Contribute to the sprint goal as a developer
5 min
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:
- Explain the items developers are accountable for within the scrum team
- Recognize what the word "developer" means on a scrum team
What is a developer?
A developer within a scrum team is committed to creating a usable increment in each sprint. The specific skills needed by developers are often broad and vary with the type of work they are undertaking. Developers play important roles in achieving sprint goals. Here are some of the duties they perform:
- Create the sprint backlog: Collaborate with the product owner
- Adapt to changes: Meet the sprint goal by being solutions-focused
- Be accountable: Interact professionally and transparently
- Meet the definition of done: Communicate with the product owner to produce a working product increment
👇 Developers perform the following duties.
A developer’s role
In scrum, the term “developer” is a simplification. It’s not meant to exclude anyone who isn’t building software. Instead, the term “developer” refers to everyone who contributes to the increment and isn’t assigned another role, like scrum master or product owner.
This means that whether your expertise is in coding, sales, UX design, or documentation, you are a developer in the scrum framework. In the scrum framework, delivering a high-quality increment that meets the sprint goal is a collective responsibility.
👇Click the tabs below to explore some examples of different developer roles.
A data scientist develops algorithms and analyzes data to support product features.
Why does scrum use the simplified term “developer”?
- To break down silos and encourage cross-functional teamwork.
- To emphasize shared accountability for delivering value.
- To avoid limiting people to narrow job titles or roles.
Ultimately, any role that actively contributes to the definition of done to produce a high-quality increment is considered a developer in scrum.
Let’s explore an example
Imagine a scrum team is working on a new feature: biometric authentication for an app. The team includes software engineers, testers, a UX designer, and a technical writer.
👇Click the icons below to learn more about each member of the team.
All these activities are needed to deliver a complete, usable increment. In scrum, everyone involved in these activities is a developer, and everyone is accountable for achieving the sprint goal.