Scrum Sprint Review and Retrospective

Two events close out every sprint. The sprint review focuses on the product, while the sprint retrospective focuses on the team's process.

Sprint Review

The team demonstrates the finished increment to stakeholders during the sprint review. Stakeholders give feedback on what they see, and the product owner notes any changes needed in the product backlog.

Team shows the increment -> Stakeholders give feedback -> Backlog gets updated

This event keeps stakeholders informed and gives the team a chance to confirm they built the right thing.

Who Attends the Sprint Review

The Scrum team, customers, and other interested stakeholders attend this meeting. The atmosphere stays informal and conversational rather than a strict formal presentation.

Sprint Retrospective

The Scrum team meets privately after the sprint review to reflect on how the sprint went. This event focuses purely on the team's process, not the product itself.

Common Retrospective Questions

What went well during this sprint?
What did not go well?
What will we improve next sprint?

Layman's Example

Think about hosting a dinner party. Showing guests the meal and hearing their compliments or suggestions resembles a sprint review. After guests leave, you and your family discuss what cooking steps worked and what to change next time, which resembles a sprint retrospective.

The Difference Between the Two Events

Sprint Review:       Focuses on the PRODUCT, includes stakeholders
Sprint Retrospective: Focuses on the PROCESS, includes only the team

Continuous Improvement

Teams pick one or two small improvements from each retrospective rather than trying to fix everything at once. Small, steady changes build better habits over time than large, sudden changes.

Key Takeaway

The sprint review checks whether the team built the right product. The sprint retrospective checks whether the team worked in the right way. Together, these events close the loop of inspection and adaptation.