What should the Scrum Master do first?

The first step for a new Scrum Master is to gain context and alignment. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 2.3: Agile Mindset), agile leaders must understand the product vision and goals to provide proper support to the team and align delivery efforts with organizational objectives.

Mike Griffiths in the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 2: Agile Principles and Mindset) emphasizes that new leaders should start by understanding stakeholder expectations, enterprise context, and business drivers before making operational decisions like backlog setup or sprint planning.

Option B is correct: understanding the project vision provides critical context.

Option A is premature without first understanding the broader organizational objectives.

Option C (sprint 0) can be useful but should follow alignment on vision and context.

Option D skips necessary discovery and planning.