🎯

What Is a Sprint Goal?

A sprint goal is a short statement that describes why the sprint matters. It answers the question: "What value will we deliver to users or the business by the end of this sprint?"

Unlike a task list, a goal provides shared purpose and direction. It helps teams make trade-offs, stay focused when priorities shift, and measure success beyond just completing stories.

84%
Teams with Goals
Ship on time
2.3x
More Focused
vs no goal
1-2
Sentences
Ideal length
67%
Better Demos
With clear goal
🧠

The SMART Goal Framework

Use the SMART framework to craft sprint goals that are actionable and verifiable. Each element builds on the previous to create goals that guide teams effectively.

S

Specific

🎯

Clear and well-defined outcome

✓ GOOD

Enable payment processing

✗ AVOID

Work on payments

M

Measurable

📏

Success criteria you can verify

✓ GOOD

Users can complete checkout flow

✗ AVOID

Improve the checkout

A

Achievable

✅

Realistic within sprint timeframe

✓ GOOD

Support credit card payments

✗ AVOID

Build complete payment system

R

Relevant

🔗

Aligned with product vision

✓ GOOD

Launch MVP to early customers

✗ AVOID

Add feature X because we can

T

Time-bound

⏰

Achievable this sprint

✓ GOOD

Ready for Friday demo

✗ AVOID

Eventually make it better

⚖️

Good vs Bad Sprint Goals

👎
Output-Focused

"Complete 25 story points"

Problem: Points measure effort, not value delivered

Better: "Launch user onboarding flow so new signups can complete setup unassisted"

👎
Vague Objective

"Fix bugs in the dashboard"

Problem: No clear success criteria or priority

Better: "Eliminate critical dashboard bugs affecting 80% of users (issues #43, #51, #67)"

👍
Value-Focused

"Enable managers to view team velocity trends and sprint burndown charts"

Why it works: Specific user outcome with clear deliverable and measurable success

👎
Too Broad

"Work on the API"

Problem: No direction or testable outcome

Better: "Reduce API response time to under 200ms for search endpoints"

👍
Clear Milestone

"Launch public beta with email/password authentication and profile management"

Why it works: Achievable scope with specific features tied to user milestone

👎
Immeasurable

"Improve user experience"

Problem: Too subjective, no way to verify success

Better: "Reduce checkout abandonment by 30% through streamlined payment flow"

🔄

Sprint Goal's Role in Planning

The sprint goal isn't just ceremonial—it actively guides planning, execution, and review. Here's how goals function throughout the sprint lifecycle.

📋

During Planning

  • •Product Owner proposes goal based on roadmap priorities
  • •Team validates goal against capacity and dependencies
  • •Goal guides which backlog items to select
  • •Stories are chosen to support goal achievement
🏃

During Sprint

  • •Daily standup references progress toward goal
  • •Team makes scope trade-offs to protect goal
  • •New work is evaluated against goal relevance
  • •Goal keeps team focused when priorities shift
🎬

Sprint Review

  • •Demonstrate whether goal was achieved
  • •Explain any goal pivots or adjustments
  • •Gather stakeholder feedback on delivered value
  • •Use outcome to inform next sprint planning
🔀

When to Pivot or Abandon Goals

Sprint goals aren't sacred. When circumstances change, teams must decide whether to adjust the goal (pivot) or stop pursuing it entirely (abandon). Here's how to make that call.

Critical Production Bug

Pivot

Adjust scope to address urgent issue while maintaining partial goal

Example: Original: "Launch reports feature" → Adjusted: "Launch basic reports, full analytics next sprint"

Missing External Dependency

Pivot

Replace blocked work with alternative that advances same goal

Example: API blocked → Build static mockup for user testing instead

Team Member Out Sick

Pivot

Reduce scope but keep core goal intact

Example: Descope advanced filtering, deliver core search functionality

Goal No Longer Valuable

Abandon

Abandon goal after stakeholder validation

Example: Feature deprioritized due to market change - stop work, replan

Major Technical Discovery

Abandon

Abandon if new information makes goal infeasible

Example: Security audit reveals fundamental architecture change needed

Rule of thumb: Pivot when the goal is still valuable but needs adjustment. Abandon when pursuing the goal no longer makes business sense or is blocked indefinitely.

🎲

Connecting Goals to Estimation

Sprint goals and estimation work hand-in-hand. The goal provides context for estimates, and estimates validate whether the goal is achievable.

1

Goal Sets Context

Understanding the sprint goal helps teams estimate more accurately by clarifying the "why" behind stories.

→ Better estimates
2

Estimates Validate Goal

If story point totals exceed velocity, the goal may be too ambitious for one sprint.

→ Realistic goals
3

Goal Guides Trade-offs

When estimates run high, goal-supporting stories stay, nice-to-haves get deferred.

→ Focused sprints

Pro tip: During planning poker, refer back to the sprint goal when estimates diverge. Ask: "Does this story directly support our goal?" This keeps estimation focused and reveals scope creep early.

✓ Key Takeaways

  • 1Sprint goals describe value delivered, not tasks completed or points earned
  • 2Use the SMART framework to create goals that are specific, measurable, and achievable
  • 3Goals guide planning, keep teams focused during the sprint, and frame sprint reviews
  • 4Pivot goals when circumstances change; abandon when they're no longer valuable
  • 5Connect goals to estimation by using the goal to validate story selection and scope
🎯

Ready to Plan Your Next Sprint Goal?

Use planning poker to estimate the stories that support your sprint goal. Get your team aligned on both the "what" and the "why" of your sprint.

Start Free Planning Poker Session