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First Principles in Scrum: Foundations

Jeff Sutherland

Do you want to be a better Scrum Master? Do you want to make a difference in the world?

Are you a manager responsible for Agile teams.

If so, then you need to learn the First Principles in Scrum.

Some people say that these insights have changed their life, or given them their life back.

Are you ready to make a change? Then read this book.

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About

About

About the Book

Every week I get asked dozens of questions about Scrum from new Product Owners and Scrum Masters on every continent (except Antarctica). Most questions cannot be answered without going back to First Principles. This means you need to understand physics, biology, evolution, and psychology to do Scrum well.

I was the wingman of the sole surviving Ace from World War II in Vietnam. He was a brilliant scientist and engineer, and he taught me a lot about First Principles thinking. I was also lucky enough to engage with similar trailblazers in physics, chemistry, medicine, biology, and AI. They were all part of the search for hyperproductive Scrum, and they make for an exciting story.

In this book, I will share my insights on Scrum and First Principles thinking. I will also tell the stories of the trailblazers who helped me to develop my understanding of these concepts. I believe that this book can help you to become a more effective Agile Manager, Scrum Master or Product Owner.

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Computers and ProgrammingScrumManagementAgile EnterpriseProduct ManagementScrumLeadership

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Author

About the Author

Jeff Sutherland

Co-Creator of Scrum and Scrum@Scale and Signatory of the Agile Manifesto

Leanpub Podcast

Episode 275

An Interview with Jeff Sutherland

Contents

Table of Contents

Note to Reader

Preface: Scrum Is an AI Protocol That Drives Entropy to Zero-Making Everything Free

  1. The Origin Story
  2. The Core Insight: Teams as Adaptive Systems
  3. Scrum and the Economics of Free
  4. First Principle: Learning Latency Is the Real Cost
  5. Second Principle: Knowledge Replicates at Zero Marginal Cost
  6. Third Principle: Scrum Minimizes Organizational Entropy
  7. The Subsumption Architecture of Scrum
  8. Case Study: The Farmer and the Smartphone
  9. The Economic Paradigm Shift
  10. Why Scrum Itself Must Be Free
  11. Large-Scale Proof: Apple
  12. Large-Scale Proof: Google and the Economics of Free
  13. The Future: Hybrid Scrum Teams
  14. Scrum and Bitcoin: The Twin Protocols of Abundance
  15. Scrum as an Anti-Poverty Framework
  16. Core Insight
  17. References

First Principles Are Simple Rules That Generate the Complexity of Physics

  1. The Fundamental Attribution Error
  2. A Journey Into the Quantum Realm
  3. The Bootstrap
  4. Wave Equations
  5. Relating Scrum to These Equations
  6. The Relationship Between Frequency and Molecular Weight
  7. Scrum Harnesses the Power of Frequency to Shape the Product
  8. Examples – Little’s Law and Boyd’s Energy Maneuverability Theory
  9. Frequencies and Wavelengths
  10. References

Converging Fighter Pilot Precision and Cellular Biology: Maximizing Predictability and Minimizing Surprise in Agile Product Management

  1. Introduction: A Newcomer’s Glimpse into Scrum
  2. Synchronizing Sky and Cell - The Genesis of Scrum
  3. Harnessing the Sky: Lessons from the Cockpit
  4. Embracing the Microcosm: Insights from Cellular Biology
  5. Synchronizing Sky and Cell: The Scrum Advantage
  6. Friston’s Free-Energy Principle: A Unified Brain Theory
  7. The 8 Principles of Free Energy in Individuals and Teams
  8. Leveraging the Free-Energy Principle: Scrum’s Optimization of Adaptive Agents
  9. Why Does This Matter: Translating Principles into Hyperproductivity
  10. Conclusion: Aligning Opposite Forces—Minimizing vs. Maximizing Surprise
  11. References

How Scrum Depends on Frequency and Wavelength

  1. Scrum Uses Frequency to Focus Energy to Transform Matter into Product
  2. The De Broglie Equation
  3. De Broglie’s Nobel Prize
  4. Where Does Planck’s Constant Come From?
  5. The Frequency and Wavelength of a Scrum Team
  6. The Scrum Master Owns Frequency and the Product Owner Owns Wavelength
  7. Why Does This Matter?
  8. References

Physics, Buddhism and Scrum: Decoding the Second Law of Thermodynamics

  1. Section 1: The Best Laid Plans of Men Oft Go Awry
  2. Synopsis Section 1 - Things Get Messy Over Time
  3. Section 2: The Most Wicked of Problems
  4. Synopsis Section 2: Putting Together a Puzzle
  5. Section 3: Understanding Entropy
  6. Synopsis Section 3: Winning a Video Game
  7. Section 4. Entropy in Product Development
  8. Synopsis Section 4: Rising Like a Phoenix From the Ashes
  9. Section 5: The Solution to Entropy is Turning Back Time
  10. Synopsis Section 5: Turning Back Time is the Solution to Entropy
  11. Section 6: Ancient Wisdom Applied to Entropy
  12. The Four Agile Truths
  13. A Deep Dive with the Master of Entropy
  14. The First Noble Truth
  15. The Second Noble Truth
  16. The Third Noble Truth: Nirodha
  17. The Fourth Noble Truth
  18. Synopsis Section 6: Ancient Wisdom Applied to Entropy
  19. Conclusion
  20. References

