"If this were our final Sprint, what would we focus on?"
I often ask this question to Scrum Teams that seem stuck in routine or simply going through the motions. It helps snap things into focus. Too often, we assume the next Sprint will be there to clean things up, refine the backlog, fix the bug, or finally try that improvement idea. But the truth is, the next Sprint is not guaranteed. Startups know this all too well.
The Comfort Trap
When a team falls into the rhythm of Sprints without purpose, everything starts to feel mechanical. Sprint Planning becomes about fitting in work rather than focusing on outcomes. The Daily Scrum sounds more like a status update than a chance to inspect progress towards the Sprint Goal and adapt their plan. Sprint Reviews become demos with little feedback. Retrospectives are repetitive or skipped entirely.
Teams in this state may be following the Scrum framework in form, but not in spirit. And the deeper they sink into comfort, the more value delivery becomes accidental rather than intentional.
The Mindset of Urgency
Running every Sprint as if it were your last is not about rushing. It is about bringing urgency, intentionality, and clarity to the work. It means:
Saying no to distractions that threaten focus
Inviting real feedback from stakeholders
Taking Retrospective actions seriously and following through
Leveraging the Definition of Done to ensure quality is never an afterthought
When a team believes this might be their only chance to deliver something meaningful, they bring a different level of energy and ownership. Prioritization sharpens. Conversations deepen. Collaboration becomes essential rather than optional.
If you could boil Scrum down to one sentence it would be 'Always have a Done Increment every Sprint.
What Happens When We Don’t
Without a sense of urgency, teams fall into a cycle of delay:
"Let’s just roll it into the next Sprint."
"We’ll address that in a future Retrospective."
"We’re not sure why we’re building this, but let’s get it done."
Stakeholders disengage because they stop seeing meaningful progress
Teams lose sight of the product vision and the Product Goal and focus only on tasks
Over time, this leads to lower morale, less trust from stakeholders, and reduced impact. And when things do change, such as a team being reorganized, a product being deprioritized, or a company pivoting, those missed opportunities cannot be reclaimed.
A Simple but Powerful Question
At the start of each Sprint, ask your team:
"If this were our final Sprint, what would we deliver? What would we improve? What would we let go of?"
This question invites clarity. It puts value front and center. It brings the team into alignment not just around what they are doing, but why they are doing it.
Final Thought
Scrum is built on the idea of delivering value early and often. That only works when we treat each Sprint like it matters. So stop assuming you will get to it next time. Instead, run every Sprint as if it were your last. One day, it will be, and you will be proud of what you delivered.