Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a powerful framework designed to effectively scale Scrum across multiple teams working on a single product. Starting with the foundation of a single Scrum team, LeSS expands to include multiple teams collaborating as “One Team” to deliver a cohesive product. This concept is rooted in the vision introduced by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland in The Scrum GuideTM and was further developed by Craig Larman and Bas Vodde.
LeSS is built on two fundamental pillars: a single product focus and empowering whole teams. These pillars are essential to scaling Scrum while maintaining its core principles. By prioritising learning, transparency, and customer-centric values, LeSS helps organisations create responsible teams that are deeply aligned with customer needs and highly collaborative. This customer-focused mindset allows teams to deliver value quickly and adapt to a competitive, ever-changing environment.
The framework is guided by the 10 LeSS principles, which ensure that scaling does not compromise the values and practices that make Scrum successful. These principles encourage teams to work together as a unified whole, focusing on delivering meaningful outcomes for customers rather than siloed contributions.
The LeSS Framework
LeSS offers two scaling frameworks based on team size:
- LeSS: Suitable for up to eight teams of approximately eight members each.
- LeSS Huge: Designed for scaling Scrum across a few thousand people working together on one product.
Both frameworks share common elements, including:
- A single Product Owner and one unified Product Backlog.
- A common Sprint for all teams to ensure alignment.
- Delivery of a single, shippable product increment at the end of each Sprint.
By emphasising collaboration, alignment, and simplicity, LeSS enables organisations to scale Scrum successfully without losing the values and discipline that drive its effectiveness. Whether you’re working with dozens or thousands of people, LeSS helps create a cohesive and customer-focused approach to large-scale product development.
Origins of Large Scale Scrum
Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) was born in 2005 when Craig Larman and Bas Vodde collaborated at Nokia Siemens Networks to address the challenges of scaling Agile and Scrum for large, complex product development across multiple locations. Their innovative approach laid the foundation for the LeSS framework, enabling organisations to effectively apply Agile principles at scale.
Together, Larman and Vodde have authored three influential books, each focusing on the intricacies of scaling Agile and Scrum. Their work continues to guide teams and organisations worldwide in navigating the complexities of large-scale Agile transformations.
- 2015 – Large-Scale Scrum: More with LeSS, Craig Larman, Bas Vodde
- 2010 – Practices for Scaling Lean and Agile Development – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde
- 2009 – Scaling Lean and Agile Development – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde
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