👩💻🧮 Ada's Algorithmic Adventure
Celebrate Ada Lovelace Day by exploring our code journey—honoring breakthroughs, untangling bugs, and powering through challenges together.
Template Columns
😊💡 Brilliant Breakthroughs
Celebrate the coding victories and insights that sparked joy.
Base column: Glad😢🔧 Debugging Dilemmas
Share the setbacks and bugs that caused frustration.
Base column: Sad😠⚡️ Circuit Sparks
Express the irritations and blockers that sparked anger.
Base column: MadAbout this template
A fun, Ada Lovelace‑themed retrospective that celebrates coding wins, surfaces bugs, and uncovers blockers to turn them into learning opportunities.
When to use this template
Use after a sprint with notable technical achievements and challenges, especially for engineering teams that want a themed reflection on code progress.
How to facilitate
Set the stage by reminding the team of Ada Lovelace Day and the purpose of the adventure
Ask participants to add anonymous virtual sticky notes to the three columns: Brilliant Breakthroughs, Debugging Dilemmas, Circuit Sparks
Group similar notes together and discuss each column in order, starting with breakthroughs then dilemmas then sparks
For each discussed item capture the underlying learning or required action
Vote on the top three items across all columns that will become concrete actions for the next sprint
Close with a quick appreciation round linking the lessons back to Ada’s pioneering spirit
Pro Tips
Use a timer of 5‑7 minutes per column to keep momentum
Encourage anonymity on sticky notes to surface honest feedback
Translate each blocker into a specific, assignable action item
Add an inspiring Ada Lovelace quote on the board to keep the theme alive
Rotate the facilitator role to build shared ownership
FAQ
What if team members are reluctant to share negative feedback?
Reassure them that notes are anonymous and focus on the issue, not the person, and model openness by sharing your own challenges first.
How do we turn identified blockers into actionable items?
For each blocker, ask: what concrete step can we take, who will own it, and by when? Record this as a clear action item in the sprint backlog.
Can this format work for non‑technical teams?
Yes, replace technical language with domain‑specific terms; the three emotional columns still capture successes, challenges, and frustrations.
How much time should we allocate to each column?
Aim for roughly 5‑7 minutes per column, adjusting based on the volume of notes, to stay within the overall timebox.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective