Stop Calling It Scrum If You're Not Delivering to Users

I've walked into far too many teams where Scrum is happening on the surface — events, boards, standups, even clean burndowns. But when I ask what reached a user in the last sprint, the room starts negotiating with the definition of 'reached'.

The increment is the point

Scrum exists to produce a usable, valuable increment inside a short box of time. If your definition of done ends at 'merged to the release branch', you've built a factory that stores inventory and calls it dinner. Feedback is the meal; the increment is how you get to eat.

• Redefine done to include 'a user could touch this'.
• Shorten the path to production before adding any new ritual.
• Demo to someone who can say 'no' — that's the vitality of the review.

“If users never see it, the sprint didn't happen. The calendar did.”