
for the events
Business N eeds Can set long-
Representative term goals and
hold their word.

Shorter sprints;
Proxy Better alignment but still more learning;
risk of frequent changes. quick pivots.
Cannot prevent
Scribe
Expect these
frequent changes.

No change to the status quo.

consequences!
Inspired by Christine Strasser, Images by DALL-E
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 32
 READY Checklist for Backlog Items
10
Small

so that individual items are small, clear, and

9
❏ Refined independent. A sprint contains many items.

is less helpful than refinement. Spend more

7 ❏ Estimation time refining, less time on mere estimation.
6
Understood

5
❏ Acceptance criteria are clear. We know when it’s working
and has achieved its purpose.
4

3 by those who understand the problem

❏ Discussed together those who will solve the probem.
2
Valuable

1
Why? The value to users and customers is clear
❏ Y (and Y now) and justifies implementing the item (now).
0

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 33

 Levels of Done Explained
Valuable Success requires attention to results beyond the end of the sprint.

10 Optimized For better ROI, reliability, usability, or performance.

Achieving desired outcomes for business, users, and the world.

9 Outcome Business value assumptions have been validated (or not).

8 Usage Released to customers or users (and you are measuring).

Usable

7 Deployed Available for release to customers or users.

6 Reviewed User and customer review minimizes market risk.

Reliable

5 Deployable Whether to deploy is a business decision not a technical one.

4 Automated Automated tests ensure it still works after you make changes.

3 Integrated All components work together.

Working

2 Inspected Team has reviewed and improved.

1 Functional Acceptance tests passed.

Not

‘90% done’ means the remaining 10%

0 Works on My Machine will take the other 90% of the time.

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 34

 Align your Done with their Ready for
smoother flow.
Example: releasing to an app store

For
❏ Scrum Team Smoother ❏ Store
Flow
Some teams have
a Definition of Ready
to let items into the
Sprint.
Our Definition of
Ready: ‘We will
Our Definition of not publish your
Done ensures our app unless if it
app meets our meets the criteria
quality standards set forth in the
and the store’s contract.’
Definition of
Ready.’

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 35

 Nine ways to hold a retrospective
The purpose of a retrospective is to improve quality and effectiveness.

• +
If we can only work on one improvement, what should it be?

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 36

 Five Steps to Higher Team Performance

Some ways of
using your
time are more
effective than
others!
Team

Days in the Sprint

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 37

 1. Visualize the Sprint
Each square represents one person and a full working day.
In this example: Six Developers and two weeks (ten days) in the sprint.
Team

Days in the Sprint

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 38

 2. Account for Scrum Events
Two-week sprint: ½ day at the beginning and ½ day at the end

SP/SR
Team

Days in the Sprint

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 39

 3. Account for other meetings
Knowledge workers report spending up to 45% of their time in meetings!
Many of these meeting topics are addressed by the Scrum events.

SP/SR
Team

Days in the Sprint

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 40

 4. Cancel wasteful meetings
Use time for valuable work. Stakeholders can review status in the Sprint
Review and influence requirements during Backlog Refinement.

SP/SR
Team

Days in the Sprint

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 41

 5a. Work as Team?
Team Grey: Everybody works on their own backlog item(s). They lack flexibility
and predictability. Unexpected changes makes things worse.

Harder than expected Oops, Spillover!

Item 1

Item 2

Item 7

Item 3 Item 8
Team

Item 4 Item 9

Item 5 Surprise 1

Item 6 What do I do?

Days in the Sprint Forecasted Items: 10

Unfinished items: 5
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens Improvements/Retro: 0 42
 5b. Work as Team!
Team Aqua: Pair and swarm to build know-how, improve predictability, and
handle surprises effectively. Finishing frequently enables responsiveness.

Retro Item 2 Item 4 Item 7

Team

Item 3 Item 5
Item 8

The chance of spillover is

reduced but not eliminated.
Item 1 Surprise
Item 6
Item

Harder than expected Days in the Sprint Forecasted Items: 8

Unfinished items: 1
© 2024 Peter B. Stevens Improvements/Retro: 2 43
 Five Steps to Better Estimates
Backlog refinement turns massive epics into many little grains of sand.
Estimation guesses the number of grains of sand after refinement.

