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A Sprint Review, one of the events in Scrum, enables the collection of feedback and making intelligent product decisions, thereby enhancing the chances of developing a successful product. However, Product Owners are not always certain of who should attend the event, how it should be conducted, and how relevant feedback needs to be collected.

Here's a quick understanding of a Sprint Review and the role of a Product Owner in a Sprint Review.

What is a Sprint Review?

As per the Scrum Guide:

A Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. During the Sprint Review, the Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was done in the Sprint. Based on that and any changes to the Product Backlog during the Sprint, attendees collaborate on the next things that could be done to optimize value. This is an informal meeting, not a status meeting, and the presentation of the Increment is intended to elicit feedback and foster collaboration.

Product Owner's involvement during a Sprint:

The Product Owner role is part of the Scrum Team and is involved throughout the Sprint. This is also linked to the 'Availability' characteristic that the Product Owner role must possess. This means, the Product Owner must be available to the Developers during the Sprint for effective collaboration and answer clarifications.

During the Sprint, they answer queries on Developer's clarifications about how the product should function, what is expected, along with making the necessary trade-offs. They are also involved in defining a clear 'Definition of Done' along with the Developers. The Product Owner is responsible to review the Increment - a result of the Product Backlog Items (Commonly referred as User stories but not a practice introduced by Scrum) and provide timely feedback. Those User Stories that meet 'Definition of Done' are reviewed in the Sprint Review, showcased to stakeholders with an intention for constructive feedback.

What should a Product Owner do to get the most out of the Sprint Review?

Invite the right people:

It is crucial to collect feedback from the right people to make the right product decisions. If the key people are missing from the meeting or inappropriate stakeholders have been invited, the Product Owner is unlikely to receive the real feedback. Hence invite those people whose input is needed to validate the current Sprint's potentially releasable product Increment. These people could be the key stakeholders from other departments such as Marketing, Sales, Operations, Legal etc. If key stakeholders (decision makers) are not present, it may cause re-work, delays in decision making etc.

Run the event proceedings:

It is a myth that the Developers and/or Scrum Master entirely runs the Sprint Review, and that Product Owner is a mere stakeholder. Instead, the Product Owner should be the front runner as far the Sprint Review is concerned.

• The Product Owner should discuss what Product Backlog Items were done and what were not done.
• After the Developers demonstrates the Increment to the stakeholders, the Product Owner should discuss the current Product Backlog as it stands, and any feedback from stakeholders is taken as input for further Sprints.

Don't rush your decisions:

It is possible to make product decisions in the Sprint Review as key stakeholders are available. However, if the feedback has a significant impact that can lead to significant Product Backlog changes, the Product Owner should take time to analyse the input and deduce the right conclusions to determine what changes are appropriate to the Product Backlog. Moreover, the Product Owner might not have all the relevant data in the Sprint Review. Therefore, the product Owner may need to collect additional user and stakeholder feedback to make improved decisions.

Discuss the release progress and marketplace:

The Sprint Review is also an excellent opportunity to discuss:

• Timeline, budget, other high-level blockers that may prevent the Scrum Team in immediate Sprints and that require attention from the stakeholders.
• Potential capabilities, marketplace of the product, competitor releases, user preferences, market trends etc. Discussion of these aspects may significantly change the course of the product development, and that may turn out a great value add in achieving the organization's vision.

Common challenges associated with a Sprint Review:

• Product Owner sees the Increment for the first time during a Sprint Review.
• The team only demonstrates to the Product Owner.
• The event is only used as a demonstration opportunity and other product information viz. release planning, market dynamics, competitor information, similar features are not discussed.
• The Product Owner might not actually be involved with the product; maybe they are assigned because of their knowledge.
• Key stakeholders are not invited or do not attend.

References:

1. Scrum Guide from www.ScrumGuides.org

Useful Links:

Sprint Goal And How It Helps To Practice Scrum Values, A-CSM Online Training Missoula, Advanced Product Owner Online Course Gold Coast, Certified Scrum Master Course Singapore, A-CSPO Course Kuala Lumpur, SAFe Agilist Certification Training Nashville, CSPO Certification Worcester, SAFe Agilist Online Training Tampa, Advanced Certified Scrum Master Certification Denmark, A-CSPO Certification Course Frankfurt