TL; DR: Reworked and Scrum
Regardless of criticism from the product group relating to Scrum as a framework for efficient product creation, specifically Marty Cagan himself, I imagine that it’s worthwhile to match the ideas that assist kind profitable product groups with these of Scrum. Let’s delve into an evaluation of “Transformed” and the way its ideas align with Scrum’s.
Matching Reworked’s Product Success Ideas with Scrum Ideas
Final week, Paweł Huryn summarized the product success ideas from Marty Cagan’s e book Reworked. (Please discover his put up on LinkedIn and contemplate following him.) I took these ideas and in contrast them step-by-step with the ideas derived from the Scrum Information.
As an agile practitioner, you’re accustomed to the continued debate about the very best frameworks and ideas that drive success. Marty Cagan’s Reworked affords a set of product ideas which can be broadly revered within the product group, however can these ideas coexist with Scrum, a framework usually critiqued by the identical group?
Regardless of the criticism, a more in-depth look reveals that Scrum aligns with and enhances these ideas when applied successfully. Scrum’s values and practices successfully help every precept, from empowering groups and specializing in outcomes to fostering innovation and steady studying. Scrum’s emphasis on self-managing groups, iterative progress, and servant management creates a tradition that prioritizes worth, innovation, and flexibility—key substances for constructing profitable merchandise. When utilized appropriately, Scrum is a strong framework for driving product success.
So, let’s delve into how Scrum matches the 5 key product ideas recognized by Paweł Huryn in Reworked, demonstrating that Scrum stays a robust method for constructing profitable merchandise:
I. Product Group Ideas
1. Precept: Empowered With Issues to Remedy
- Scrum precept match: Self-managing groups
- Rationalization: In Scrum, groups are self-managing, that means they’ve the autonomy to determine how one can deal with the issues. This aligns with the precept of being empowered with issues to unravel, because the Scrum Group, notably the Builders, are empowered to determine how one can method their work throughout the Dash to attain the Dash Purpose.
2. Precept: Outcomes Over Output
- Scrum precept match: Concentrate on delivering worth
- Rationalization: Scrum emphasizes delivering worth over merely finishing duties. The Dash Purpose and the give attention to delivering probably releasable Increments throughout every Dash align with the precept of prioritizing outcomes over output. Scrum groups are inspired to give attention to what brings essentially the most worth, not simply on doing extra work.
3. Precept: Sense of Possession
- Scrum precept match: Dedication
- Rationalization: Scrum instills a powerful sense of possession by way of the dedication to Dash and Product Targets and the collective accountability of the Scrum Group. For instance, every staff member is dedicated to attaining the Dash Purpose, which fosters a way of possession over their work.
4. Precept: Collaboration
- Scrum precept match: Collaboration and cross-functionality
- Rationalization: Scrum’s framework is constructed on collaboration, notably throughout the Scrum Group, which is cross-functional and works collectively carefully to ship the Dash Targets. Every day Scrums, Dash Planning, and Retrospectives all emphasize and facilitate collaboration. Unsurprisingly, nobody on a Scrum staff has any authority to inform anybody else what to do or how one can do issues.
Chosen Perception
“The most fundamental of all product concepts is the notion of an empowered, cross-functional product team.”
- Scrum alignment: Scrum’s very basis is constructed upon cross-functional groups empowered to handle their work. This straight aligns with Scrum’s precept of forming cross-functional groups with all the abilities essential to ship Product Increments each Dash.
II. Reworked: Product Technique Ideas
1. Precept: Focus
- Scrum precept match: Dash Purpose
- Rationalization: In Scrum, the Dash Purpose focuses on your complete staff throughout a Dash. It’s a singular goal that the Scrum Group commits to attaining, which aligns completely with the precept of focus in product technique. This focus ensures the staff works in the direction of a standard, clearly outlined purpose.
2. Precept: Powered by insights
- Scrum precept match: Empiricism
- Rationalization: Scrum is constructed on the pillars of empiricism: transparency, inspection, and adaptation. The method of inspecting the Increments, gathering suggestions, and adapting the Product Backlog accordingly is pushed by insights gained by way of these actions. This ensures that selections are based mostly on actionable knowledge and knowledge moderately than assumptions.
3. Precept: Transparency
- Scrum precept match: Transparency
- Rationalization: Transparency is certainly one of Scrum’s core pillars. All elements of the Scrum course of are seen to these accountable for the result. This ensures that every one staff members and stakeholders clearly perceive the venture’s present state, which straight aligns with the precept of transparency in product technique.
4. Precept: Putting Bets
- Scrum precept match: Product Backlog refinement
- Rationalization: In Scrum, the Product Backlog represents at any second what the staff considers vital to perform the subsequent step. Based mostly on new insights, it’s constantly refined and prioritized based mostly on what’s most precious to the client and the group. This course of includes inserting bets on which backlog gadgets (issues or options) needs to be addressed subsequent based mostly on their potential affect and alignment with the Product Purpose.
