Sprint

Monday’s structured discussions create a path for the sprint week. In the morning, you’ll start at the end and agree to a long-term goal. Next, you’ll make a map of the challenge. In the afternoon, you’ll ask the experts at your company to share what they know. Finally, you’ll pick a target: an ambitious but manageable piece of the problem that you

Each map is customer-centric, with a list of key actors on the left. Each map is a story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. And, no matter the business, each map is simple.

Flatiron Health had a complicated problem and a straightforward map. Your map should be simple, too. You won’t have to capture every detail and nuance. Instead, you’ll just include the major steps required for customers to move from beginning to completion, in this case from cancer diagnosis to trial enrollment.

A sprint room, plastered with notes, diagrams, printouts, and more, takes advantage of that spatial memory. The room itself becomes a sort of shared brain for the team. As our friend Tim Brown, CEO of the design firm IDEO, writes in his book Change by Design: “The simultaneous visibility of these project materials helps us identify patterns and enc

To take notes, follow these steps: 1. Put the letters “HMW” in the top left corner of your sticky note. 2. Wait. 3. When you hear something interesting, convert it into a question (quietly). 4. Write the question on your sticky note. 5. Peel off the note and set it aside.

If you’re testing two or more prototypes in your interviews, review each one (to refresh the customer’s memory) and ask these questions: “How would you compare those different products? What are the pros and cons?” “Which parts of each would you combine to create a new, better version?” “Which one worked better for you? Why?” And

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:

At Columbia and Stanford, professors have adapted the sprint process by having students do one “day” each class session (either in class, or as homework with their team). Dividing the process will create a lack of continuity, and a lot of “boot up” time each session. Help students out by encouraging them to take lots of photos. If possible, let the

Note-and-Vote Throughout the sprint, you’ll have times when you need to gather information or ideas from the group and then make a decision. The Note-and-Vote is a shortcut. It only takes about ten minutes, and it works great for everything from fake brand names to deciding where to get lunch. 1. Give each team member a piece of paper and a pen. 2.