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

This book presents a transformative formula for testing ideas and solving problems within a workweek.

Authors Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz outline a sprint process that empowers teams to clarify complex issues, foster innovation, make fast decisions, and validate ideas without requiring lengthy and costly development cycles. It’s a compact guide for teams of any size within any business or enterprise to drive breakthroughs and deliver tangible results quickly.

#1. Map Out the Problem and Choose a Focus.

The first day of the sprint process involves understanding the challenge and selecting an area of focus. This involves discussions with the team and mapping the problem to pinpoint where to direct the sprint’s efforts.

#2. Sketch Possible Solutions.

Day two moves the team from problem identification to generating a broad range of solutions. Each team member individually sketches possible solutions, encouraging various perspectives without the constraints of groupthink.

#3. Decide on the Best Solution.

On the third day, the team reviews each solution, debates its merits, and decides which one(s) to prototype. The decision-making process is structured to avoid endless debate and is driven by the sprint’s Decider.

#4. Prototype.

The fourth day is about building a realistic prototype. The focus is on speed and efficiency; the goal is not to create a fully developed product but a facade of the solution that is good enough to test with real users.

#5. Test with Real Users.

The final day is dedicated to testing the prototype with users to gather feedback. Observing real people interact with the prototype brings invaluable insights and often challenges assumptions, providing clear direction on what works and doesn’t.

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