The Sprint Review – one of the most central and exciting events in an agile team, right?
Well, theoretically. In practice, many find it boring, ineffective, or merely obligatory. Lots of Scrum Teams stumble into common pitfalls and miss opportunities to create genuine engagement. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Because:
A well-run Sprint Review can inspire, unleash energy, be truly enjoyable, and provide a platform for valuable, product-related feedback.
Here are 6+ ideas to transform your Sprint Review into a true highlight everyone will love:
1️⃣ Bye-Bye Dull Conference. Welcome to the Marketplace of Ideas!
Routine kills creativity. Make your Sprint Review special: abandon the usual script. Fresh ideas thrive in fresh spaces. Vary your process. Experiment with your environment. Perhaps try an entirely unconventional location, or if that's not possible, redesign your meeting room into a vibrant Sprint Review arena!
Why not ditch chairs and use workstations? Kick things off with music. Start with something authentic and positive. Showcase Sprint information visibly around the room—not on PowerPoint slides, but right there on the walls! Invite participants on a "Gallery Walk" to explore Sprint results firsthand, in pairs, small groups, then collectively reflect with quick lightning rounds.
Visualize the Sprint Goal and Product Goal clearly. Where are you now? Can you map a timeline of key events and learnings from the Sprint? What worked? What assumptions were disproven? What's still uncertain? What questions remain unanswered?
Effect: Turns meetings into events. Transform expectation from passive listening to active ideation, making feedback easier and more insightful.
2️⃣ Interaction Brings Features to Life!
Key point: Let stakeholders actively participate instead of passively watching. Give attendees control: let them test new features on their own devices or include playful challenges: Who can complete a real user task quickest? Trying features, offering feedback, and solving real-world tasks makes the Sprint Review lively and practical. Formats like a Sprint Review Bazaar or "Shift & Share" encourage smaller group interactions and intense discussions.
Effect: Active participation not only boosts energy but also deepens understanding of progress and potential. Instead of just consuming, everyone is invited to be part of the process – and add their constructive feedback. Involving makes your product their solution!
3️⃣ Feedback, Everywhere Feedback!
Collecting feedback—this is the core of your Sprint Review.
Use interactive visualization tools like Mural or Miro for remote teams; workstations with post-its and markers for in-person sessions. Whether online or onsite, empower your Sprint Review participants with tools to provide feedback continuously. Quick feedback rounds are a must!
Scales-based questions with Mentimeter or Slido are quickly created and can generate feedback in various directions:
- Satisfaction: “On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with what you just saw?”
- Process: “How happy are you with our delivery speed right now?”
- Future Outlook: “How satisfied will you be in 6 months if we continue this way?”
Then dig deeper:
- "What would make you just one point happier?"
- "What would improve your rating by just one point?"
Feedback need not be anonymous! Offer an optional feedback channel to further explore and build on insights directly with respondents.
Why not conclude your Sprint Review by crowdsourcing bold new ideas with the "25/10 crowdsourcing" technique? Great for larger groups, even even online!
Effect: Well-founded feedback not only supports better decisions, but also creates a sense of participation and appreciation for everyone involved. Especially when this feedback finds its way into the product and is referenced in a later review.
4️⃣ Tell Stories
People think in images. Stories convey images—and emotions. What have you planned for your customers? What did you intend to make possible in this Sprint? And why? How will users behave differently? What improves? Such narratives clarify not only your Sprint Review but simplify Sprint Planning too.
Whenever possible, present Sprint outcomes from an end user's perspective. If you're distant from real users, simulate interactions: role-play customer scenarios, interviews, or interactions with a trained chatbot. This can illuminate insights for stakeholders and provoke specific, actionable feedback.
Effect: Stories foster emotional connections, inspire deeper engagement, and drive more innovative solutions.
5️⃣ Show Your Data
Sharp decisions are best made with solid data. Why not openly discuss supporting data during the Sprint Review? Even if you lack substantial data currently: What would interest stakeholders? Which data could validate—or invalidate—your hypotheses?
Important: Metrics should be customer-centric. Productivity metrics like Velocity don’t illustrate customer impact. Start with a customer-centric question: "What new possibilities does this feature offer customers, and how can we measure that?"
Show tested hypotheses and results. What did you learn from the Sprint? If your goal was a 10% conversion rate increase, illustrate where users dropped off, and discuss experiments to enhance conversions.
Techniques like "Min Specs " help narrow ideas down effectively.
Effect: Data fosters transparency, builds trust, and provides clarity. Check out Scrum.org’s Evidence-Based Management Framework, which can help to transition to customer-centric metric thinking
6️⃣ Gather Feedback on the Sprint Review Itself
The Sprint Review is a feedback meeting where insights are continuously gathered to ensure the Scrum Team is working on the right things. It helps minimize the risk of developing something that doesn’t bring real value to your customers.
So, why not use that momentum also to gather feedback on the Sprint Review format:
- Are the right people present?
- Who else do we need?
- What did you like?
- What could make the next Sprint Review even better?
The Perfection Game or scaling questions are perfect for gathering constructive feedback on the Sprint Review itself.
And then: Listen carefully! These are your customers – use their insights not just to improve the product, but also to continuously improve and refine your Sprint Review.
Conclusion: Make the Sprint Review an ✨Event✨
The Sprint Review provides an ideal stage for celebrating successes, gathering insightful feedback, and inspiring everyone involved. With creativity, transform this meeting from a chore into genuine value.
Great facilitation that's inclusive, lightweight, and energized can help—and you can practice this with me directly! Check out the upcoming Advanced Professional Scrum Master and Professional Facilitation Skills trainings near you.
Now your turn:
➡️ Which of the ideas will you try in your next Sprint Review?
➡️ Need more details on any ideas before trying them out?
➡️ Did any essential tip get missed? What significantly improved your 🫵🏻 Sprint Reviews?
Share your thoughts in the comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 — I'm eager for your feedback!