What are the common myths about agile and scrum frameworks for product engineering?

1 Myth 1: Agile and scrum are the same thing

One of the most common myths is that agile and scrum are interchangeable terms. However, agile is a set of principles and values that guide software development, while scrum is a specific framework that implements agile practices. Agile is not a methodology, but a mindset that embraces change, collaboration, feedback, and experimentation. Scrum is a methodology that defines roles, events, artifacts, and rules for agile teams. There are other frameworks that follow agile principles, such as Kanban, XP, or Lean. Scrum is not the only way to be agile, but it is one of the most widely used and recognized.

2 Myth 2: Agile and scrum are easy and fast

Another common myth is that agile and scrum are easy and fast ways to develop software. However, agile and scrum are not shortcuts or silver bullets. They require discipline, commitment, and continuous improvement. Agile and scrum do not eliminate complexity, uncertainty, or risk. They help teams manage them better by breaking down work into smaller and more manageable chunks, delivering value incrementally, and adapting to changing requirements and feedback. Agile and scrum are not about speed, but about quality and customer satisfaction.

3 Myth 3: Agile and scrum do not need documentation or planning

A third common myth is that agile and scrum do not need documentation or planning. However, agile and scrum do not reject documentation or planning. They value working software over comprehensive documentation and responding to change over following a plan. This means that documentation and planning should be relevant, useful, and updated. Agile and scrum teams document what is necessary to communicate, collaborate, and deliver value. They also plan frequently and iteratively, based on the current state of the project and the customer needs. Agile and scrum are not about chaos, but about flexibility and transparency.

4 Myth 4: Agile and scrum do not care about quality or design

A fourth common myth is that agile and scrum do not care about quality or design. However, agile and scrum are not about compromising quality or design for speed. They are about building quality and design into the process and the product. Agile and scrum teams care about quality and design because they affect customer satisfaction, user experience, and business value. They use practices such as test-driven development, code reviews, refactoring, pair programming, and user stories to ensure quality and design. They also seek feedback from customers, users, and stakeholders to validate and improve quality and design. Agile and scrum are not about quantity, but about value and usability.

5 Myth 5: Agile and scrum work for any project or team

A fifth common myth is that agile and scrum are one-size-fits-all solutions. However, they work best for projects and teams that have high uncertainty and complexity, frequent changes and feedback, cross-functional and self-organizing teams, customer and user involvement, and short and iterative cycles. On the other hand, agile and scrum may not be suitable for projects and teams with low uncertainty and complexity, stable and fixed requirements, hierarchical and siloed teams, limited or no customer or user involvement, or long and sequential phases. Ultimately, it is not about dogmatism but rather about suitability and adaptability when it comes to agile and scrum.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?