Scrum was born in 1986 when Hirotaka Takeuchi and Inkujiro Nonaka introduced it in their HBR article "The New New Product Development Game." It has since changed how 90% of tech teams manage workflows. But can non-tech teams benefit too? Absolutely.
Starting with Scrum
At Boundev, we deal with developers all the time. We're a marketplace for hiring vetted developers, after all! So naturally, we learned about Agile through development projects.
But being a startup, we couldn't afford not trying to get the same results for the rest of our team. After making our mistakes in Scrum management for non-IT teams, we decided to share 8 things you need to know. These are the only ones we kept—we tried more advanced techniques, but they only made the framework more confusing without additional advantages.
8 Essential Agile Concepts for Non-Tech Teams
1 Sprints
Sprints are short iterations for working on a list of tasks, lasting the same specific amount of time.
2 Sprint Planning
When planning the next sprint, include only tasks that can be completed within your sprint duration.
3 Story Points
Story points are used for task estimation—an intuitive way to rate tasks based on difficulty and time.
Fibonacci Sequence for Estimation:
Never compare story points between employees. Scrum isn't for productivity races—the only person you compete with is yourself.
Planning Quality Check:
4 Acceptance Criteria
Story points can only be assigned for 100% closed tasks. But how do you know a task is completed?
For a simple task like "write email copy," the criteria is clear: written text. But for complex projects like "create landing page"—is it done when copy and design are ready, or when it's released? Define acceptance criteria upfront so everyone knows what "done" means.
5 Retrospective
A weekly meeting to discuss what was done during the last sprint and identify blockers.
6 Kanban Board
Kanban protects your team from nervous breakdowns and overloads by visualizing workflow.
Our Customized Kanban Columns:
Backlog
Ideas for future
Chosen
This sprint's work
In Progress
Max 2 per person
Review
Awaiting approval
Release
Completed this sprint
Done
Past sprints
Important: "In Progress" can't include more than 2 tasks per person. This ensures focus without task-jumping—the safety switch for the "maker's schedule."
7 Daily Standups
Daily standups sync the whole team. For distributed teams, daily video calls take too much time.
We switched to Slack. Three things everyone posts daily:
8 Management Tools
While tech teams prefer Jira, it's often too complex for small non-tech teams. Tools like Trello with Agile extensions work well.
Clear Task Naming
Short but self-explanatory names
Use Labels
Navigate and prioritize easily
Assign Executor
Know who's responsible
Clear Descriptions
Attach files and links needed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Agile for non-IT teams?
Agile is a project management methodology for planning, developing, and delivering products flexibly and iteratively. While commonly used in software development, it applies to marketing, product development, sales, and operations. Teams work in short "sprints" to deliver incremental improvements, allowing responsiveness to changing needs and priorities.
What is the difference between Agile and Scrum?
Agile is a project management methodology emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration. Scrum is a specific framework based on Agile principles, originally designed for software development. It's lightweight, focused on delivering work in short sprints, and characterized by specific roles, artifacts, and events like standups and retrospectives.
Where do I start with Agile?
Start by learning core Agile principles: delivering frequently, welcoming change, working collaboratively. Choose a framework (Scrum, Kanban, or Lean). Establish a cross-functional team. Define your product vision clearly. Create an Agile roadmap with high-level steps. Most importantly: experiment and adapt the framework to your specific needs.
Which Agile certification is most recognized?
Several certifications are widely recognized: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from Scrum Alliance for Scrum practitioners, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) for product roles, PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) for general Agile, Certified Agile Leader (CAL) for transformation leaders, and Certified Agile Coach (CAC) for coaching roles.
The Bottom Line
Implementing Agile, Scrum, and Kanban for marketing, sales, and operations teams is a great first step. These techniques help visualize workflow, track personal and team efficiency, provide feedback, and change faulty processes.
From our experience as a non-tech team implementing Agile: research the basics, experiment, and create a framework for your specific needs. Don't stress trying to follow guidelines that aren't applicable to your situation.
If you need a system designed to help your business grow fast, give it a go. And when you need dedicated development teams who already work in Agile, we can help.
Need Agile-Ready Developers?
Boundev developers are experienced with Agile workflows. They integrate into your sprints from day one. Hire vetted talent today.
Hire Agile Developers