Well. It seems like there are people out there trying to add new “types” of Scrum.

And it seems like this topic rears it ugly head (meaning it “shows up”) pretty regularly in different discussions and on different boards.

You will see “Scrum Type A, B, and C” as some examples of this “evolution.”

What do the different Scrum Types looks like?

Scrum Type A

This seems to be the classic, by the book way Scrum is taught. An iteration (or Sprint) starts and stops at regular intervals.

Scrum Type B

This is where Sprints start “overlapping.” Ug.

Scrum Type C

This is where there are basically continuous - and overlapping — Sprints. Jeff Sutherland (one of the creators of Scrum, not normally mentioned) - Explains “Type C” here.

Ummm.

And the scary thing is, there are probably many more “types” of Scrum out there.

At the end of the day though, really, Scrum boils back down to doing the basics.

Ken Schwaber has addressed this publicly (and privately at meetings I have attended with other Certified Scrum Trainers).

Here is one of his comments (from a yahoo group posting):

“There is only one Scrum… There are many ways to fill in its blanks to optimize productivity and ROI, but those vary with each situation. I may implement Scrum differently if there is hardware and software involved, if there are various levels of engagement throughout the enterprise, if the engineers are more or less competent � but it is all Scrum.”

So what is the big fuss?

I really do not know.

Seriously.

It is all the same stuff.

And.

I personally think the marketing around Scrum - one of the many available agile techniques for software development - is tough enough to try to explain, teach, and implement to both people inside and outside of the software development industry.

Does it really matter about the different “types?”

No.

Really.

If this religious dogma of “typing” Scrum continues (and I am urging, along with others, to stop this nonsense) I guess I should claim “Type V” now.

Scrum - Type V

(for Vizdos, pretty creative, huh?).

This would be where all teams actually use Scrum (as Scrum should be used!) and really get it. And then all the Scrum Teams out there actively print out all our cartoons from ImplementingScrum.com (all are available here!) and use them as teaching and learning aids. And each and every person implementing “Type V” Scrum would send out all their own favorite cartoons from the site to people they know (wow, you can do that from each page by using that “tell a friend” link!) and link back to them from their own sites (both internally and externally for the world to share).

But wait.

Sorry.

And (use AND not BUT).

Um.

This differs from the way you are using Scrum today in what way?

Thought so.

Scrum = Scrum at the end of the day.

Gotta run….

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