This is an excerpt from the new Illustrated Scrum Myths book by Mary Iqbal, now available on Amazon. Each myth in the book includes a full-color illustration, a description of the myth, and an explanation of the truth behind the myth.
The purpose of this book is to help remove impediments to value delivery. I think of myths as signposts pointing to a deeper truth. Every myth in this book is an invitation to a deeper conversation.
The myth
Limiting Work in Progress is a practice that is only used by Kanban teams.
The reality
Scrum Teams can adopt any complementary practice that they find helpful. One of the most popular complementary practices that Scrum Teams adopt is limiting Work in Progress.
Here’s why
Work in Progress refers to the amount of work or number of tickets that are currently being worked on at the same time in any stage of a workflow or process. When a team limits Work in Progress, it means that they are limiting the amount of work that can be actively worked at the same time.
Limiting Work in Progress has a highly beneficial impact on the flow of work during the Sprint. For example, if a team limits the amount of work that can be in Development at any given time, it increases their ability to focus. Developers start something, finish it, and then move on to the next thing. Limiting Work in Progress can have a very positive impact on the quality of work delivered and can help teams deliver value sooner.
What this myth reveals
Ideas like limiting Work in Progress usually come up in discussions around what the team could do to improve their processes. It’s a good idea to experiment to find what works for you in your unique environment.
Do this instead
Try complementary practices like Work in Progress to see if it will benefit value delivery.
Conclusion
Scrum is a very flexible framework, and teams can adopt any complementary practice which they think will be helpful. Limiting Work in Progress is a great way for Scrum Teams to improve the flow of work within the Sprint, improve overall quality and deliver value sooner to the customer.
Rebel Scrum is the host of the annual Scrum Day conference scheduled for October 16, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin.
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