The LeSS Framework
Large-Scale Scrum · Larman & VoddeWhat is LeSS?
Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is Scrum applied to many teams working together on one product. It is not a new or improved Scrum — it is about figuring out how to apply the principles, rules, and purpose of Scrum in a large-scale context, as simply as possible.
LeSS was created by Craig Larman and Bas Vodde based on their experience in large-scale product development. Unlike frameworks that add layers of process, roles, and artifacts as organizations scale, LeSS takes a ‘more with less’ approach — fewer roles, fewer artifacts, fewer processes — driving responsibility down to the teams closest to the work.
LeSS offers two configurations: Basic LeSS for 2–8 teams (up to ~80 people) and LeSS Huge for 8+ teams (up to thousands of people). Both maintain the core structure of Scrum: one Product Owner, one Product Backlog, one Sprint, and one potentially shippable Product Increment.
The framework is defined by LeSS Rules (mandatory structural elements), supported by LeSS Guides (optional practical advice), and informed by LeSS Experiments (field-tested practices with documented outcomes). The rules are minimal by design — they define the boundaries within which teams self-organize.