What is a burndown chart?
Answer
A burndown chart is a visual representation of work remaining in a Sprint or project over time. The Y-axis shows work remaining (story points or hours), and the X-axis shows time (Sprint days). An ideal burndown line connects the starting total to zero at the Sprint end. The actual burndown line shows daily progress. If the actual line is above the ideal, the team is behind schedule; below the ideal means ahead of schedule. Sprint burndown tracks daily remaining Sprint Backlog work. Release burndown tracks Sprint-over-Sprint remaining Product Backlog work. Common patterns: a flat line indicates blocked work; a sudden drop indicates a batch completion; a line going up means work was added mid-Sprint. Burndown charts are a transparency tool, not a management weapon — teams should use them for self-inspection, not pressure. Kanban uses Cumulative Flow Diagrams as an alternative.