The Agile Manifesto claims that "Individuals and interactions [are valued] over processes and tools" for project success. This principle must be kept in mind within the application of Scrum. Scrum characteristics should also be followed:

• Empirical approach based on process control,
• adaptative rather than predictive planning,
• team self-management to do what's need to be done.

Although, Scrum does not describe engineering activities required for product development.

The application of Scrum as described below, must be read and used with these Agile principles always in mind. It shows how Scrum elements are used during a time period or lifecycle.

This lifecycle does not represent the whole product life, but only regards the production of one Release. The Product, Release and Sprint guide reconsider this period in a larger context.