Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

by Jake Knapp

THURSDAY 10 a.m. • Pick the right tools. Don’t use your everyday tools. They’re optimized for quality. Instead, use tools that are rough, fast, and flexible. (p. 186) • Divide and conquer. Assign roles: Maker, Stitcher, Writer, Asset Collector, and Interviewer. You can also break the storyboard into smaller scenes and assign each to different team members. (p. 187) • Prototype! 1 p.m. • Lunch 2 p.m. • Prototype! • Stitch it together. With the work split into parts, it’s easy to lose track of the whole. The Stitcher checks for quality and ensures all the pieces make sense together. (p. 189) 3-ish • Do a trial run. Run through your prototype. Look for mistakes. Make sure the Interviewer and the Decider see it. (p. 189) • Finish up the prototype. Throughout the Day • Write interview script. The Interviewer prepares for Friday’s test by writing a script. (p. 188) • Remind customers to show up for Friday’s test. Email is good, phone call is better. • Buy gift cards for customers. We usually use $100 gift cards. Key Ideas • Prototype mindset. You can prototype anything. Prototypes are disposable. Build just enough to learn, but not more. The prototype must appear real. (p. 168) • Goldilocks quality. Create a prototype with just enough quality to evoke honest reactions from customers. (p. 170