Agile means delivering work in small, finished pieces every few weeks, then adjusting based on real feedback instead of following a fixed long-range plan.
Like the scientific method, agile starts with a hypothesis about what will move the product forward. The team builds the idea, delivers it to users, then measures results and collects feedback. Based on that feedback, the team decides whether to pivot or continue on the current path.
Scrum is the most widely used agile framework, but since we hate meetings, we're using a lighter hybrid version.
Scrum is a lightweight framework: a small team works in fixed-length sprints, delivers a usable increment each time, and adjusts both the product and its process after every sprint.
Scrum sprint · 4 events, 2 feedback loops
Read it left to right, then around: work flows from the backlog into a sprint and out as an increment; the Review reshapes the backlog and the Retrospective improves the next sprint.
| Event | Purpose | Timebox | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sprint | Container for all other events; produces a usable increment | 2 weeks, fixed length | A Done increment |
| Sprint Planning | Decide why this sprint matters, what to build and how | 2 hours max | Sprint Goal + Sprint Backlog |
| Monday Scrum | In the second week of the sprint, check progress toward the Sprint Goal and re-plan the week | 1 hour max | Updated plan for the next week |
| Sprint Review + Retrospective | Review stakeholder feedback, adapt the backlog, then reflect on how the team works | 1 hour max | Revised Product Backlog + concrete improvements |
| Sprint week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sprint Planning (2 h) | ||||
| Week 2 | Monday Scrum (1 h) | Sprint Review + Retrospective (1 h) |
Scrum has three artifacts, each tied to a commitment that keeps the team focused.
| Artifact | What it is | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Product Backlog | Ordered list of everything that might be built | Product Goal |
| Sprint Backlog | Sprint Goal + selected items + plan to deliver them | Sprint Goal |
| Increment | All work completed to the Definition of Done | Definition of Done |
A shared checklist that every item must meet before it counts. A starter example to adapt:
Most teams estimate in story points, a relative size (often 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) rather than hours. We already estimate as Low, Medium and High, which we can map to numbers to track velocity. After 3–4 sprints, the team's average velocity shows how much it can realistically take on.