Should I use Scrum for my Accelerator Program?

Recently I have been asked if there is a good approach to use scrum in an accelerator program to make more agile the progress.

This has made me thing the way that we should implement it so that this is not only for tech startup but any kind of startups.

Here I will describe some of the notes that are important to take in mind while implementing this framework.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is one of the most used frameworks in software development. It has shown sustained growth due to the agility of the changes.

It is a simple way to iterate during different experiments.

You can read my summary blog about Scrum here

Should I use scrum for my programs?

The short answer is that you may already be using an agile technique in one way or another if your program is fast pace.

Agility is the ability to move quick and easy.

In this sense you may not be implementing Scrum but some sort of Agile framework.

How does it look an Agile Program?

An agile program needs to be structured in a way that you get benefits from your graduated companies.

What are the basics that we need?

1. Set up your program using tools that will allow you to make rapid changes.
2. Build the mentor and startup community
3. Coach startups to define a program for the first two weeks
4. Coach them to review results and iterate weekly
5. Track progress and adapt to changes weekly

Process:

1. Define Sprint length (In short program it is better to define it weekly or maximum every two week — longer periods tend to disperse the common goals in a fast pace environment)
2. Backlog Creation: Coach startups to define a backlog of things that they want to achieve.
3. Sprint Planing: Coach startups to select few tasks to achieve during the Sprint.
4. Sprint Stand-up: let them run with it. They need to show ownership. (During this time it is recommended that the team meets with mentors to help them to achieve the goal for that week)
5. Sprint Retrospective: review results, metrics and progress. Make sure to understand the why in a positive or negative result.
6. Backlog Grooming: in this case it is relevant to have a clear view of the metrics collected by the startups. Grooming allows to review and re-focus the backlogs with the understanding of the results.
7. Now iterate, go back to (2).

Benefits:

• Track progress faster (don’t need to wait weeks for a result)
• Make more experiments
• Streamline focus on the most important objectives
• Adapt quickly

Team Coaches works for you

Team Coaches provide a software that contains all the tools require to simplify and unify all the activities in one place.

If you like our product you can book a demo and we can talk about how we can fit in your programs.