Software Development
Sprint
Definition
In Agile software development, a sprint is a set, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work. Sprints are at the very heart of scrum and agile methodologies, and getting sprints right will help your agile team ship better software with fewer headaches.
Why It Matters
Sprints provide a regular, predictable cadence for development. The time-boxed nature forces the team to break down large tasks into smaller pieces and focus on delivering a valuable increment of the product in a short period.
Contextual Example
A team decides to work in two-week sprints. At the beginning of Sprint #10, they pull a few user stories from their backlog into the sprint plan. For the next two weeks, they focus exclusively on completing and testing those stories.
Common Misunderstandings
- Once a sprint begins, the scope of the sprint is generally protected from change to allow the team to focus.
- At the end of the sprint, the team holds a "Sprint Review" to demonstrate the completed work and a "Sprint Retrospective" to discuss how to improve their process.