Can a first Sprint commence before a complete Product Backlog is created?

A first Sprint can indeed commence even if a complete Product Backlog has not been fully established. This is aligned with the principles of Scrum, which promote iterative development and incremental delivery. In Scrum, the Product Backlog is a living artifact that evolves over time. At the start of the first Sprint, the team may not have all user stories defined; instead, they can start with an initial set of prioritized items that the Product Owner has deemed critical for the product's initial development.

Having the Product Owner and the team present is crucial because it ensures that there is a shared understanding of the goals for the Sprint and how the team will move forward with the available items in the Product Backlog, even if it's not exhaustive. This flexibility allows teams to begin working and delivering value sooner rather than waiting until every possible item is meticulously defined. It highlights the adaptive nature of Scrum, where learning and discovery continue throughout the development process.

This approach exemplifies Scrum's focus on collaboration, response to change, and the importance of working software over extensive documentation, reinforcing the idea that development can begin with a minimal yet prioritized Product Backlog.