Backlog refinement turns Epics

As a banking first into Features, then into Grains of Sand. Grain of
customer, I want Sand
my savings
Grains of Sand are small enough when my savings
to send money… NFC a Sprint contains 10 to 12 of them. my savings
1
my savings
1
my savings
1
1
Estimate: Depends on team size 1
1 = Fits easily into the Sprint and how they work 1
TFB = Too Big together. Rule of
Epics thumb: Two stories per
Grains of Sand
NFC = No Clue
Developer.*

This only works if the following are true!

Autonomous Team: Free of Dependencies: Valuable Items: Small Items Only:
Scrum Team is 100%
dedicated and has control Team doesn’t need to Items are done and Only Grains of Sand
over its time. wait on outsiders. deployable every Sprint. go in the Sprint.

*For “Team Grey”

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 44

 1. Refine Epics to Features
One way to make the conversation tangible is to ask: This is a good time to
challenge dumb
’How can we demo this?’ requirements!

How to demo that? A feature solves a problem

As a banking To
or provides a valuable
customer, I want Savings
outcome.
to send money… NFC TFB
Often a feature is
something you can use,
something you can sell, or
Pay a Pay in
something you can test in
QR-bill a store real life.
TFB TFB

Give to a
Send to a Send to a
homeless
friend street musician
person
TFB TFB NFC

Epics Features Grains of Sand

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 45

 2. Refine Features into Grains of Sand
A grain of sand is small enough to be doable in one sprint. Some features may
already be grains of sand.

How to demo that? How to demo that? 1. See the balances in

As a banking To
checking and savings
customer, I want Savings 2. Enter amount
Write the
to send money… NFC ‘Confirmation’
3. Do it!
1
on the back of the card 4. See new balances

Pay a Pay in
QR-bill a store
TFB TFB

Give to a
Send to a Send to a
homeless
friend street musician
person
TFB TFB NFC

Epics Features Grains of Sand

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 46

 3. Repeat: Large features become many grains.
Counting the grains gives you the estimate. Requiring that 10 items fit in a
sprint keeps them tied to reality (including one Retro item).

Vendor Customer
How to demo that? Get Scan QR
As a banking To Payment Code
customer, I want Savings Data
1 1
to send money… NFC 1
See
Offer QR
How to Vendor &
Code
1 Amount 1
demo that?
Pay a Pay in Await Approve
QR-bill a store Payment Payment
Confirmation
TFB 9 becomes 1 1
new cards See confir-
Time Out? mation
Give to a 1 1
Send to a Send to a
homeless
friend street musician
person Report
Success to
TFB TFB NFC Register
1

Epics Features Grains of Sand

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 47

 4: Alternative: Guess the number of grains
Refine epics to features (still TFB), then use planning poker or affinity
estimation to gauge how many grains you expect for each feature.

As a banking To
customer, I want Savings
to send money… 17+ 1

Add up the estimates of each

feature. Pay a Pay in
This is about 2, maybe 3 QR-bill a store
Sprints, except we still have
no clue how to get money to 3 8
someone without a phone or
bank account.

Give to a
Send to a Send to a
homeless
friend street musician
This is still TFB. person
Do not take into a sprint
without refining 2 3 NFC
to cards of one!!

Epics Features Grains of Sand

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 48

 5: Validate your estimates
When the number of grains is significantly different than the estimate, that
could be a sign of misunderstood complexity, missing vision, or missing
validation.
Actual (5)

As a banking To
customer, I want Savings 1
to send money… 17+ 1

1
Pay a Pay in
Uh-oh! 3 is not 5! QR-bill a store
Looks like we 1
3 8
underestimated!

If this happens
frequently, look Give to a 1
Send to a Send to a
closer at why. homeless
friend street musician
person
2 3 NFC
1

Epics This is another good

time to challenge dumb
Features Grains of Sand
requirements!

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 49

Backlog Refinement: 8 ways to split a story
A story is small enough when the team can expect to complete at least 10
similarly sized items during the sprint. Anything bigger is usually TFB

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 50

Backlog Refinement: Eight traps to avoid
Splitting stories from epics to grains of sand can define features that produce
no value. Always challenge whether value justifies cost!

