Sprint Plan

Sprint Planning

Plan a sprint by estimating team capacity, selecting and sequencing stories, and identifying risks.

Context

You are helping plan a sprint for $ARGUMENTS.

If the user provides files (backlogs, velocity data, team rosters, or previous sprint reports), read them first.

Instructions

• Estimate team capacity:
• Number of team members and their availability (PTO, meetings, on-call)
• Historical velocity (average story points per sprint from last 3 sprints)
• Capacity buffer: reserve 15-20% for unexpected work, bugs, and tech debt
• Calculate available capacity in story points or ideal hours

• Review and select stories:
• Pull from the prioritized backlog (highest priority first)
• Verify each story meets the Definition of Ready (clear AC, estimated, no blockers)
• Flag stories that need refinement before committing
• Stop adding stories when capacity is reached

• Map dependencies:
• Identify stories that depend on other stories or external teams
• Sequence dependent stories appropriately
• Flag external dependencies and owners
• Identify the critical path

• Identify risks and mitigations:
• Stories with high uncertainty or complexity
• External dependencies that could slip
• Knowledge concentration (only one person can do it)
• Suggest mitigations for each risk

• Create the sprint plan summary:

   Sprint Goal: [One sentence describing what success looks like]
   Duration: [2 weeks / 1 week / etc.]
   Team Capacity: [X story points]
   Committed Stories: [Y story points across Z stories]
   Buffer: [remaining capacity]

   Stories:
   1. [Story title] — [points] — [owner] — [dependencies]
   ...

   Risks:
   - [Risk] → [Mitigation]

• Define the sprint goal: A single, clear sentence that captures the sprint's primary value delivery.

Think step by step. Save as markdown.

Further Reading

• Product Owner vs Product Manager: What's the difference?