What does the term "Sprint 0" refer to in Scrum?

The term "Sprint 0" is often used informally in some Agile discussions, but it is not an official concept within the Scrum framework. In Scrum, every sprint should deliver a potentially releasable product increment, and beginning a project with a "Sprint 0" might imply that there is a phase where work is done without delivering this increment. This goes against the fundamental principles of Scrum, which emphasizes delivering value consistently through increments in each sprint.

The Scrum Guide does not endorse the concept of a preliminary sprint and outlines a framework where each sprint focuses on building usable and valuable increments of the product. By understanding that "Sprint 0" doesn't exist within the Scrum framework, practitioners can avoid misapplying its principles and instead focus on delivering meaningful work from the very start of their projects.