4. Events that earn their time
Agile & Scrum · 40 pages source format
Each event has a purpose and a timebox. Cargo cult is when you keep the calendar invite but lose the purpose.
What you'll learn
- Planning outcomes
- Daily as plan re-sync
- Review vs status
- Retro as experiment lab
Planning: forecast, not fantasy
Select Product Backlog items that can become a Done Increment. Negotiate scope with capacity and DoD in mind.
Do this now
Draft a Sprint Goal for your practice product (one sentence). List 3–5 backlog items that serve it.
Pro tip. If Planning runs over timebox, the backlog was not ready — fix refinement, not the clock.
Daily: inspect the plan
Not a status report to a manager. Developers sync on progress toward the Sprint Goal and unblock each other.
Do this now
Rewrite a bad standup (“yesterday I coded”) into goal-oriented updates for three people.
Review & Retro
Review = stakeholders see the Increment and adapt the backlog. Retro = team improves how they work. Separate rooms in your head.
Do this now
Write one Retro experiment with a measurable “we will try X for one sprint.”