What is a Sprint Review?

Ruben Buijs
3 minutes • Aug 10, 2023 • Product Management

The Sprint Review is an essential ceremony in agile software development that occurs at the end of each sprint. It provides an opportunity for the development team to showcase the work completed during the sprint to stakeholders, product owners, and other interested parties. The Sprint Review serves as a platform for collaboration, feedback, and validation of the product increment.

Examples

Let's say you're working on a project to develop a task management tool. At the end of a two-week sprint, you gather your team and demonstrate the new features implemented during that time. You showcase how users can create and assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress. Stakeholders and product owners provide feedback on the user interface, suggest improvements, and make decisions on the next steps.

Importance

The Sprint Review holds significant importance in the agile development process. Here's why:

  1. Transparency: It promotes transparency by allowing stakeholders to see the product increment. This transparency helps align expectations and ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding the progress made.

  2. Feedback Loop: The Sprint Review fosters a feedback loop between the development team and stakeholders. It allows stakeholders to provide feedback on the increment, enabling the team to make necessary adjustments and improvements for future sprints.

  3. Validation: It is a validation mechanism for the product owner and stakeholders. They can see the product increment in action, ensuring that it meets their requirements, and make informed decisions about the product's direction.

  4. Collaboration: The Sprint Review encourages collaboration and engagement among team members and stakeholders. It provides an opportunity for open discussions, brainstorming, and sharing ideas to enhance the product's overall value.

How to Use Sprint Review

To effectively use the Sprint Review, follow these steps:

  1. Prepare: The development team should prepare a working product increment that showcases the completed user stories or features. Ensure that the product increment is ready for demonstration and can be used to gather meaningful feedback.

  2. Invite Stakeholders: Invite all relevant stakeholders, including product owners, managers, and end-users. Make sure to communicate the purpose, date, and time of the Sprint Review well in advance.

  3. Demonstration: Begin the Sprint Review by demonstrating the product increment. Showcase the completed user stories or features, highlighting their functionality and value. Encourage stakeholders to ask questions and provide feedback.

  4. Feedback and Discussion: Facilitate a discussion session where stakeholders can offer their feedback, suggestions, and concerns. Engage in open conversations to gather different perspectives and insights that can drive improvements.

  5. Collaborative Decision-making: Collaboratively make decisions based on the feedback received. Prioritize and plan the next steps, including any necessary adjustments, additions, or changes to the product backlog or upcoming sprints.

  6. Document and Communicate: Document the feedback, decisions, and action items discussed during the Sprint Review. Share this information with the team, stakeholders, and relevant parties to ensure alignment and follow-through.

Useful Tips

Consider the following tips to make the most out of your Sprint Review:

  • Prepare and Practice: Ensure that the team is well-prepared for the Sprint Review. Practice the demonstration and anticipate potential questions or concerns from stakeholders.

  • Keep it Focused: Stay focused on the product increment and its value. Avoid getting sidetracked into unrelated discussions that may hinder the effectiveness of the Sprint Review.

  • Encourage Participation: Create a safe and inclusive environment where stakeholders feel comfortable providing feedback and sharing their perspectives. Encourage active participation and ensure everyone's voice is heard.

  • Take Action: Act upon the feedback and decisions made during the Sprint Review. Use them to drive improvements, make necessary adjustments, and enhance the product increment for future sprints.

FAQ

A Sprint Review is a meeting held at the end of a sprint where the development team presents the work completed during the sprint to stakeholders and gathers feedback.
The participants in a Sprint Review typically include the development team, Scrum Master, product owner, and stakeholders such as customers, users, and other interested parties.
The purpose of a Sprint Review is to inspect and adapt the product increment, gather feedback, and ensure alignment between the development team and stakeholders.
During a Sprint Review, the development team demonstrates the completed work, discusses any challenges faced, gathers feedback from stakeholders, and collaborates on next steps and priorities.
The duration of a Sprint Review depends on the length of the sprint and the complexity of the product. It usually lasts around 1-2 hours.
Yes, stakeholders can provide feedback and request changes during a Sprint Review. The development team and product owner then evaluate these requests and determine their feasibility and priority.
While it is ideal for all stakeholders to attend a Sprint Review, it is not always possible. The important stakeholders should be present to provide feedback and make decisions, but others can be represented by proxy.
The output of a Sprint Review includes feedback from stakeholders, identified changes or additions to the product backlog, and any updates to the product vision or roadmap.
While it is generally discouraged to introduce new requirements during a sprint, stakeholders can discuss and propose new ideas during a Sprint Review. These new ideas are then evaluated and prioritized for future sprints.
A Sprint Review provides an opportunity for the development team and stakeholders to collaborate, gather feedback, and ensure the product is on track. It helps in validating the product and making informed decisions for future iterations.

Article by

Ruben Buijs

Ruben is the founder of ProductLift. I employ a decade of consulting experience from Ernst & Young to maximize clients' ROI on new Tech developments. I now help companies build better products

Table of contents

  1. Examples
  2. Importance
  3. How to Use Sprint Review
  4. Useful Tips
  5. Related Terms

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