Agile is a mindset for delivering value in small, frequent increments while adapting to change. Scrum is the most widely used framework for doing agile. This guide covers both, cleanly.
The Agile Manifesto
Agile prioritises four values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Working software/product over comprehensive documentation.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Responding to change over following a plan. It doesn't mean no process or plan — it means favouring the left when they conflict. Twelve supporting principles emphasise early and continuous delivery, welcoming change, and sustainable pace.
Scrum accountabilities (roles)
- Product Owner — owns the what and why; maximises value by ordering the Product Backlog.
- Scrum Master — a servant-leader who coaches the team, removes impediments and protects the process (not a project manager).
- Developers — the people who build the increment and own the how.
Scrum events
- Sprint — a fixed timebox (1–4 weeks) that contains all the work.
- Sprint Planning — decide what to deliver this sprint and how.
- Daily Scrum — a 15-minute sync to inspect progress and adapt.
- Sprint Review — demo the increment to stakeholders and get feedback.
- Sprint Retrospective — the team inspects how it worked and improves.
Scrum artifacts
- Product Backlog — the ordered list of everything that might be needed.
- Sprint Backlog — the selected items plus the plan for the sprint.
- Increment — the usable, "done" output. The Definition of Done sets the quality bar.
When Agile fits
Agile shines when requirements are uncertain or evolving, feedback is valuable, and the product can be delivered incrementally. It's weaker for fixed-scope, fixed-date, heavily regulated deliverables — where predictive or hybrid approaches help.
Put it to work
Map your current work to a backlog and one sprint, then practise sprint planning and prioritisation in the Practical activities.