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

by Jake Knapp

WEDNESDAY 10 a.m. • Sticky decision. Follow these five steps to choose the strongest solutions: • Art museum. Tape the solution sketches to the wall in one long row. (p. 132) • Heat map. Have each person review the sketches silently and put one to three small dot stickers beside every part he or she likes. (p. 132) • Speed critique. Three minutes per sketch. As a group, discuss the highlights of each solution. Capture standout ideas and important objections. At the end, ask the sketcher if the group missed anything. (p. 135) • Straw poll. Each person silently chooses a favorite idea. All at once, each person places one large dot sticker to register his or her (nonbinding) vote. (p. 138) • Supervote. Give the Decider three large dot stickers and write her initials on the sticker. Explain that you’ll prototype and test the solutions the Decider chooses. (p. 140) 11:30-ish • Divide winners from “maybe-laters.” Move the sketches with supervotes together. (p. 141) • Rumble or all-in-one. Decide if the winners can fit into one prototype, or if conflicting ideas require two or three competing prototypes in a Rumble. (p. 145) • Fake brand names. If you’re doing a Rumble, use a Note-and-Vote to choose fake brand names. (p. 145) • Note-and-Vote. Use this technique whenever you need to quickly gather ideas from the group and narrow down to a decision. Ask people to write ideas individually, then list them on a whiteboard, vote, and let the Decider pick the winner. (p. 146) 1 p.m. • L...