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

by Jake Knapp

1. List the actors (on the left) The “actors” are all the important characters in your story. Most often, they’re different kinds of customers. Sometimes, people other than customers—say, your sales team or a government regulator—are important actors and should be listed as well. And sometimes, of course, there’s a robot. 2. Write the ending (on the right) It’s usually a lot easier to figure out the end than the middle of the story. Flatiron’s story ended with treatment. Savioke’s story ended with a delivery. And Blue Bottle’s story ended with buying coffee. 3. Words and arrows in between The map should be functional, not a work of art. Words and arrows and the occasional box should be enough. No drawing expertise required. 4. Keep it simple Your map should have from five to around fifteen steps. If there are more than twenty, it’s probably too complicated. By keeping the map simple, the team can agree on the structure of the problem without getting tied up in competing solutions. 5. Ask for help As you draw, you should keep asking the team, “Does this map look right?” You should be able to make the first quick draft of your map in thirty to sixty minutes. Don’t be surprised if you continue to update and correct it throughout the day as you discuss the problem. We never get ours right the first time, but you have to start somewhere.