Struggling with Sprint Goals? Try Working Backward

I had a dialog with Tommy, a new SDM struggling at defining S.M.A.R.T spring goals for his team.

Me: Hey Tommy, how's the your team sprint going?

Tommy: It's ok, but I'm having trouble aligning my sprint goals with customer values. They're either too vague or too techie, and stakeholders can't make heads or tails of them.

Me: You're familiar with Amazon's "working backward" style of product management, right?

Tommy: Yeah, the whole writing a Press Release (PR) before even starting the project?

Me: Exactly. You can define sprint goals following the same pattern? They're like nano-versions of Amazon's PR.

Tommy: Seriously? How so?

Me: Think about it. Amazon's PR starts with a customer problem and presents a solution. It serves as the North Star for development, right? Well, a sprint goal, as defined by a User Story according to Agile development movement, says, "As [Persona], I want [something] so that [benefit]." It's the North Star for a sprint.

Tommy: Tell me more.

Me: Let's say you're developing a cloud storage solution. A poor sprint goal might be: "Increase database efficiency." This is technical and lacks context.

Tommy: So how can I improve it?

Me: Aim for something like: "As Emma, a freelance graphic designer, I want files to upload 30% faster, so I can meet tight deadlines." This serves as your "What, to Who" stating what you're planning to do and who will benefit.

Tommy: So, Emma is the "Who," right? just like the target customer in the PR?

Me: Spot on. Here, Emma is like the customer you're targeting in the Amazon PR. The user story helps you keep the focus on what's valuable for her, just like the PR.

Tommy: Makes sense. And this aligns with the "What, So What, Now What" framework we talked about before too?

Me: Precisely. But you add “Who” on top! Find your “Who” - the customer first, then your "What" is the feature or value proposition—"faster uploads." The "So What" is why Emma should care—"meeting tight deadlines." And the "Now What" is the action plan, which, in Agile, boils down to your sprint tasks - steps to deliver this value to Emma.

Tommy: So, whether it's Amazon's PR, Agile's sprint goals or user stories, we're always working backward from the customer?

Me: You got it. This mental model ensures that you're customer-obsessed, identifying their needs before you ever write a line of code. It's about being "stubborn on vision, but flexible on details," whether you're writing a PR, creating a user story, or setting sprint goals. You prioritize customer value, and everything else—features, time, budget, now what —follows from that.

Tommy: That's a brilliant way to keep everyone aligned and focused. No matter the length or format, the core remains the same: start with the customer and work backward.