The Sprint Review in Scrum: A Key Opportunity to Inspect, Adapt, and Align
The Sprint Review is one of the five essential Scrum events. It allows the Scrum Team and stakeholders to inspect progress toward the Product Goal, gather feedback, and adapt plans as needed—all within the sprint.
What Is a Sprint Review?
A Sprint Review is a collaborative session held at the end of each sprint to:
- Review the Increment (work completed)
- Discuss how the increment contributes to the product goal
- Get feedback from stakeholders
- Plan next steps collaboratively
Unlike traditional status meetings, the Sprint Review is an interactive event designed to foster transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Field note: I once coached a team at a fintech company that treated their Sprint Reviews like mini product launches. Each two-week sprint culminated in a 90-minute session with real users walking through new features. Not only did it surface edge cases early, but stakeholder attendance tripled after they saw how much influence they had on shaping the product.
When and How It Happens
- Occurs during the sprint, before the Sprint Retrospective
- Timeboxed to 4 hours for a 1-month sprint, shorter for shorter sprints
- The Scrum Team (Developers, Scrum Master, Product Owner) hosts and invites relevant stakeholders
Format and Flow
Sprint Reviews don’t need to be rigid meetings. You can run them as:
- An open space session
- A Sprint Bazaar
- Interactive workshops using Mural, Miro, or other tools
Regardless of the format, the focus should remain on engaging stakeholders and inspecting outcomes.
Field note: A team I worked with at a medical device startup replaced PowerPoint decks with a “product gallery.” Each developer stood by a workstation to walk stakeholders through working software. For a two-week sprint, they allocated 60 minutes and found it created more meaningful discussion than any slide deck ever did.
Sample Agenda
- Reiterate the Product Goal and Sprint Goal
- Present completed work (i.e., the Increment)
- Discuss progress, challenges, and any changes in market or technical conditions
- Invite stakeholder feedback
- Identify next steps and potential backlog updates
Goals of a Sprint Review
- Demonstrate progress toward the product goal
- Collect stakeholder feedback
- Update the Product Backlog based on new insights
- Align on next steps before sprint planning
- Build trust through transparency and open communication
Field note: In one team I coached, every Sprint Review ended with a single question: “If we stopped here, what would we have learned, and what value would we have delivered?” This helped ground the discussion in outcomes instead of effort—especially helpful in a high-pressure environment with two-week sprints and tight deadlines.
Who Attends?
- Scrum Team: Developers, Product Owner, Scrum Master
- Stakeholders: Customers, end users, business leaders, and others invested in the outcome
The Product Owner typically kicks off the session, guiding discussion and incorporating feedback into the Product Backlog. Developers showcase the work and answer questions. The Scrum Master supports facilitation and reinforces Scrum values.
Field note: I once saw a Scrum Master subtly facilitate from the sidelines—just listening and nudging the team if they veered off-topic. By the third sprint, the team was running the review like clockwork, and stakeholders stayed engaged because it never felt scripted or rehearsed.
Sprint Review vs Sprint Retrospective
| Sprint Review | Sprint Retrospective |
|---|---|
| Focus: The product | Focus: The team |
| Attendees: Scrum Team + stakeholders | Attendees: Scrum Team only |
| Purpose: Inspect the increment, adapt the backlog | Purpose: Improve team processes and collaboration |
| Happens: Before the retrospective | Happens: After the review |
Tips for Effective Sprint Reviews
How long should it take?
If your sprint is two weeks long, the Sprint Review is typically timeboxed to 2 hours. But that’s a maximum—not a requirement.
Field note: A startup team I worked with capped their reviews at 75 minutes. Anything longer and people stopped paying attention. Their motto: “Say what matters, then stop talking.” It forced them to prepare, focus, and keep stakeholders engaged.
Who runs it?
The Scrum Team facilitates the event. The Product Owner often leads, but this can be shared. Let your team’s context guide the format.
What’s the agenda?
Revisit the goals, demo the work, discuss market and timeline implications, and collaborate on what’s next.
Final Thoughts: Make It Meaningful
The Sprint Review is your best shot at getting real feedback before the next sprint begins. Done well, it builds trust, fosters alignment, and ensures the team is building the right thing—not just building fast.
Field note: I tell teams, “If no one outside the team shows up, it’s not a Sprint Review—it’s a demo.” Your review should create dialogue, not just a broadcast.