Scrum is built on empiricism—transparency, inspection, and adaptation

TL;DR; Scrum relies on delivering a usable product increment every sprint, and if this does not happen, the team is not truly practicing Scrum. The Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring an environment where delivery is consistent and inevitable, with no excuses for missed increments. Development managers should ensure their Scrum Masters take ownership of delivery and address any barriers to producing usable increments each sprint.

Published on 24 February 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/P1tjFbyeVyU

Scrum is built on empiricism—transparency, inspection, and adaptation. But what happens when there’s nothing to inspect?

A Scrum Team that isn’t delivering isn’t a Scrum Team at all. If every sprint doesn’t produce a usable increment, you’re not doing Scrum. Period.

Here’s where the Scrum Master comes in. Their accountability isn’t just to the team—it’s to the organisation. The business depends on delivery. Customers depend on working products.

If delivery isn’t happening, the Scrum Master owns that failure. They are accountable for creating an environment where delivery is inevitable.

No increment? No excuses. Own it. Fix it. Deliver.

Thoughts? How does your org handle this accountability?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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