Sprints
Short Tip: A development cycle with a maximum 4-week period for creating an increment.
What is it?
It is the period previously agreed to convert a set of Product Backlog items into increments. It is the time when the product is actually built, and it is limited to 4 weeks per Sprint. The Sprint is a cyclical activity, i.e., at the end of one Sprint, the next one immediately begins. At the end of a Sprint, the Product Owner can choose to make a product release to users.
The Sprint contains Scrum-related events such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Retrospective, each with a specific goal.
Why use it?
Using Sprints within a predefined period allows quick course corrections, thus converging with the Scrum’s inspection and adaptation pillars.
How to use it?
The sprint should be limited to a maximum 4-week period; however, 2- to 3-week Sprints are also common. Once you have defined what will be done in the Sprint (Product Backlog item selection), you shouldn’t change the Sprint’s content, except in extraordinary situations. At the end of the Sprint, a product increment should be generated which will be evaluated by the Product Owner with other stakeholders; the Developers and the Scrum Master should always participate in the evaluation. The feedback provided will feed the planning of the future Sprint.
Details on the Scrum method can be found in the Scrum Guide.