From the #Scrum Guide:
“… determine if its ..., theory, ... help to achieve goals.”
From Cambridge Dictionary:
"Theory: A formal statement of ideas that are suggested to explain a fact or event, or how something works.”
Scrum isn’t just a random set of practices. It’s built on proven theories that explain how work gets done to solve complex problems. These theories form the intellectual foundation of the Scrum framework.
At the heart of Scrum are two core theories: Empiricism and Lean Thinking.
Let’s take a quick look at each of them:
Empiricism
- What: Make decisions based on what’s known—not what’s assumed.
- How: Scrum enables teams to navigate complexity through transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
- It explains: In uncertain environments, trying to plan everything up front leads to risk and waste. Learning as you go delivers better results.
Lean Thinking
- What: Maximize value, minimize waste.
- How: Scrum’s simplicity, focus on outcomes, and short timeboxes align with lean principles.
- It explains: The more overhead (handovers, rework, documentation), the more delay. Scrum strips away what’s unnecessary so value can flow faster.
Scrum is intentionally different from traditional (project) management because it’s based on different assumptions about work.
- We accept that there’s a lot we don’t know.
- We understand that trying to predict everything upfront won’t reduce risk—it increases it.
- We know that doing more analysis won’t save us from uncertainty.
- Instead, we embrace evidence-based learning, lean flow, and adaptability.
Many teams misuse Scrum—not because the framework is flawed, but because they ignore the theory it’s based on.
They “do the ceremonies,” but miss the point:
- Sprints, Done, self-management, and retrospectives aren’t just practices—they’re applications of these theories.
- Without that foundation, teams quickly feel like “Scrum isn’t working.”
Ask yourself (and your team):
- In your events, are you inspecting and adapting based on real evidence, or just going through the motions? (Empiricism)
- Are you removing waste and improving flow, or stacking process on process? (Lean Thinking)
A final thought…
Are your leaders and stakeholders aligned with these theories—or unknowingly working against them? And what would change if your entire organization embraced the theories Scrum is founded on?
Scrum isn’t just something you do—it’s something you understand.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I hope you find value in these short articles and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to make contact.
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Wishing you an inspiring read and a wonderful journey.
Scrum on!
