The Illusion of Control vs. The Reality of Progress

Traditional project management loves big, detailed plans. It makes people feel safe. But let’s be honest—how many projects actually go exactly as planned? (Spoiler: None.)

Scrum thrives because it embraces unpredictability. Instead of pretending we know everything from the start, Scrum builds in flexibility. This is why we work in sprints—short, focused bursts where we learn, adjust, and keep moving forward.

Real-Life Example: The Unpredictable Product Launch

Let’s say you’re launching a new travel app. The original plan? A sleek itinerary builder, AI-driven suggestions, and social sharing. But by Sprint 2, users keep asking for offline access—something no one considered a priority before.

Scrum’s inspect-and-adapt mindset lets teams pivot without the guilt trip of a failed plan. This flexibility is why big-name companies like Spotify and Airbnb use Scrum—they don’t have time to waste on rigid plans when the real world keeps changing.

Why You’ll Never Have “Perfect” Requirements

Scrum assumes you don’t know everything at the start. That’s not failure—that’s just how product development works.

Instead of wasting months perfecting requirement documents that will be outdated in a week, Scrum focuses on incremental learning. Each sprint brings you closer to what your users actually want.