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Glossary · project-management

Scrum

Definition

Scrum is the framework that makes Agile concrete. Work is split into 1-4 week sprints; roles are Product Owner (what to build), Scrum Master (how to work together), and Development Team. Daily standup, sprint review, and retrospective are core ceremonies.

Published: 2026-05-05Updated: 2026-05-05

Detailed explanation

Scrum was formalized in the 1990s by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. Core elements: Sprint (1-4 week dev cycle), Product Backlog (full to-do list, owned by PO), Sprint Backlog (this sprint's work), Increment (delivered working software).

Roles: Product Owner maximizes business value, manages the backlog. Scrum Master ensures framework adherence and removes blockers. Development Team self-organizes, cross-functional. Scope does not change mid-sprint.

Scrum in Turkey: 2-week sprints most common. Jira + Confluence most popular tools. PSM certification $200; CSM from Scrum Alliance. Common failure: Scrum ceremonies exist but PO isn't dedicated.

Use cases

Software sprint planning

SaaS feature development

Agency + client project management

Startup team organization

Remote development team coordination

Pros

  • +Concrete delivery each sprint
  • +Transparency (everyone knows what's done)
  • +Fast prioritization
  • +Retrospective drives process improvement

Cons

  • Blocks if PO isn't full-time
  • Daily standup wastes time if unmanaged
  • Long-range planning is hard
  • Scaling for large teams (may need SAFe)

Related terms

AgileKanbanMVPSprint

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