Sprints: plan, execute, and deliver in time-boxed iterations

Sprints give your team a clear time horizon, a focused scope, and a rhythm that builds momentum from one iteration to the next.

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What is a sprint?

A sprint is a time-boxed iteration — typically one to four weeks — where the team commits to delivering a set of work. In Flying Donut, sprints are available in Scrum and Scrumban project types. Each sprint has a name, optional description (use it for the sprint goal), and start/end dates.

Sprint lifecycle

Every sprint moves through three states:

  • Pending — the sprint is created but not yet started. Plan it by dragging cards from the backlog.
  • Started — the sprint is active. Work moves across the board and the burndown chart tracks daily progress.
  • Completed — the sprint is done. Unfinished cards can be moved to the next sprint or back to the backlog.

You can have multiple pending sprints (for future planning) but typically only one active sprint at a time. The sprint timeline view shows all sprints chronologically with their start and end dates.

Creating a sprint

Navigate to the Sprints page and click the + button. Enter a sprint name, an optional description with your sprint goal, and start/end dates. Dates are optional at creation — you can set them later before starting the sprint.

  • Use the description field for the sprint goal: 'Ship user authentication and password reset'
  • Dates determine the sprint position on the timeline and drive the burndown chart
  • Create multiple future sprints for roadmap-level planning
  • Sprints can overlap if your team runs parallel workstreams

Example:A team plans a 6-week project with three 2-week sprints: "Foundation" (weeks 1–2), "Core Features" (weeks 3–4), and "Polish & Launch" (weeks 5–6). All three sprints are created upfront with target dates, but only the first one is started immediately.

Sprint planning

Click the Plan button on a sprint to open the planning view. This view shows the backlog on the left and the sprint board on the right. Drag cards from any backlog bucket into the sprint.

  • Switch between backlog buckets to pull cards from different categories
  • Counters update in real time as you add cards — see total story points and card count
  • Open card details during planning to add or review tasks and estimates
  • The burndown chart updates immediately when estimated tasks are added
  • Break cards into tasks during planning so the team has a clear checklist from day one

Pro tip: Use Workmate to generate task breakdowns for complex cards before the planning session.

Starting and running a sprint

When the team is ready, click Start on the sprint toolbar. You will be prompted to confirm or adjust the start and end dates. Once started:

  • The sprint appears on the Dashboard with a 'Days Left' indicator
  • Team members see the sprint board and can move cards and tasks
  • The burndown chart tracks remaining work (task hours) against the ideal line
  • Overdue sprints show a clear warning so the team can adjust scope
  • New cards can still be added during the sprint if scope changes

Completing a sprint

Click Complete on the sprint toolbar when the iteration is done. Flying Donut asks where to move any unfinished cards:

  • Move unfinished cards to the next pending or active sprint
  • Or move them back to a backlog bucket for re-prioritization
  • Completed cards are archived with the sprint for historical reference
  • The burndown chart and sprint metrics are preserved for retrospectives

Example: At the end of a two-week sprint, 12 of 15 cards are done. The three remaining cards are dragged into the next sprint during the completion flow. The team reviews the burndown chart and notes that the sprint was over-committed by about 20% — useful data for the next planning session.

The burndown chart

Every active sprint has a real-time burndown chart that plots remaining task hours against an ideal trend line. Use it during standups to quickly assess whether the sprint is on track.

  • The Y-axis shows total remaining hours across all sprint tasks
  • The X-axis shows the sprint days from start to end
  • The ideal line assumes linear progress from total estimate to zero
  • When the actual line is above the ideal, the team is behind; below means ahead
  • The chart updates in real time as tasks are completed or re-estimated

See also: Dashboard & reporting guide

Common questions

Can I run multiple sprints at the same time?+
Yes. You can have multiple active sprints if your team runs parallel workstreams. Typically though, one active sprint per team is recommended for focus.
What happens to completed sprint data?+
Completed sprints are archived. The burndown chart, card history, and task progress are all preserved and accessible from the Sprints page.
Can I add cards to a sprint after it starts?+
Yes. You can add cards from the backlog or create new cards directly on the sprint board during execution.
How does the burndown chart calculate hours?+
It sums the 'time remaining' values on all tasks in the sprint. As team members update task hours, the chart reflects the change immediately.

Run your first sprint today

Sprints bring focus and momentum to your team. Create one, pull in your top-priority cards, and start delivering.

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