Sprint

1. Define a clear long-term goal and identify sprint questions

"Why are we doing this project? Where do we want to be in six months, a year, or even five years from now?"

Set ambitious goals. Start your sprint by defining a clear long-term goal that reflects your team's principles and aspirations. This goal will serve as a beacon to keep everyone moving in the same direction throughout the sprint. Don't worry about overreaching; the sprint process will help you find a good starting point and make real progress toward even the biggest goal.

Identify key questions. After setting the goal, list out sprint questions that represent the unknowns and potential risks that stand between your team and the long-term goal. These questions will guide your solutions and decisions throughout the sprint, providing a quasi-checklist that you can refer to and evaluate after Friday's test. Examples of sprint questions:

• Can we explain our product to people who have never tried it?
• Will customers trust our expertise?
• Can we help an individual understand our product before their team joins?

2. Map the challenge and choose a target

"Like Gene Kranz and his diagram of the return to planet earth, you and your team will lay out the basics: your long-term goal and the difficult questions that must be answered."

Create a visual map. Draw a simple diagram representing the customer's journey through your product or service. This map should include:

• Key actors (customers, staff, etc.) on the left
• The ending (goal achieved) on the right
• 5-15 steps in between showing how customers interact with your product

Choose a target. After creating the map, the Decider (usually the CEO or project leader) should choose one target customer and one target event on the map. This decision will become the focus for the rest of the sprint—the sketches, prototype, and test all flow from this choice.

3. Sketch competing solutions individually

"Group brainstorming is broken, but there is a better way."

Work alone together. Instead of traditional group brainstorming, have team members work independently to develop solutions. This approach allows for deep thought and generates diverse ideas without groupthink. The four-step sketch process includes:

1. Notes (20 minutes): Review existing information and take notes.
2. Ideas (20 minutes): Jot down rough ideas and circle the most promising ones.
3. Crazy 8s (8 minutes): Rapidly sketch eight variations of your best idea.
4. Solution sketch (30-90 minutes): Create a three-panel storyboard of your strongest solution.

Embrace imperfection. Remember that artistic skill is not important; anyone can sketch a great solution using simple shapes, stick figures, and words. The focus should be on communicating ideas clearly and solving problems creatively.

4. Make smart decisions without lengthy debate

"The sprint gives our startups a superpower: They can fast-forward into the future to see their finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments."

Use structured decision-making. To avoid endless debates and make efficient decisions, follow the five-step "Sticky Decision" process:

1. Art museum: Display solution sketches on the wall.
2. Heat map: Silently review and mark interesting parts with dot stickers.
3. Speed critique: Quickly discuss highlights of each solution.
4. Straw poll: Each person votes for their favorite solution.
5. Supervote: The Decider makes the final choice.

Trust the Decider. While team input is valuable, ultimate decision-making authority should rest with the Decider. This ensures clear direction and prevents decision paralysis. If there are multiple strong, conflicting ideas, consider prototyping them in a "Rumble" to test head-to-head with customers.

5. Create a realistic prototype in just one day

"Fake it."

Adopt the prototype mindset. To build a realistic prototype in just one day, embrace these principles:

• You can prototype anything
• Prototypes are disposable
• Build just enough to learn, but not more
• The prototype must appear real

Focus on the façade. Create a "Goldilocks-quality" prototype that's realistic enough to evoke honest reactions from customers, but not so polished that it takes too long to build. Use tools that allow for rapid prototyping, such as Keynote or PowerPoint for digital products, or modify existing objects for physical products.

Divide and conquer. Assign roles to team members:

• Makers: Create individual components
• Stitcher: Combine components seamlessly
• Writer: Craft realistic text and content
• Asset Collector: Gather necessary materials
• Interviewer: Prepare for customer interviews

6. Test with target customers to gain valuable insights

"Five is the magic number."

Conduct five interviews. Testing with just five carefully selected target customers is enough to identify the most important patterns and insights. This approach balances efficiency with valuable learning. Structure each interview using the Five-Act Interview format:

1. Friendly welcome
2. Context questions
3. Introduce the prototype
4. Tasks and nudges
5. Quick debrief

Observe together. Have the entire sprint team watch the interviews together, taking notes on sticky notes. This collaborative observation allows for immediate pattern recognition and prevents misinterpretation of results. Use a simple grid to organize notes, with columns for each customer and rows for different aspects of the prototype.

7. Learn and plan next steps based on customer feedback

"A winner every time."

Identify patterns. After the interviews, review the collected notes as a team. Look for patterns that emerge across multiple customers, paying special attention to strong reactions (positive or negative). Categorize these patterns and insights as they relate to your sprint questions and long-term goal.

Determine next steps. Based on the patterns and insights gathered, decide on your next course of action. Possible outcomes include:

• Efficient failure: Discovering a solution doesn't work, saving time and resources
• Flawed success: Identifying a promising direction that needs refinement
• Clear winner: Confirming a successful solution ready for implementation

Remember that every sprint outcome provides valuable learning, whether it's validating ideas, uncovering hidden problems, or revealing new opportunities. Use this information to guide your future efforts and improve your product or service.

Last updated: July 30, 2024