• +

*Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Testable, Small

© 2024 Peter B. Stevens 51
Space for a graphic at the top

ACCELERATE YOURSELF
ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS

Peter Stevens, Personal Agility Institute

Personalized Trainings on Scrum, Leadership & Extreme Manufacturing

For companies who want to make results.

For people who want to make a difference!
Space for a graphic at the top

SCRUM MASTER
Discover Scrum as it was meant to be!
As a Scrum Master, you guide and support your Scrum Team. You ensure that
workflows remain uninterrupted and adaptable to change. As a team, you are
empowered to navigate challenges with ease and maintain momentum in the
face of obstacles. Your clarity inspires open communication and transparency,
fostering a collaborative environment where ideas flow freely and innovation
springs naturally.

This foundational course is designed for individuals seeking improved outcomes

in product development. If you will be working in a Scrum Team, using the
results of a Scrum Team, or managing a Scrum Team, this workshop is for you!

Course Outcomes Duration

Transform your team and projects with Scrum
and Agile. Analyze real life scenarios. Practice
and get personalized feedback from the expert.
Course Objectives
• Serve as a Scrum Master in your team.
• Coach your team through the Scrum flow
• Explain and apply Scrum and Agile.
• Identify and address impediments to
performance.
• Introduce Scrum into your organization.
Certification
• Certified Scrum Master® (test required).
Two days, face-to-face workshops from 8:45 till
17:30.
Problems You Can Solve
• Shifting timelines, changing and conflicting
priorities, , and frequent interruptions.
• Organizational resistance to change, lack of
engagement and ownership.
• Rectifying the misunderstanding of Scrum
and Agile methodology to address quality
and performance.
Space for a graphic at the top
PRODUCT OWNER
Lead your team to create valuable products!
As Product Owner you serve as a critical communicator and facilitator between
the development team and various stakeholders, ensuring that the product
vision aligns with user needs and business goals.
Course Outcomes
Learn to lead a team as its Product Owner by
mastering essential skills in managing the
backlog, collaborating with the development
team, and engaging with stakeholders.
Course Objectives
• Understand the fundamentals of Scrum
methodology, including the processes, and
the roles: the competencies and impact.
• Lead a Scrum team in product development.
• Acquire skills for managing and preparing the
product backlog.
• Respond effectively to change.
Certification
After completing this course, you qualify for
Certification as a Scrum Alliance Certified
Scrum Product Owner®. No further test
required.
Target Audience
Product Owners, Product Managers, Business
Analysts, Project and Program Managers,
Consultants, Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches and
Engineers.
Problems We Solve
• Poorly defined requirements making work
less effective; lack of user stories or well-
maintained backlog.
• Struggling to focus on the team level due to
tackling too many projects at the same time;
suffering from delays and interruptions,
which results in poor work quality and
impeded engagement.
• Failing to meet the customer’s needs and
wants.
Duration
Two days of face-to-face workshops
usually from 8:45 till 17:30.
Space for a graphic at the top

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Lead with Purpose - Grow with Empathy!
As a leader, coach, or manager, you serve as an essential guide and mentor,
shaping the path your team follows and the culture of your organization. You
foster an environment of innovation and creativity, while also grounding your
actions in wisdom and ethical principles. You pursue leadership not just to
direct, but as an opportunity to inspire and transform.

Course Outcomes Problems We Solve

Develop your own approaches to activate the
intelligence of your organization. Upgrade your
innovation and leadership skills. Lay the
foundation for a more innovative, responsive,
and capable organization.
Course Objectives
• Lead yourself more effectively.
• Lead others for speed and efficiency.
• Create alignment among your stakeholders.
Target Group
For leadership at all levels, including executives,
management, coaches, and individual
contributors such as knowledge workers &
customer-facing staff.
• Create a trust culture in your leadership
team.
• Design and implement improvements into
your organization.
• Create a more responsive and aligned
organization.
Duration
Format, content and duration are tailored to the
needs of the audience. Each module is
designed to consist of 12 to 16 hours of learning,
and shorter, long-regular individual support
over 1 to 3 months.
For more info
Pricing for our training packages is customized
based on participant numbers, session length,
and tailored content. Please reach out for a
personalized quote that aligns with your
specific needs.
Space for a graphic at the top

EXTREME MANUFACTURING
Achieving Industrial Agility
XM enables your organization to be more responsive and competitive in
industries where technology and consumer preferences evolve rapidly. This
shift towards a more dynamic manufacturing model marks a significant
evolution in industrial practices, better suited to today's fast-paced global
economy.

