Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning kicks off the Sprint. It answers three questions:

1. Why is this Sprint valuable? → The Sprint Goal
2. What can be Done this Sprint? → Forecast of Product Backlog items
3. How will the work get done? → Initial plan for delivering the Increment

Timebox: Maximum 8 hours for a one-month Sprint (scale down for shorter Sprints). For a 2-week Sprint, 2-4 hours is typical.

Attendees: The entire Scrum Team. Product Owner, Developers, Scrum Master.

Why is this Sprint valuable? The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase value and utility. The whole team collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates value to stakeholders.

What can be Done? Developers select items from the Product Backlog for this Sprint. This is a forecast, not a commitment. Developers negotiate with the PO on scope based on:

• Past velocity
• Team capacity (vacations, etc.)
• Item complexity

How will it get done? Developers decompose items into tasks, usually a day or less. This becomes the Sprint Backlog—items plus the plan for delivering them.

Before Planning:

• Ensure backlog items are refined and ready
• Clear acceptance criteria for top items
• PO has a draft Sprint Goal in mind

During Planning:

• Start with the "why"—what outcome are we pursuing?
• Let Developers select items—don't assign
• Encourage questions about items
• Timebox discussions on individual items

Common problems:

• Items aren't ready: Improve refinement process
• Takes too long: Better refinement, clearer Goals
• Team over-commits: Track velocity, respect the data