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Lesson
Lesson 4.3 — Review, Retrospective, and the order of events
Distinguish the Sprint Review from the Sprint Retrospective and put the Sprint events in the correct order.
Sprint Review vs Sprint Retrospective — and where they fit
Review, Retrospective, and the Sprint flow
The Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective are two very different events that are easy to confuse. The Sprint Review is about the PRODUCT. The Scrum Team presents the Increment to stakeholders, inspects what was accomplished, and collaborates to adapt the Product Backlog based on new information. It is not just a demo — it is a working session where feedback shapes the future direction. Stakeholders attend; their input is essential.
The Sprint Retrospective is about the TEAM and its PROCESS. It happens after the Review and before the next Sprint Planning. The Scrum Team inspects how they worked together — their processes, tools, relationships, and Definition of Done — and creates a plan for improvements. It is not a blame session; it is a forward-looking conversation about how to work better. Stakeholders do not attend.
A useful memory aid: Review → product, Retrospective → process. The correct order of events within and across Sprints is: Sprint Planning → daily work with Daily Scrums → Sprint Review → Sprint Retrospective → next Sprint Planning. Notice that the Retrospective is the last event of the Sprint, bridging into the next cycle. Skipping either event is a common anti-pattern that deprives the team of crucial feedback loops.
Lesson notes
Review, Retrospective, and the Sprint flow
The Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective are two very different events that are easy to confuse. The Sprint Review is about the PRODUCT. The Scrum Team presents the Increment to stakeholders, inspects what was accomplished, and collaborates to adapt the Product Backlog based on new information. It is not just a demo — it is a working session where feedback shapes the future direction. Stakeholders attend; their input is essential.
The Sprint Retrospective is about the TEAM and its PROCESS. It happens after the Review and before the next Sprint Planning. The Scrum Team inspects how they worked together — their processes, tools, relationships, and Definition of Done — and creates a plan for improvements. It is not a blame session; it is a forward-looking conversation about how to work better. Stakeholders do not attend.
A useful memory aid: Review → product, Retrospective → process. The correct order of events within and across Sprints is: Sprint Planning → daily work with Daily Scrums → Sprint Review → Sprint Retrospective → next Sprint Planning. Notice that the Retrospective is the last event of the Sprint, bridging into the next cycle. Skipping either event is a common anti-pattern that deprives the team of crucial feedback loops.