Scrum Guide 2025 Expansion Pack I 8 Differences between Scrum Guide 2020 vs Expansion Pack

Summary

In this session, agile consultant Sun Sharma delves into the significant updates from the June 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack. He explores key changes from the 2020 Scrum Guide, including the introduction of new roles like stakeholders and supporters, a deeper focus on scaling Scrum, and the incorporation of AI integration with human oversight. The expansion pack also emphasizes leadership evolution, psychological safety, and value realization over mere value delivery. These updates provide enhanced guidance for practitioners to adapt Scrum in an ever-evolving, complex, and distributed work environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack was released on June 11, 2025, offering more depth, theory, and practical guidance compared to the 2020 Scrum Guide.
• 😀 The 2020 Scrum Guide is concise and prescriptive, like a rulebook, while the expansion pack is more like a playbook, explaining the why behind the rules.
• 😀 Two new roles, 'Stakeholders' and 'Supporters', were introduced in the expansion pack to highlight the importance of broader organizational support for successful scrum teams.
• 😀 The expansion pack splits the 'Definition of Done' into two categories: Output Done (technical quality) and Outcome Done (value and problem-solving).
• 😀 The expansion pack brings theoretical foundations like empiricism, lean thinking, and systems thinking, helping teams understand why Scrum works and how to adapt in uncertain environments.
• 😀 Core Scrum events still exist, but the expansion pack deepens them with concepts like psychological safety, feedback loops, and value realization. Refinement is formalized as a key activity.
• 😀 The expansion pack places a stronger focus on scaling Scrum, offering guidance for multi-team environments, shared product goals, and cross-team learning.
• 😀 AI integration is addressed in the expansion pack, emphasizing the importance of human oversight and ethical AI use for tasks like generating test cases or analyzing feedback.
• 😀 Scrum Masters are now seen as change agents rather than just facilitators. Leadership models like Intent-Based Leadership and frameworks like Humanocracy and Sociocracy are introduced.
• 😀 The language used in the expansion pack is more inclusive and precise, with terms like 'product developers' (including designers, testers, etc.) and a focus on value realization over output delivery.

Q & A

What is the major update in the Scrum Guide expansion pack launched in June 2025?

The major update is the addition of more depth, theory, and practical guidance to the Scrum Guide. It builds on the 2020 guide by explaining the 'why' behind the rules, making it a more comprehensive playbook for experienced Scrum practitioners and organizations scaling Scrum.

What new roles are introduced in the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack?

The expansion pack introduces two new roles: stakeholders and supporters. It also acknowledges AI as a potential product developer, although with human oversight.

How is 'Done' defined differently in the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack?

The 2025 guide splits 'Done' into two parts: 'output done' (focused on technical quality) and 'outcome done' (focused on the value, i.e., solving the user problem). This distinction helps teams better understand what 'Done' really means in terms of both product quality and user impact.

What theoretical frameworks are discussed in the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack?

The expansion pack introduces several theoretical frameworks, including empiricism, lean thinking, and system thinking. It also discusses frameworks like Sinophen and OODA Loop, which help teams navigate different levels of problem complexity.

What additional depth does the expansion pack bring to Scrum events?

The expansion pack provides more depth on Scrum events by emphasizing psychological safety, feedback loops, and value realization. It formalizes refinement as a key activity and suggests using matrices and flow-based thinking to improve sprint reviews.

How does the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack address scaling Scrum?

The expansion pack gives detailed guidance on scaling Scrum in multi-team environments. It encourages shared product goals, shared backlogs, and cross-team learning, helping multiple teams align without losing autonomy.

What role does AI play in the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack?

The expansion pack discusses AI's potential role in assisting Scrum teams, such as generating test cases or analyzing user feedback. However, it stresses the importance of human oversight, emphasizing that AI should support, not replace, human decision-making.

How has the role of Scrum Masters evolved in the 2025 guide?

In the 2025 guide, Scrum Masters are seen not just as facilitators but as change agents. They are expected to use leadership models like Intent-Based Leadership and frameworks such as Humanocracy and Sociocracy to evolve the organization's culture and promote transformational leadership.

What is Humanocracy, as introduced in the 2025 Scrum Guide?

Humanocracy refers to an organizational structure that empowers individuals, allowing them to contribute their unique ideas and talents. It prioritizes human-focused governance and emphasizes freedom and collaboration in decision-making.

What is the significance of the language updates in the 2025 Scrum Guide expansion pack?

The language updates in the 2025 guide are meant to be more inclusive and precise. For example, terms like 'product developers' replace 'developers,' including roles such as designers and testers. The focus has shifted from just 'delivery' to 'value realization,' encouraging teams to focus on outcomes rather than outputs.