Sprint Retrospective — Explained with Examples

Sprint retrospective (or “retro”) is a recurring meeting that ends each Sprint in Scrum, where the team inspects itself and creates a plan for improvements. It is distinct from the Sprint Review (which inspects the product) — the retro focuses on process, collaboration, and tools.

A typical retro follows this structure: the Scrum Master facilitates as the team discusses what went well, what could be improved, and what to try next sprint. The output is a small set of concrete, actionable improvement items (ideally just 1–3) that the team commits to. Common formats include Start/Stop/Continue, Sailboat, 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For), and Mad/Sad/Glad.

Real-world analogy. After every flight, pilots fill out a post-flight debrief form: “Engine 2 ran hot at cruising altitude, communication with ground was delayed by 30 seconds, cockpit checklist worked well.” These debriefs improve the next flight. The retro serves the same purpose for software teams.

Example (Start/Stop/Continue format):

Start          Stop              Continue
─────          ────              ───────
Pair on bugs   Skipping tests    Daily standups
API docs       Working in silos  Code reviews

Related terms: Scrum, Sprint, Standup, Agile, Kanban

Related tutorial: Retrospective Techniques