Scrum: The Power of a Good Itinerary

Diving into a new project can feel a lot like navigating an international city on foot for the first time. There are so many new smells! New traffic laws! Different clothing and customs and even alphabets! In the beginning, it can feel like there is so much to see and experience that you will have a great trip just by wandering wherever the wind takes you.

If you’ve done much traveling, you know that the romantic notion of “figuring it out as you go” usually results in a Big Mac across from the Buenos Aires bus station or room service at your 5-star Istanbul hotel. And on the flight home, you’re dwelling more on what you didn’t do, rather than remembering all the great things you did.

After countless traveling disappointments, I’ve learned to arm myself with a map and a well-read guidebook, all while maintaining my sense of adventure and open-mindedness. I’ll show up on Day One with a general idea of everything I want to do, but I get the most out of my trips when I plan my days no more than the night before. This way I can incorporate tips from the bartender or the cab driver into my itinerary without derailing my sightseeing wish list. It’s a balance between planning and adapting — and I don’t want to brag, but I think I’ve found the sweet spot.

If you’re new to Scrum, it may look at first like a lot of time is wasted on planning: Not only will your Development Team meet every single morning to talk about the work that they’re doing, but you’ll have to be available every two weeks to review and approve their progress. Not to mention all of the energy that goes into describing and revising the User Stories and assigning each of them accurate Story Values, and the fact that there is even an individual (the Scrum Master) whose sole job is to make sure everyone else does theirs.

It’s fair to ask, “Can’t we just get started already???”

But with Scrum, each Sprint is like a new day in a foreign city. To get the most out of each day, you need a map and you need a plan. The more familiar you are with both of them, the more you can accomplish and the easier you can incorporate new information. And I guarantee you’ll fly home happy every time.