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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesScrum has five events: the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective. The Sprint is the fixed-length container for the other four. Together, they create a repeating cycle of transparency, inspection and adaptation while a Scrum Team works toward its Product Goal.
The five Scrum events at a glance
| Event | Purpose | Participants | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | Provides a fixed period for creating a valuable Increment and progressing toward the Product Goal. | Scrum Team | One month or less; the next Sprint starts immediately. |
| Sprint Planning | Defines why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done and how the selected work will be delivered. | Scrum Team; advisers may be invited. | Maximum eight hours for a one-month Sprint; generally shorter for shorter Sprints. |
| Daily Scrum | Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and create an actionable plan for the next day. | Developers | 15 minutes every working day of the Sprint. |
| Sprint Review | Inspects the Sprint outcome with stakeholders and determines useful adaptations to what happens next. | Scrum Team and key stakeholders | Maximum four hours for a one-month Sprint; generally shorter for shorter Sprints. |
| Sprint Retrospective | Identifies improvements to quality and team effectiveness. | Scrum Team | Maximum three hours for a one-month Sprint; generally shorter for shorter Sprints. |
These definitions and timeboxes come from the November 2020 Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. The listed durations are framework maximums, not required meeting lengths for every team.
1. The Sprint: Scrum’s container
A Sprint lasts one month or less and contains all the work needed to move toward the Product Goal, including the other four Scrum events. It produces a usable Increment that meets the team’s Definition of Done.
Sprints have no gap between them: when one ends, the next begins immediately. A fixed cadence makes it possible to inspect progress regularly and adapt before assumptions become expensive problems.
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2. Sprint Planning: decide the Sprint’s direction
Sprint Planning starts the Sprint. The entire Scrum Team collaborates on three questions:
- Why is this Sprint valuable? The team forms a Sprint Goal that explains the outcome it intends to achieve.
- What can be done? Developers select Product Backlog items that support the goal, based on the team’s capacity and current understanding.
- How will the chosen work get done? Developers create a delivery plan and identify the work needed to turn the selected items into an Increment.
The result is the Sprint Backlog: the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items and the plan for delivering them. Other people may be invited to provide advice, but the Scrum Team owns the plan.
3. Daily Scrum: adapt the plan every working day
The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for Developers. They inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog, producing an actionable plan for the next day.
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Scrum does not require the traditional “three questions” script. Developers choose the format—conversation around a board, a walk-through of work, or another approach—as long as it stays focused on the Sprint Goal and results in a useful plan. The Daily Scrum is not the only time Developers may discuss or re-plan work.
The Product Owner or Scrum Master participates as a Developer only when that person is actively working on Sprint Backlog items.
4. Sprint Review: inspect the outcome with stakeholders
The Sprint Review is a working session, not merely a product demonstration. The Scrum Team and key stakeholders inspect what was completed, consider changes in the wider environment and discuss progress toward the Product Goal.
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They collaborate on what to do next. The Product Backlog may be adjusted as new information, customer feedback, market conditions or technical discoveries emerge. For a one-month Sprint, the event has a maximum timebox of four hours; shorter Sprints generally require less time.
5. Sprint Retrospective: improve how the team works
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. The Scrum Team examines the people, interactions, processes, tools and Definition of Done involved in the Sprint. It then identifies the most useful changes to increase quality and effectiveness.
Improvements may be added to the next Sprint’s work. For a one-month Sprint, the maximum timebox is three hours, with shorter Sprints usually requiring a shorter session.
How the events fit together
- Planning starts the Sprint with a goal, selected work and a delivery plan.
- Daily Scrums let Developers inspect progress and adjust their near-term approach.
- The Review examines the Increment with stakeholders and informs future Product Backlog decisions.
- The Retrospective improves the team’s way of working before the next cycle.
- The next Sprint begins immediately, continuing the inspection-and-adaptation cadence.
Common misconceptions
“Ceremonies” versus events
Some teams informally call Scrum events “ceremonies.” Scrum’s formal term is events.
The Sprint is not a meeting
The Sprint is the timeboxed container for the team’s work and the four other events. It is not a single calendar meeting.
Product Backlog refinement is not a sixth event
Refinement happens during the Sprint as needed. It is an ongoing activity, not one of Scrum’s five named events.
The Daily Scrum is not a status report
Its purpose is for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt their plan, rather than to report individually to a manager.
Timeboxes in practical terms
For a one-month Sprint, the Scrum Guide sets these limits:
- Sprint: one month or less.
- Sprint Planning: up to eight hours.
- Daily Scrum: 15 minutes.
- Sprint Review: up to four hours.
- Sprint Retrospective: up to three hours.
Teams using shorter Sprints normally shorten Planning, Review and Retrospective proportionally. These are framework timeboxes, not evidence that a particular number of meeting hours guarantees better productivity or outcomes.
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