Self-Organization: Islands of Hope in Entropy’s Sea of Chaos

  1. 1. Introduction: The Trilogy of Innovation
  2. 2. Diving Into Self-Organization
  3. 3. Self Organization Spontaneously Arises
  4. 4. Why Is This Important?
  5. 5. The Beginnings in Physics
  6. 6. Self-Organization in Biological Systems
  7. 7. From Physics and Biology to Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)
  8. 8. The Computational Bridge: Wolfram’s Cellular Automata and the Second Law
  9. 9. The Precursor to Agile Evolution: Scrum’s Genesis
  10. 10. Scrum and Punctuated Equilibrium: Forging the Future
  11. 11. Scrum’s Synergy with Wolfram’s Islands of Self-Organization
  12. 12. Navigating the Entropy with Scrum: Finding Order in Chaos
  13. 13. Conclusion
  14. References

The Pattern Paradigm: Unveiling the Hidden Architecture of World-Changing Ideas

  1. Revisiting the Innovation Trilogy
  2. Wolfram’s Patterns of Self-Organization Arising from Chaos
  3. Christopher Alexander: Patterns, QWAN, and the Timeless Way of Building
  4. Scrum: A Pattern Language for Hyperproductive Teams
  5. A Scrum Book: The Spirit of the Game - Essential Patterns for Hyperproductivity
  6. Friston’s Free Energy Model and Scrum Team Performance
  7. Discovering the Sweet Spot: Achieving QWAN in Product Development
  8. Scrum and Information Growth: Overcoming Entropy Through Collaboration
  9. Tesla’s Evolutionary Design Strategy: Achieving QWAN Through Continuous Innovation
  10. Tesla’s Octovalve: A World-Changing Innovation in Thermal Management
  11. Tesla’s Gigafactory: Octovalve Technology Scaling to Industrial AI Cooling
  12. Tesla’s Thermal Revolution: Transforming Everything It Touches
  13. The Innovation Trilogy: Transforming Theory into World-Changing Reality
  14. The Innovation Trilogy in the Age of AI: Accelerating World-Changing Breakthroughs
  15. The Exponential Pace of Change
  16. References

The Evolution of Software Patterns: From Design to Organizational Transformation

  1. Origins in Architecture: Christopher Alexander’s Contributions
  2. Early Transition from Architecture to Software Patterns
  3. The Hillside Group and PLoP Conferences
  4. Comprehensive Analysis of the Gang of Four’s Design Patterns
  5. Jim Coplien and the Pasteur Project: Patterns for Organizations
  6. Transition of Software Patterns into Organizational Patterns in Scrum and Agile
  7. Modern Implications: Patterns in Remote Work, AI, and Sustainability
  8. The Pattern Mindset: Toward a Shared Future of Continuous Adaptation
  9. References

Where Does Agile Come From: Wave Structure of Matter

  1. Introduction
  2. The Copenhagen Doctrine
  3. Occam’s Razor
  4. Simplest Explanation for E = mc2 = hf
  5. Conversation Between Milo Woff and Jeffrey Hasselburst
  6. Scrum and the Wave Structure of Matter
  7. Other Wave Theories
  8. Why Does This Matter
  9. References

Lessons in Chemistry: Scrum in the Laboratory

  1. From Paper Chains to Physics: Embracing Unpredictability
  2. Navigating the Labyrinth with Patterns
  3. The Brain’s Predictive Engine: Minimizing Surprise
  4. The Engine’s Fuel: Sustainable Pace and Biofeedback
  5. Conclusion

The Bootstrap Principle: From Radiation Physics to Agile Emergence

  1. Interviewed by an AI: Celebrating Bill Hendee and the Roots of Scrum in Radiation Physics
  2. The Center for Vitamins and Cancer Research
  3. Why is this relevant to Scrum?
  4. The Bootstrap Principle
  5. Turnabout: The AI Interviews Me
  6. Concluding Reflections: Honoring Bill Hendee’s Enduring Legacy
  7. References

The Agile Brain: Exploring the Neuroscience Behind Scrum

  1. Introduction
  2. Friston’s Free Energy Model of the Brain
  3. Neuroscience and Scrum
  4. 1. Collaborative Environment and Social Neuroscience
  5. 2. Mirror Neuron Effect
  6. 3. Iterative Progress and the Zeigarnik Effect
  7. 4. Feedback Loops and Dopamine Reward System
  8. 5. Adaptive Change and Neuroplasticity
  9. 6. Empirical Process Control and Predictive Coding
  10. 7. Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Emotional Regulation
  11. Enhancing Team Performance through Neuroscience in Agile Practices
  12. Direct Measurement of Neuroscience Effects in Agile Practices
  13. Conclusion
  14. References

Epilogue: Our Journey Continues

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