Sprint Planning

An overview of our sprint planning methodology. We go into what is it, and a few tips to help plan effective sprints.

A sprint planning session is held on the first day of a sprint. A sprint for us is usually two weeks long.

What is it?

A collaborative effort facilitated by the project manager. The project manager explains the backlog and defines the sprint goal. The team then defines the work and effort needed to meet the goal.

This is done before the start of the sprint. It sets the roadmap for the team with a clear idea about what is intended to be done.

Tips

• Eye on the clock: Keep it constrained to a max of one hour per sprint.

• Fixed Goals: Gather feedback from the previous sprint and with the product vision in mind prepare a goal.

• Outcome driven: Don’t go into the depths of how each task should be done and who will do it. Rather focus on gathering estimates.

• Trust-based environment: Estimates are not commitments. Team members should be able to freely estimate stories without judgment. Velocity over time will naturally increase.

• Always be humble