Three Modes of the /sprint Command in pm-skills: Plan, Retro, and Release-notes Explained

The /sprint command in the phuryn/pm-skills repository operates in three distinct modes—plan, retro, and release-notes (also aliased as release)—that manage the complete sprint lifecycle from capacity planning through retrospectives to shipping communication.

The phuryn/pm-skills repository provides a Claude plugin system for project management automation. The /sprint command serves as the central orchestrator for sprint activities, with three modes of the /sprint command defined in the source documentation that map to key phases of agile development. These modes are implemented in the command definition files and registered within the Claude plugin system.

The Three /sprint Command Modes

According to pm-execution/commands/sprint.md, the command documentation explicitly states that three modes cover the sprint lifecycle. Each mode activates a specific workflow within the project management system.

Plan Mode for Sprint Planning

Plan mode guides teams through sprint planning activities including capacity estimation, story selection, and risk identification. This mode activates when you invoke /sprint plan followed by your planning parameters. The implementation handles resource allocation logic and helps structure the upcoming sprint based on team velocity and available engineering capacity.

Retro Mode for Retrospectives

Retro mode runs structured sprint retrospectives to gather feedback on what went well, what did not go well, and to define concrete action items for process improvement. Invoked via /sprint retro, this mode processes team feedback or sprint data to generate retrospective documentation. The command structures the retrospective output to ensure actionable insights are captured.

Release-notes Mode for Shipping Communication

Release-notes mode (also referred to as release mode in the source code) generates release notes or shipping communication based on input tickets, changelogs, or product requirement documents (PRDs). Triggered by /sprint release-notes or /sprint release, this mode compiles completed work into publication-ready documentation. The dual naming convention appears in both pm-execution/commands/sprint.md and the top-level README.md, which lists the mode options as plan|retro|release.

How to Invoke Each Mode

The /sprint command supports both explicit mode invocation and an interactive mode that prompts for the current phase.

# Plan a sprint with capacity details

/sprint plan 2-week sprint, 4 engineers, focus on checkout improvements

# Run a retrospective with team feedback

/sprint retro [paste team feedback or sprint data]

# Generate release notes from completed work

/sprint release-notes [paste tickets, changelog, or PRD]

# Interactive mode (prompts which phase you're in)

/sprint

Source Code Implementation

The three modes are defined across three key files in the repository:

• pm-execution/commands/sprint.md – Contains the authoritative command definition stating "Three modes covering the sprint lifecycle: plan for sprint planning, retro for retrospectives, release-notes for shipping communication." This file defines the specific invocation syntax and use cases for each mode.

• README.md – Summarizes the command in the project overview, displaying the mode list as plan|retro|release and confirming the three operational options available to users.

• .claude-plugin/plugin.json – Registers the sprint command within the Claude plugin system, integrating the three modes into the available command palette for the AI assistant.

Summary

• plan mode handles sprint planning including capacity estimation and story selection via /sprint plan.
• retro mode facilitates sprint retrospectives and action item generation via /sprint retro.
• release-notes mode (alias release) creates shipping documentation and release communications via /sprint release-notes or /sprint release.
• Interactive mode activates when invoking /sprint without arguments, asking which phase you are currently in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between release-notes and release mode?

There is no functional difference between release-notes and release mode. According to the source code in pm-execution/commands/sprint.md and README.md, release serves as a shorthand alias for the full release-notes command. Both invocations trigger the same shipping communication generation workflow.

How do I run the /sprint command without specifying a mode?

Invoking /sprint without any arguments activates interactive mode. As shown in the command examples from pm-execution/commands/sprint.md, this mode prompts the user to specify which sprint phase they are currently in, then routes to the appropriate planning, retrospective, or release-notes workflow.

Where is the /sprint command defined in the source code?

The primary definition resides in pm-execution/commands/sprint.md, which documents the three modes and their specific use cases. The command is also registered in .claude-plugin/plugin.json for Claude plugin integration, and summarized in README.md for project documentation.

Can I use the /sprint command outside of Claude?

The /sprint command is specifically implemented as part of the phuryn/pm-skills Claude plugin system registered in .claude-plugin/plugin.json. While the underlying logic is documented in markdown files, the command execution requires the Claude environment to process the natural language inputs and generate the structured sprint outputs.

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