Chosen Perception
“Product strategy is all about which problems are the most important to solve.”
- Scrum alignment: Scrum aligns with this precept by defining Product Targets and, consequently, the continued prioritization and refinement of the Product Backlog to replicate the “best” path to perform this purpose. The Product Proprietor constantly assesses which gadgets are most important to attaining the Product Purpose, making certain the Scrum Group is at all times centered on fixing crucial issues.
III. Product Discovery Ideas
1. Precept: Reduce Waste
- Scrum precept match: Iterative growth and incremental supply
- Rationalization: Scrum’s iterative and incremental method inherently minimizes waste by specializing in delivering small, helpful Increments which can be often reviewed and adjusted. This prevents giant quantities of labor that will not be wanted or valued, aligning with the precept of minimizing waste.
2. Precept: Assess Product Dangers
- Scrum precept match: Inspection and adaptation
- Rationalization: In Scrum, the common inspection of Increments and subsequent adaptation of the Product Backlog assist to establish and handle dangers early. By constantly assessing what has been constructed and adjusting the plan accordingly, Scrum groups can mitigate product dangers successfully.
3. Precept: Embrace fast experimentation
- Scrum precept match: Dash
- Rationalization: Every Dash in Scrum may be seen as an experiment wherein the staff checks concepts and options by constructing and delivering Increments whereas investing in product discovery actions, equivalent to creating prototypes to check assumptions. This fast cycle of planning, execution, overview, and adaptation aligns with the precept of fast experimentation in product discovery.
4. Precept: Check Concepts Responsibly
- Scrum precept match: Dash Planning and incremental method
- Rationalization: In Scrum, Dash Planning may be tailored to incorporate the creation of prototypes or experiments particularly for testing assumptions. These experiments don’t want to satisfy the complete Definition of Achieved however needs to be designed to assemble helpful suggestions shortly and responsibly. By breaking down bigger concepts into smaller, testable elements (also known as “spikes” or “experiments”), groups can check assumptions with out the complete price of production-level high quality. This incremental method permits groups to validate hypotheses shortly, regulate based mostly on suggestions, and guarantee they responsibly handle danger and assets in the course of the discovery section.
Chosen Perception
“The heart of product discovery is rapidly testing product ideas for what the solution could be […] an experimentation culture not only helps you address risks, but it is absolutely central to innovation.”
- Scrum alignment: Scrum’s framework is constructed round iterative experimentation. Every Dash is a chance to check and validate concepts shortly, making Scrum a pure match for an experimentation-driven method to product discovery.
IV. Reworked: Product Supply Ideas
1. Precept: Small, Frequent, Uncoupled Releases
- Scrum precept match: Incremental supply
- Rationalization: Scrum promotes delivering small, helpful Increments steadily. Every Dash ought to produce probably shippable product Increments that may be launched to stakeholders or customers. This aligns with the precept of small, frequent, and uncoupled releases, making certain steady worth supply.
2. Precept: Instrumentation
- Scrum precept match: Definition of Achieved and transparency
- Rationalization: The Definition of Achieved in Scrum contains all the factors vital to make sure that an Increment is absolutely useful and of top quality. Instrumentation — equivalent to testing, documentation, and monitoring — is essential to satisfy the Definition of Achieved, making certain that each Increment is releasable. Transparency in Scrum additionally ensures that the state of every Increment is at all times seen and understood by all stakeholders.
3. Precept: Monitoring
- Scrum precept match: Empiricism (Inspection and Adaptation)
- Rationalization: In Scrum, often inspecting and adapting the product is akin to monitoring. By consistently checking the product’s progress and high quality by way of opinions and inspections, Scrum groups can establish points early and make vital changes, aligning with the precept of ongoing monitoring.
4. Precept: Deployment Infrastructure
- Scrum precept match: Steady Integration and Deployment
- Rationalization: Whereas Scrum doesn’t explicitly prescribe technical practices, it’s usually complemented by practices like Steady Integration and Steady Deployment (CI/CD). These practices be certain that the deployment infrastructure is about as much as permit for frequent, dependable releases, which aligns with the precept of getting a strong deployment infrastructure.
Chosen Perception
“This means, at a minimum, each product team releases their new work no less than every other week (…) For strong product companies, this means releasing several times per day (…).”
- Scrum alignment: Scrum’s iterative cycles of labor (Sprints) encourage common, frequent releases. Whereas conventional Scrum suggests a Dash period of as much as one month, many groups function in environments the place releases occur extra steadily, demonstrating Scrum’s flexibility to accommodate fast supply cycles.
V. Product Tradition Ideas
1. Precept: Ideas Over Course of
- Scrum precept match: Scrum values (Dedication, Braveness, Focus, Openness, Respect)
- Rationalization: Scrum locations a powerful emphasis on values that information the habits of the staff moderately than rigidly adhering to a course of. These values create a tradition the place ideas like dedication and openness take priority, enabling groups to make selections that align with their objectives and values moderately than simply following a set course of.
