[asgard1024]

Well, if my math is correct, 15 minute meeting every day still beats 3hr status meeting every week. Our status meeting was only about 0.5-1hr long, and we actually got a bit more done, because you're not supposed to go into detail during the standup.

Anyway, what you seem to praise is Agile (as per the manifesto), not SCRUM, and I agree (although some problems are actually suitable for upfront specification). Still, distractions can be a problem on the other extreme that needs to be managed too.

[giaour]

That assumes a 15 minute meeting only steals 15 minutes from your day. It's usually closer to an hour once you factor in the work-free buffer zones surrounding it. (Cf http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html)