What is standup?
Quick definition
A brief daily meeting where team members synchronously share progress, blockers, and plans for the day.
A standup (or stand-up meeting) is a time-boxed synchronous gathering, typically 15 minutes or less, where team members provide short updates. Each person usually answers three core questions: what did I complete yesterday, what will I work on today, and what blockers am I facing. This practice originates from Agile and Scrum methodologies but is widely adopted in Kanban teams to maintain visibility and coordination.
Standups serve multiple purposes in software development and AI-driven workflows. They create accountability, surface dependencies and blockers early, enable rapid problem-solving, and foster team cohesion. For AI coding agents and agentic workflows, standups help human teams coordinate with agent work streams by reviewing agent progress, identifying where human intervention is needed, and ensuring alignment on priorities.
Effective standups are synchronous, time-boxed, and focused on blockers rather than detailed status reports. Teams can also use asynchronous written standups (via Slack, email, or project management tools) when distributed across time zones. The key is consistent, transparent communication that unblocks work and maintains shared context across the team.
Example
How it shows up in practice
Developer A: 'Yesterday I completed the API authentication feature. Today I'm implementing the database schema. Blocked: waiting for security review.' Developer B: 'I finished unit tests. Starting integration tests today. No blockers.'
Frequently asked questions
How long should a standup take?
Standups should be time-boxed to 10-15 minutes maximum. Keeping them brief ensures focus and prevents scope creep into deeper problem-solving discussions.
What if someone is absent from standup?
Teams should document standups asynchronously (chat, email, or project board updates) so absent members can stay informed. However, synchronous standups improve team cohesion when possible.
Can AI agents participate in standups?
AI agents can provide automated progress updates on assigned tasks, but standups work best with human judgment about blockers, risks, and context that agents cannot fully assess.
How does standup differ from status reporting?
Standups focus on blockers and coordination, not detailed status. Status reports are one-directional and often historical; standups are interactive and forward-looking.