What does Scrum fundamentally emphasize in its practice?

Scrum fundamentally emphasizes the importance of a small, highly flexible team. This focus is rooted in the Agile principles that underpin Scrum, which advocate for collaboration, adaptability, and effective communication among team members. Small teams are more efficient in decision-making as they can collaborate closely, share ideas quickly, and adapt to changing circumstances or requirements without excessive bureaucracy.

The flexibility of these small teams allows them to respond to feedback from stakeholders and make quick adjustments to their workflow or product development. This agility is crucial in today's fast-paced environments where customer needs may change frequently. The Scrum framework further supports this by using roles like the Scrum Master and Product Owner, which help facilitate communication and streamline the workflow, ensuring that team members can focus on delivering valuable increments of the product.

In contrast, larger or more rigid teams tend to face challenges such as communication breakdowns, slower decision-making processes, and difficulties in maintaining alignment with the project's goals. A focus on individual contributions also detracts from the collaborative spirit that Scrum encourages, as it is teamwork and collective effort that drive successful outcomes in Scrum projects.