Foundational Framework
The Developer Role
Developers are the people in the Scrum Team committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. They are self-managing, cross-functional, and collectively accountable for planning, quality, and daily adaptation toward the Sprint Goal.
Increment Creation
Developers are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint — turning selected Product Backlog items into working, verified, potentially releasable product capabilities.
Sprint Backlog Ownership
Developers create and own the Sprint Backlog — the plan for the Sprint including selected items and the actionable steps to deliver them. No one else tells Developers how to turn backlog items into Increments of value.
Quality & Definition of Done
Developers instill quality by adhering to the Definition of Done — a formal, shared understanding of what ‘complete’ means. Work that doesn’t meet the DoD cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review.
Daily Inspection & Adaptation
Developers adapt their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal — using the Daily Scrum to inspect progress, surface impediments, and create a collective plan of attack for the next 24 hours.
Self-Management
Developers are self-managing — they internally decide who does what, when, and how. There are no sub-teams, no hierarchies, and no one outside the team dictates how Product Backlog items become Increments of value.
Cross-Functional Capability
Developers collectively possess all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint — the team is not dependent on external specialists for completing their committed work.
The word "Developers" in Scrum is used not to exclude, but to simplify. It refers to anyone committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment — designers, testers, analysts, engineers, and specialists alike. The role exists to build working product through self-management, cross-functional collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to quality and the Sprint Goal.
Scrum Roles
Explore other roles in the Scrum framework
The Scrum Master Role
A Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide, serving the team, the Product Owner, and the organization through facilitation, coaching, and the relentless removal of impediments.
The Product Owner Role
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. They are the single point of accountability for backlog management, product vision, and stakeholder alignment.