2. Precept: Belief Over Management
- Scrum precept match: Self-managing groups
- Rationalization: Scrum groups are self-managing, that means they’ve the authority and belief to determine how greatest to attain their objectives. This precept of trusting the staff to make selections moderately than imposing strict management aligns completely with Scrum’s emphasis on self-management and empowerment.
3. Precept: Innovation Over Predictability
- Scrum precept match: Empiricism (Inspection, Adaptation)
- Rationalization: Scrum’s iterative method, the place every Dash permits for experimentation, studying, and adaptation, fosters a tradition of innovation. As a substitute of prioritizing predictability, Scrum groups are inspired to examine and adapt based mostly on their studying, selling innovation over inflexible adherence to plans.
4. Precept: Studying Over Failure
- Scrum precept match: Dash Retrospective
- Rationalization: The Dash Retrospective is a key Scrum occasion specializing in steady enchancment by studying from previous Sprints. It gives an area for the staff to replicate, fostering a tradition of studying from expertise moderately than dwelling on failure, and aligns properly with the precept of prioritizing studying over avoiding failure.
Chosen Perception
“(…) this means moving from hands-on micromanagement to servant-based leadership with active coaching. It means leading with context rather than control.”
- Scrum alignment: Scrum advocates for servant management, notably within the function of the Scrum Grasp, who helps the staff by eradicating impediments and fostering an surroundings of self-organization. This method aligns with the shift from micromanagement to management that gives context and help, permitting the staff to function with autonomy and belief.
Meals for Thought on Reworked and Scrum
Allow us to end with some thought-provoking questions and factors for additional reflection to encourage deeper consideration of the subject:
1. Is Scrum Really Versatile Sufficient?
Whereas Scrum aligns properly with the ideas in Reworked, some argue that Scrum can grow to be too inflexible if not tailored to particular staff wants. How can groups preserve the flexibleness to innovate whereas adhering to Scrum’s ideas?
2. Balancing Empowerment and Accountability
Empowerment is a key precept in each Scrum and Cagan’s method, however how can groups steadiness this with the necessity for accountability? What practices guarantee empowerment doesn’t result in a scarcity of course or accountability?
3. The Function of Management in Scrum
Scrum emphasizes servant management, however how can leaders steadiness being hands-off and offering the mandatory steerage and help? How can management adapt as groups mature of their Scrum practices?
4. Is There a Level The place Scrum Turns into Counterproductive?
In complicated, fast-moving environments, may there be conditions the place adhering to Scrum may hinder moderately than assist? How can groups acknowledge these conditions and regulate their method accordingly? In any case, we’re not paid to observe Scrum however to unravel our clients’ issues throughout the given constraints whereas contributing to the group’s sustainability.
Evolving Product Tradition
Scrum’s and Cagan’s ideas emphasize the significance of tradition. What steps can organizations take to constantly evolve and enhance their product tradition, making certain it helps innovation and sustainable supply?
Reworked: Conclusion
Marty Cagan’s Reworked gives a compelling imaginative and prescient for product success, with ideas that champion empowerment, focus, fast experimentation, and a product-first tradition. Nevertheless, there’s a rising narrative that Scrum may fall in need of supporting these bold objectives — a perspective usually voiced throughout the product group.
However let’s set the file straight: Scrum, when utilized thoughtfully, is not only a course of or a set of rituals. It’s a framework designed to empower groups, ship actual outcomes, and foster a tradition of steady enchancment. The ideas outlined by Cagan usually are not at odds with Scrum; actually, they are often seen as an evolution of the very ideas Scrum has at all times stood for.
Take into account this: Scrum’s give attention to self-organizing, cross-functional groups straight aligns with empowering groups with issues to unravel. The emphasis on delivering probably shippable Increments matches the drive for outcomes over output. Additionally, the tradition of steady inspection and adaptation by way of retrospectives completely mirrors the necessity for studying over failure.
Scrum is much from being the bureaucratic beast some critics make it out to be. It’s a dynamic, adaptable framework that, when used with a transparent understanding of its function, may be the very car that drives the success Cagan’s ideas goal for. Sure, Scrum requires a dedication to transparency, collaboration, and relentless pursuit of worth. Nonetheless, when these components are in place, Scrum turns into a robust enabler of the product excellence Cagan envisions.
Ultimately, it is not about Scrum vs. Cagan’s ideas from Reworked. It’s about leveraging Scrum because the foundational observe that makes these ideas actionable and achievable in the true world. Once we cease viewing Scrum as a algorithm and begin seeing it as a software for fostering a tradition of self-management, innovation, focus, and steady supply, we notice that Scrum is not only useful—it’s important for driving the type of product success Cagan talks about.
What’s your tackle “Transformed” assembly Scrum?
Please share with us within the feedback.