Skip to content
Planet RoadmapPlanet Roadmap
Sign InGet Started
Glossary
Agile & Scrum

What is Scrum Master?

A Scrum Master is a facilitator who guides an agile team through the Scrum framework, acting as a coach rather than a traditional manager. They focus on removing external obstacles, protecting the team from outside distractions, and helping the group continuously improve their delivery process.

When to use it

Teams should designate a Scrum Master when adopting the Scrum framework to ensure rituals like sprint planning and retrospectives remain effective. This role is essential for teams struggling with workflow bottlenecks, cross-departmental dependencies, or a lack of clarity in Agile ceremonies.

Example

A SaaS engineering team working on a new billing module finds that their daily standups are running over 30 minutes due to technical deep-dives. The Scrum Master intervenes to move those discussions to separate meetings, ensuring the standup stays focused on immediate blockers. When an urgent marketing request threatens to pull a developer away mid-sprint, the Scrum Master negotiates with the stakeholder to protect the team's commitment while logging the request for future planning.

How Planet Roadmap helps with Scrum Master

Planet Roadmap has a dedicated Sprint view that provides automated burndown charts and velocity tracking, helping Scrum Masters identify and resolve bottlenecks in real-time.

Try Planet Roadmap free

FAQ

How is a Scrum Master different from a Project Manager?
Unlike a traditional Project Manager who often dictates tasks and schedules, a Scrum Master focuses on process health and team self-organization, serving the team as a coach rather than a top-down decision-maker.
Can the Product Owner also be the Scrum Master?
While small teams sometimes combine these roles, it is generally discouraged because it creates a conflict of interest between maximizing product value (Product Owner) and maintaining process integrity and team sustainable pace (Scrum Master).

Related terms

ScrumSprintProduct OwnerSprint PlanningSprint RetrospectiveDaily StandupProduct BacklogVelocityBurndown Chart

Read more

Build your roadmap with Planet Roadmap

One workspace for feedback, roadmap, project management, and OKRs — flat-rate pricing, no credit card required.

Try Planet Roadmap Free