I have collected a list of conditions that should be met and agreed before starting new Scrum project. This list is non-negotiable and needs to be agreed before project could be started.
- Full time development team
- Dedicated work space
- Separate person for Product Owner and Scrum Master roles
- Product Owner responsibility for project scope and cost
- Technology and architecture not decided already
- Minimum 5 persons working in development team
FAQ
Is it possible to locate team to open space or separate locations? – NO, team needs to be able to have permanent and dedicated workspace for them
Is it OK to do urgent things to other projects? – NO, team is fully assigned to current project and do not take orders from others. Changing persons during project should be avoided at any cost.
Where do you need Scrum Master? One Product Owner with agile mindset is enough for Scrum project – NO, there are separated tasks for Product Owner and Scrum master. These should not be same person. Developer or tester could act as a Scrum Master
Things done should come eventually from detailed road map, right? – NO, team should accept stuff from prioritized and estimated backlog which could change between sprints.
Architecture team decides what tools and technologies are used before project starts – NO, only development team can do that and eventually does it anyway
We don’t have resources for several person team. Is two developers enough? – NO, two developers are no a development team. Project scope and vision should be reconsidered