Course Outcomes and Objectives Problems We Solve

This course is ideal if you want to know: • Budgeting difficulties due to scope creep
before a viable product can be developed,
• How to design for innovation.
unexpected changes after industrialization
• How to organize for high-performance
causing delays and cost overruns.
• How to improve products even though
• Progress being slowed down due to lack of
change is expensive.
internal alignment among key functions.
• How to get started.
• Not catching up with the competition, who
• How to make the case for more agility to
deliver their products faster.
your management and stakeholders.
Registration and further information
Target Group
Reach out via email or visit https://saat-
The course is intended for executives,
network.ch/contact/ to arrange a
managers, founders, and leaders from industries
complimentary consultation. This no-obligation
like Automotive, Manufacturing, Machinery, Oil &
conversation allows us to understand your
Gas, Engineering and Construction, Robotics,
needs and outline potential next steps.
etc. Participation is for individuals and for entire
business units.
Duration
See https://saat-network.ch/xm/
Space for a graphic at the top

INNOVATE LIKE A “MUSK COMPANY”

Achieving continuous innovation
“Musk companies” are setting the standard for innovation and market
disruption. These companies are driven by 1) A thousand-year vision for
humanity, 2) “Limiting KPIs” that prevent achieving it, 3) Focus on innovation to
improve those KPIs, and 4) AI-supported teamwork accelerates everything.

You can innovate like a Musk company!

This approach is the basis of unprecedented innovation speed, competitive advantage, and
market valuation. You can apply the same methods. We can show you how and get you
started.

Start Accelerating Your Business! Define and Launch Your Strategy

Discovery workshop. Get inspired at this
impulse event for thought leaders and forward
thinkers. Find out how it works and take your
first steps with AI supported teaming.
Evaluate the Potential
Strategy Workshop: Explore in depth how the
Musk companies innovate. Apply AI supported
teamwork to identify potential 1000-year
visions that are authentic and compelling for
your company. Transform them into limiting
KPIs to drive innovation. Identify alternatives for
accelerating your organization.
Strategic Retreat: Apply AI teamwork at the
highest levels to define your 1000-year vision
and get it ready for board approval!
• For senior leadership and key influencers.
• Create your authentic, compelling vision.
• Identify the limiting KPIs.
• Define your transformation plan.
To start accelerating, contact:
Peter Stevens
Saat Network GmbH
https://www.saat-network.ch/contact
Space for a graphic at the top

ABOUT PETER B. STEVENS

“Contact me to accelerate your projects!”
“Agility means hope. Leaders and executives call me when they want their
corporate initiatives to start moving forward. I get things unstuck. You can get
things done faster than you ever thought possible!”

Peter Stevens is a beacon of Agile Training Expertise

transformation, embodying the principles of Peter is fluent in multiple languages, including
agility and innovation in his work. English, German, French, and Italian, making his
As a seasoned Certified Scrum Trainer with the trainings accessible to a diverse audience. With
Scrum Alliance, Peter has imparted his a versatile workshop room based in Zurich,
profound knowledge of Agile methodologies to Peter offers the flexibility to conduct sessions
over 2,000 individuals, empowering them to either in this well-equipped space or at any
revolutionize their work environments. location worldwide, catering to the specific
needs of his clients.
His pioneering work in the field of Agile extends
to the creation of Personal Agility™, a system His trainings are characterized by a practical,
designed to enhance personal organization and engaging approach that not only teaches Agile
effectiveness. This innovative approach is methodologies but also inspires participants to
detailed in his co-authored book, “Personal implement these transformative practices in
Agility: Doing More That Matters,” which serves their own professional realms.
as a testament to his commitment to fostering Join Peter Stevens on a journey of discovery
meaningful change. and unlock the potential of your organization!

Build the Right Relationship Between

Sourcing and Agile Development Companies

TEN AGILE Illustrated

The ^ Guide
CONTRACTS to Scrum
A Practitioner’s Guide to Creating the Right Contract By Peter B. Stevens

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