Sprint Planning
Ceremony where team commits to work for sprint
Sprint Planning is the Scrum ceremony kicking off each sprint where the team collaboratively determines what work to complete and how to achieve it. This timeboxed meeting, typically two to four hours for two-week sprints, results in Sprint Goal and Sprint Backlog. Planning has two main objectives: deciding what to deliver answering what can be done this sprint, and planning how to deliver answering how will chosen work get done. The Product Owner presents highest-priority Product Backlog items and desired Sprint Goal. The Development Team discusses each item, asks clarifying questions, estimates effort, and determines what they can commit to based on capacity and historical velocity. Together they craft Sprint Goal. Then the team breaks down selected items into tasks, identifies dependencies and risks, and creates plan for delivery. Essential inputs include refined Product Backlog with clear priorities, team velocity and capacity, definition of done, and identified risks or dependencies. Outputs include Sprint Goal describing objective, Sprint Backlog with committed items and tasks, and shared understanding of work. Effective Sprint Planning requires prepared backlog with top items refined, full team participation, realistic capacity assessment, collaborative discussion not dictation, and timeboxing preventing excessive planning. Benefits include shared understanding of sprint objectives, realistic commitments based on capacity, early identification of issues, team ownership of plan, and alignment on priorities. Common anti-patterns include Product Owner dictating commitments, inadequate preparation making planning inefficient, overcommitting creating stress, insufficient discussion of approach, or letting planning exceed timebox. Best practices include refining backlog before planning, estimating conservatively, breaking large items into smaller pieces, identifying dependencies early, and documenting Sprint Goal clearly. Product managers should prepare by refining backlog, clearly articulating priorities and goals, answering questions thoroughly, respecting team capacity, and building shared understanding. Strong Sprint Planning creates realistic achievable plans with team buy-in rather than imposed commitments, setting foundation for successful sprint execution.
Learn about Sprint Planning in Scrum. Understand how collaborative planning creates shared understanding and realistic commitments.