What happens if you don't have the Sprint Review

Scrum is built on empiricism—the idea that we learn by inspecting results and adapting based on what we discover. Each Scrum event is an opportunity for learning something - did they use the feature we delivered, or not? Did the technology work the way we expected? If not, why not?

The Sprint Review, in particular, is the moment when the Scrum Team and stakeholders come together to inspect the Increment and discuss what to do next. If is a chance to get feedback from stakeholders - their ideas, their reactions and their thoughts on what we should try next.

So, what happens when you skip it?

You Lose a Critical Feedback Loop

Without a Sprint Review, the team misses one of the most important sources of feedback: stakeholders.

Stakeholders bring their knowledge and experience about customer needs, business context, market pressures, and risks that the Scrum Team may not see day-to-day. When you bypass the Sprint Review, you lose early insight into whether:

• The product is heading in the right direction

• The work done is actually valuable

• New opportunities have emerged

• Requirements have shifted

• Risks are becoming visible sooner than expected

This can result in a team investing weeks—or months—building features that stakeholders didn’t want, no longer need, or would have changed if they’d seen the work earlier. It means missed opportunities for learning.

You Delay the Chance to Correct Course

Scrum events exist to provoke inspection and adaptation. Skipping the Sprint Review removes one of the few built-in checkpoints for realignment.

When teams don’t gather with stakeholders, they lose the chance to:

• Take a step back and look at the bigger picture - where are we going, and how far down the road are we?

• Discuss recent changes in the market or business

• Identify new risks or opportunities

The absence of this conversation can lead to blind spots. The team may feel productive, but productivity isn’t the goal—delivering the right value is.

When you delay the Sprint Review, you increase the risk of going in the wrong direction for longer.

Conclusion

Of course, you never really know whether your product is succeeding until you get it in the hands of the customer and measure customer outcomes. But before that moment arrives, the Sprint Review is your best opportunity to validate your direction with the people closest to the customer and the business. When you skip the Sprint Review, you miss out on potential learning opportunities.

Rebel Scrum is the host of Scrum Day Madison