KANBAN VS SCRUM: WHICH METHODOLOGY ARE YOU USING?
Miguel Rincon
Profesor en Universidad LCI Veritas | Realizador Audiovisual y Multimedial
Lately, I’ve been thinking: Kanban and Scrum are the Agile methodologies everyone talks about. But are we really using them effectively? Or are we just going along because they sound like something we “should” do? Let’s take a closer look at both, but from a more personal perspective.
KANBAN: THE CONTINUOUS FLOW
Kanban is like that board where you organize your tasks with sticky notes. Each task moves from column to column: To Do, In Progress, and Done. It’s simple, visual, and gives you a sense of progress. It seems like a system designed to keep everything moving smoothly without bottlenecks.
But here’s the thing: Kanban depends on having a clear understanding of what you’re doing and why. If you don’t have a clear goal, you’ll just end up moving tasks from one place to another without a real purpose. This makes me wonder: are we organizing work just to keep busy, or do we actually know where we’re heading?
Questions that come to mind about Kanban:
SCRUM: THE POWER OF SPRINTS
Now, let’s talk about Scrum. Here, things are more structured. The team works in sprints, short cycles where specific goals are set. Every day, there’s a quick daily stand-up meeting to check how things are going, make adjustments if needed, and keep moving forward.
Scrum is great for projects with clear short-term goals. However, I’ve noticed that if we don’t have a clear vision, those sprints can feel like running without direction. We’re moving fast, but… where are we going? And this is where I pause to reflect: working fast doesn’t mean working well.
Reflections on Scrum:
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KANBAN OR SCRUM: WHICH IS BETTER?
Honestly, the answer isn’t about which methodology is better, but about having a clear objective. Here’s the key reflection: the objective is not the product or service. And this might sound strange at first, but it’s a common mistake. We often confuse the objective with what we’re building, and that’s where we go off track.
The product or service is what we do, but the objective is why we do it. It’s the purpose that guides us. If we’re not clear on that, it doesn’t matter if we’re using Kanban, Scrum, or any other methodology because we’ll be working without direction. In the end, the product is just the means to an end, but that end has to be something deeper, something that adds value.
DON’T CONFUSE THE OBJECTIVE WITH THE PRODUCT
This is where I think we often go wrong. We confuse what we’re building (the product or service) with why we’re building it (the objective). Having a well-defined product is crucial, but it’s not the same as having a clear final goal. The product may change, evolve, or even disappear, but the objective, that why, needs to stay firm.
So, what’s the point of moving tasks in Kanban or rushing through sprints in Scrum if we don’t know where we’re going? Without a clear objective, all that effort can feel empty. It’s like being on a ship that’s moving, but without a compass or destination. The team is busy, but are they really moving towards something meaningful?
THE KEY QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR OBJECTIVE?
This is where everything makes sense. Before choosing between Kanban or Scrum, the most important thing is making sure the team is clear on the objective. Because without a direction, without a reason for being, any methodology turns into just a checklist of tasks with no purpose behind them.
What are we trying to achieve? This is the question that should guide everything. Once that answer is clear, then you can choose the methodology that fits best. But remember, the product or service is not the objective; it’s just the vehicle we use to reach it.
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