This quote highlights the intentionally minimalistic design of Scrum, which is meant to be flexible and adaptable, rather than prescriptive.

The Scrum Guide, written by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, is a basic document outlining the Scrum framework - a common methodology for agile product development. So what have the authors really changed?

• The new guide emphasises more strongly that Scrum is not only suitable for software development, but for all types of complex product and concept development.
• The Scrum Guide 2020 is shorter and more concise than the 2017 version, with the aim of improving accessibility and comprehensibility. The table of contents (see image below) has also been slightly adapted.

• In the 2017 Scrum Guide, a clear distinction was still defined between the Development Team and the rest of the Scrum Team. This was removed in the 2020 version in order to emphasise the unity and shared responsibility of the entire Scrum team. It is now simply referred to as «Developers» within the Scrum Team. The Scrum Guide 2020 further clarifies that the Product Owner is an integral part of the Scrum Team and is not external to it.
• The description of the role of the Scrum Master has been expanded in the Scrum Guide 2020 to clarify its importance for the Scrum team, the organisation and the stakeholders.
• The introduction of a «Product Goal» in the Scrum Guide 2020 emphasises the importance of an overarching goal for the product that serves as a guiding compass for the Scrum team.
• Each artefact (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment) now has an associated commitment (Product Goal, Sprint Goal, Definition of Done) in the Scrum Guide 2020 to increase transparency and focus on achieving the goals.
• The Scrum Guide 2020 adds a third question to Sprint Planning: «How will the targeted work be achieved?» This aims to improve the depth of planning and the team's understanding of the sprint.
• Most experts have responded positively to the change in the Scrum Guide 2020, which states that developers are no longer the only ones allowed to speak at the Daily Scrum. This adjustment aims to promote communication and collaboration within the team. This change aligns the Scrum Guide more closely with the principle of promoting teamwork and collaborative problem solving instead of strictly separating the roles.

These changes reflect the authors' endeavours to make Scrum simpler and at the same time more comprehensive, to foster team collaboration and to extend the applicability of Scrum beyond software development.

Download the current Scrum Guide here