What defines the completion of a Sprint?

The completion of a Sprint is fundamentally defined by the creation of a potentially releasable Increment. In Scrum, each Sprint aims to produce a usable and valuable Increment of the product that meets the definition of done agreed upon by the Scrum Team.

This Increment must be integrated, tested, and validated to ensure that it can be released if the Product Owner decides to do so. Focusing on creating a potentially releasable Increment aligns with Scrum’s goal of delivering value quickly and iteratively, enabling teams to respond to change and feedback.

While completing all tasks in the Sprint Backlog is important and delivery of new features is a common outcome, neither alone captures the essence of what constitutes a Sprint's completion. Instead, it is the delivery of a potentially releasable Increment that signifies a successful Sprint, as it encapsulates the overall progress and readiness of the product for deployment or further stakeholder engagement.

Feedback from stakeholders is valuable and often sought after during or after a Sprint, but it does not determine the completion of the Sprint itself; rather, it supports the continuous improvement of the product in future Sprints.