Surviving your first sprint review

If you have just joined a tech company, you will probably attend your first sprint review soon. A sprint review is a short meeting at the end of a sprint, usually every two weeks, where the team shows what they have built. The first time can be stressful. You do not know all the technical terms yet, and everyone speaks fast. Here are three tips that have helped me a lot. First, prepare in advance. Read the sprint board the day before. Look at the tickets and try to understand what each one is about. If something is unclear, ask a colleague, not Google. Second, do not be afraid to ask questions. Many people think that asking questions makes them look stupid. In reality, good engineers ask questions all the time. A simple 'Sorry, could you explain that again?' is perfectly fine. Third, take notes during the meeting. After the review, send a short summary to yourself. If you do this for two months, you will be surprised how much you have learned. Sprint reviews are not a test. They are an opportunity to learn from your team.