Sprint Reviews: Making Feedback Matter

Sprint Reviews are often treated as just a demo, where the team presents completed work, stakeholders give a few comments, and then everyone moves on.

A Sprint Review should be more than just showing work. It is an opportunity for teams to engage stakeholders, gather meaningful feedback, and adapt their product direction.

This session will focus on how to make Sprint Reviews valuable, engaging, and productive.

What we will cover

• The purpose of a Sprint Review and why it is not just a demo
• How to create conversations with stakeholders instead of just presenting work
• Common Sprint Review anti-patterns and how to avoid them
• How the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team each contribute
• Turning feedback into actionable backlog improvements

Activity
Participants will reflect on their own Sprint Reviews and assess whether they encourage engagement and real discussion. They will then work in small groups, taking turns playing different roles in a Sprint Review.

One person will present an increment as if in a Sprint Review, one will play the Product Owner guiding discussion, and one will observe as a Scrum Master. After each round, the group will pause to discuss what worked, what did not, and how to improve the conversation.

Key takeaways

• How to structure a Sprint Review for meaningful discussion
• Techniques for handling disengaged or overly controlling stakeholders
• How to ensure feedback leads to meaningful product changes

This session is for teams who want Sprint Reviews that actually shape their product, not just tick a box at the end of the sprint.