The Scrum Team is the fundamental unit of Scrum. According to the Scrum Guide 2020:
“The Scrum Team is small and cross-functional. It consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers.”
There are exactly three accountabilities in a Scrum Team. Adding extra formal roles is discouraged, as it undermines team unity and contradicts Scrum principles.
Characteristics
· Self-managing: The team decides how to organize its own work. It is not directed by external management or subdivided into hierarchies.
· Cross-functional: The team possesses all skills necessary to deliver a usable Increment without relying on people outside the team.
· Value-oriented: All members share accountability for achieving the Product Goal and Sprint Goal.
Composition
· Product Owner: Accountable for maximizing product value and ordering the Product Backlog.
· Scrum Master: A servant leader and coach who enables effective use of Scrum.
· Developers: Professionals with the skills required to create a usable Increment each Sprint.
The recommended team size is 10 or fewer people. Smaller teams improve communication, focus, and productivity.
Accountability and Collaboration
The Scrum Team as a whole is accountable for the outcome. Unlike in traditional project models, there is no central project manager role – management and execution responsibilities are integrated into the team.
Stakeholders are not part of the Scrum Team, but they are actively engaged through feedback and collaboration.
Common Misconceptions
· “There is a Development Team inside the Scrum Team.” – Since 2020, there are no sub-teams. The term is now simply Developers.
· “Roles can be freely combined.” – Technically possible but discouraged: for example, a Scrum Master should not also serve as Product Owner.
· “Scrum Teams need external management.” – False. Scrum Teams are self-managing and decide how best to achieve their goals.
Practical Relevance
The Scrum Team is the carrier of agility. It embodies responsibility, transparency, and autonomy. In many agile transformations, the real challenge is not introducing Scrum events but rather shifting from command-and-control structures to empowering teams with true ownership.
CALADE Perspective
CALADE supports organizations in designing Scrum Teams that are genuinely autonomous and value-driven. Our coaches help teams and leaders build self-management, cross-functionality, and strong stakeholder collaboration – key success factors for sustainable agility.
Related Terms
· Product Owner
· Scrum Master
· Developers
· Scrum Artifacts
· Sprint
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