Sprint review vs. sprint retrospective: Why the difference matters

The sprint review and sprint retrospective are distinct ceremonies within the scrum framework, each serving unique purposes to enhance team efficiency and product development. A sprint review focuses on the product, allowing stakeholders and team members to evaluate completed work, update the product backlog, and gather feedback to project future release dates. In contrast, the sprint retrospective centers on process improvement, encouraging the scrum team to discuss successes and areas for enhancement to boost performance in upcoming sprints. The product manager plays a pivotal role in organizing and facilitating the sprint review, whereas the scrum master leads the retrospective, fostering open discussions to create an actionable plan for improvement. Understanding these differences is crucial for product managers to ensure alignment between stakeholders, end users, and the development team, ultimately leading to successful product delivery and continuous team growth.