How much 'Pre-planning' is required before the first Sprint Planning?

The Scrum Guide says:

Product Backlog items that can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in a Sprint Planning event. They usually acquire this degree of transparency after refining activities. Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size.

Does your team have a good understanding of what it would take for work to be Done, should it be planned into a Sprint?

Assuming you have a Scrum Team with some Scrum training and/or experience (it's always good to do a Scrum refresher with them even if they have some experience so everyone is on the same page), do as little pre-planning as you possible can. If they are new to Scrum spend two days on some training, it will be worth it.

Better yet do no preplanning. Don't delay empirical learning. Just get started.

Your Scrum Team can get started right away with Sprint Planning if your Product Owner has a vision for your product. Since it would be your first Sprint Planning the Scrum Team will need to craft a Definition of Done, and create the Product Backlog (which includes the Product Goal and ready PBIs). The Product Owner can work with the Developers on order. Then the Scrum Team will craft the Sprint Backlog (Sprint Goal, selected PBIs, and a plan to deliver the Sprint Goal).

The first few Sprints will most likely not be perfect. The Scrum Team will learn a lot though, much more than any pre-planning will provide.

Also, the Product Backlog is ordered, not prioritized. There are many articles here explaining the difference.

Also, don't forget you can use the full timebox of Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.

Even if your Sprint is less than a month in length, it may be reasonable to use the full 8 hours; especially for the first Sprint.

A Scrum Team will likely also have to do a higher amount of refinement in the first Sprint, as well as a greater amount of inspection & adaptation of its processes, and the plan for achieving the Sprint Goal.

So the Developers should take this into account when forecasting what can be Done.

Thanks All.

The main activities in the first sprint planning as I understand is :

1) Definition of Done 2) Creation of the Product Backlog 3) Ordering  4) Sprint Backlog (Sprint Goal - Planning and estimation of selected PBIs)

During the first planning session do you select, order and estimate the items selected as  Sprint Backlog fully. Practically does this work or would you rather give some background to the developers and help then come prepared with some estimates?

It would be useful for them to have an idea of the Product Goal, and enough work refined and ready to be easily selectable in Sprint Planning.

[1] Clear product goal and product vision

[2] Product Backlog with high level requirements, high level architecture, enough work for first sprint, and able to perform product backlog grooming/refinement in 1 or 2 sprints in advance

[3] it is better to be prepared and ready before start the sprints

Thanks.