How to choose the optimal sprint length

Experimenting with sprint length

The author has experimented with changing sprint length around 15 times and shares their insights on finding the optimal sprint length.

Standard, two-week sprints

Most companies operate on a biweekly sprint basis. The balanced overhead of biweekly sprints allows for a week free of scrum meetings other than dailies. However, there can be struggles in a dynamic environment and sprint goals may become unfocused. Additionally, retrospectives often lead to delayed learning.

One-week sprints

Weekly sprints offer the opportunity to plan and inspect work more frequently, leading to faster learning and quicker team building. However, the author found that the faster learning premise did not work as expected. While planning and estimating became more accurate, small issues caused big problems and there was higher overhead with the same velocity. Weekly sprints also resulted in more stress.

One-day sprints

Experimenting with one-day sprints resulted in skipped retrospectives and irregular reviews. While there were impressive improvements and faster cycle times, there was not enough time for testing.

Three-week sprints

The author has not experimented extensively with three-week sprints but notes that they may provide a good balance between allowing for more focus and reducing overhead.

Lessons learned

Through their experiments, the author has learned that finding the optimal sprint length is a challenging process. It is important to consider the specific needs and dynamics of the team and project. Regular retrospectives are crucial for continuous improvement, regardless of the sprint length chosen.