In 30 seconds
- Answers three questions: why this sprint, what we'll do, how we'll do it.
- Produces a Sprint Goal and a Sprint Backlog.
- Timeboxed to 8 hours for a one-month sprint, less for shorter ones.
The three topics
- Why is this sprint valuable? The Product Owner proposes how the sprint can increase value; the team agrees a Sprint Goal.
- What can be done? Developers pick items from the Product Backlog based on past performance and capacity.
- How will it get done? Developers break items into tasks of a day or less.
What comes out
The Sprint Goal, the selected items, and the plan for delivering them together form the Sprint Backlog.
Keeping it short
Long planning usually means unrefined items. If stories arrive already split and understood through Backlog Refinement, a two-week sprint can often be planned in an hour or two.
Myth vs reality
Myth · Planning means filling capacity to 100%.
Reality · Leave slack for surprises; full plans break first.
Myth · The Product Owner decides what the team will do.
Reality · The Product Owner sets priorities; Developers choose how much fits.
Myth · The plan can't change after planning.
Reality · The Sprint Goal stays; the task plan adapts as the team learns.
The AI angle
AI can help split stories, spot dependencies and draft tasks before planning. The Sprint Goal and the team's commitment should still come from people talking it through.
FAQ
Who attends Sprint Planning?
The whole Scrum team. Others can be invited to give advice.
How do we know how much to take?
Look at recent velocity or throughput and at who is available this sprint.
What if we can't agree on a Sprint Goal?
That usually means the top of the backlog lacks focus; fix the ordering first.