Professional Scrum Master 1 (PSM I) Cheat Sheet
The PSM I Cheat Sheet serves as a quick reference for key Scrum concepts, roles, artifacts, and events crucial for passing the PSM I assessment. It aids in understanding the Scrum framework’s core principles and practices.
Scrum Definition
Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
In a nutshell, Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:
- A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
- The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
- The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
- Repeat
Scrum Theory
- Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking.
- Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed.
- Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on the essentials.
The Three Pillars of Empiricism
Empiricism means working in a fact-based, experience-based, and evidence-based manner.
- Transparency — The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving the work.
- Inspection — The Scrum artifacts and the progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently to detect potentially undesirable variances or problems
- Adaptation — If any aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits or if the resulting product is unacceptable, the process being applied or the materials being produced must be adjusted.
The Scrum Values
Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living five values:
Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage
- Courage — Scrum Team members need courage to do the right thing and face tough problems.
- Focus — The Scrum Team focuses on the work of the Sprint and its goals
- Commitment — Each Scrum Team member commits to achieving the team’s goals and to support each other.
- Respect — It’s necessary for Scrum Team members to respect each other as skilled professionals.
- Openness — The Scrum Team and its stakeholders agree to be open about all of the work and the challenges with performing the work.
Scrum Team
- The fundamental unit of Scrum is a small team of people, a Scrum Team.
- The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers.
- Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.
- They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.
Product Owner (PO)
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.
The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:
- Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;
- Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;
- Ordering Product Backlog items; and,
- Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
The Product Owner may do the above work or may delegate the responsibility to others. Regardless, the Product Owner remains accountable.
Product Owner must have authority
Developers (Dev)
- Transform Product Backlog items into a usable Increment.
- Cross-functional; Developer, DevOps, Tester, Specialist, Analyst, Designer
- Self-Managed
Scrum Master (SM)
- Accountable for establishing Scrum.
- Causes the removal of impediments.
- Lead and facilitates Scrum adoption.
Scrum Events
- The Sprint is a container for all other events.
- Each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt Scrum artifacts.
- These events are specifically designed to enable the transparency required.
- Failure to operate any events as prescribed results in lost opportunities to inspect and adapt.
- Events are used in Scrum to create regularity and to minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum.
The Sprint
- Sprints are the heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value.
- Time-boxed up to, at most one month
- Must have fixed duration
During the sprint
- No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal;
- Quality does not decrease;
- The Product Backlog is refined as needed; and,
- Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned.
Cancelling the sprint
- Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the sprint
- Sprint Goal becomes obsolete
Sprint Planning
- Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint.
- This resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.
Sprint Planning addresses the following topics:
- Why is this Sprint valuable?
- What can be Done this Sprint?
- How will the chosen work get done?
Daily Scrum
- The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.
- The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team.
- To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint.
Sprint Review
- The Sprint Review is about Transparency and Collaboration
- The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations.
- The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed.
- The Sprint Review is the second to last event of the Sprint and is time-boxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Sprint Retrospective
- The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.
- The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with the domain of work. Assumptions that led them astray are identified and their origins explored.
- The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.
- The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
- It is time-boxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Scrum Artifacts
Product Backlog
- Product Backlog — Product Goal, Product Backlog Refinement
A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users or customers. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract.
Sprint Backlog
Commitment: Sprint Goal
The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).
The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal. Consequently, the Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum.
Increment
An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal.
- Increment — Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
Scale Scrum (Nexus)
- 1 Product
- 1 Product Goal
- 1 Product Backlog
- 1 Product Owner
- 3–9 Scrum teams
Component Team vs Feature Team
Sprints Cadency for Multiple Scrum Teams
- The Scrum Teams from a Nexus might have different Sprint lengths
- However, the start and end dates of the Sprints must synchronize following, at most, a one-month cadency.
The following part are things that good to know, not in the exam.
Agile
Agile means responding to change
- Waterfall is best suited for problems with low uncertainty.
- Agile is best suited for complex environment.
- Scrum is an agile framework for guide changes.
Agile Mindset
- See setbacks as LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
- Adopt SHORT DELIVERY CYCLES, COLLABORATION, AND CHANGE.
- Focus on DELIVERY VALUE.
Agile Value
Not mandatory, but good to know
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Responding to change over following a plan.
12 Agile Principles
Not mandatory, but good to know
Project Principles
- Agile Principles #1
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Agile Principles #2
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
- Agile Principles #3
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
- Agile Principles #8
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
- Agile Principles #7
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Product Principles
- Agile Principles #10
Simplicity — the art of maximizing the amount of work not done — is essential.
- Agile Principles #9
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
People Principles
- Agile Principles #6
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
- Agile Principles #4
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
- Agile Principles #11
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
- Agile Principles #5
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
Process Principles
- Agile Principles #12
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
The Relationship between Agile and Scrum
The Cone of Uncertainty
Abbreviation
- IKIWISI = I Know It When I See It
- YAGNI = You Ain’t Gonna Need It
- VUCA = Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity
