Stop Screaming SCRUM!

Banging on about Scrum like it's the be-all and end-all won't do ya any favours, nor will any mystical rituals to get the job over the line. Spot on, I'm laying it out straight – SCRUM might not be your cup of tea. Especially if you're in a flat-out startup or scale-up, looking to rocket your 'save the world' product or beef up your product line big time. In me trek through various products and projects, here's what I've sussed out:

1. Giving it a burl and failing fast is usually on the money.
2. No matter how you spin it, speed's king.
3. Your customers don't give a rat's about how you get it done.

Fast Fail: A lot of top brass struggle with the fact that no matter how schmick your presentation, it's a bit of a dead horse if no one's actually using what you've built. Spending ages in meetings, hashing out RICE, HEART, or any other software fad for a bit of brain buzz – none of that's gonna change the cold hard fact if your feature's not out there copping a flogging or praise. All your legwork, the dosh you've dropped, and the hours you've chewed through could end up being as successful as Google Glass! Chop the process. You're in a startup; you need to hit the market sharpish, or you'll be left in the dust. If there's even a sniff of failure, better to cop it sweet, learn, and go again till you crack it. KANBAN or even Waterfall can streamline the muck around to design, develop, and deliver. I've watched startups tank early doors 'cause they couldn't deliver while drowning in process. As the old saying goes, "to finish first, you first have to finish."

Speed: It's vital for startups or scale-ups to get that speed's everything. It ain't just about delivering the goods but how quick you're on the draw! SCRUM might get you harmonizing a beaut tune, but you could be stuck on one hit while the others are banging out their entire playlists. The key is failing fast to test the waters and then hitting back quick smart – we're talking days, not months.

Internal Process: Don't get all starry-eyed over how flash your mate's company looks slinging SCRUM around. Forge the process that's best for your product, project, and mob. Dodge the mad dash for process perfection. Your customer doesn't give two hoots about the pretty picture on your desktop or the hoops you jump through to deliver. Just ask the folks behind Microsoft's Zune. And sure, your investors might get a kick out of it, but that won't last if you're not putting runs on the board. I'm not off me rocker nor flunked the SCRUM test, but you catch my drift. Your gig, whether you're the product manager, project manager, or the big cheese making the calls, is to make sure whatever process you pick runs smooth as and nails your goals.

SCRUM's got its place, but it's like a ceremony – one step after another, and if you're skipping or missing, you're not really doing it. You can't always be ducking off to temple or church expecting divine intervention. The process never trumps the product. It's just the path to hitting your target.

Chuck your thoughts down in the comments, and go easy on me, yeah?