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

by Jake Knapp

You might feel nervous; after all, it’s a big time commitment for a new process. If your Decider is reluctant, try one or more of these arguments: Rapid Progress Emphasize the amount of progress you’ll make in your sprint: In just one week, you’ll have a realistic prototype. Some Deciders are not excited about customer tests (at least, until they see one firsthand), but almost everyone loves fast results. It’s an Experiment Consider your first sprint an experiment. When it’s over, the Decider can help evaluate how effective it was. We’ve found that many people who are hesitant to change the way they work are open to a onetime experiment. Explain the Tradeoffs Show the Decider a list of big meetings and work items you and your team will miss during the sprint week. Tell her which items you will skip and which you will postpone, and why. It’s About Focus Be honest about your motivations. If the quality of your work is suffering because your team’s regular work schedule is too scattered, say so. Tell the Decider that instead of doing an okay job on everything, you’ll do an excellent job on one thing.