đź›’đź’¸ Black Friday Bonanza
Welcome to the Black Friday Bonanza Retro! Let’s tackle our sprint like savvy shoppers—spotting deals (wins), avoiding bad buys, and doubling down on the best strategies. Ready to boost our project savings and success? Let’s bag those bargains!
Template Columns
🛍️ Doorbusters to Grab
Identify new opportunities and ideas we should start trying to get the best results.
Base column: Startđźš« Fading Discounts
Pinpoint practices or habits to stop before they lead to wasted effort or value loss.
Base column: Stopđź’° Hot Sellers
Highlight successful moves and patterns we should continue to maximize our value.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Black Friday Bonanza retrospective helps teams identify new opportunities, weed out wasteful habits, and double down on proven methods—framing insights as value-packed wins.
When to use this template
Use this retro when you need fresh ideas, want to identify and stop unproductive behaviors, and reinforce successful practices. It’s especially effective after major releases or sprints with mixed results.
How to facilitate
Kick off with a fun introduction, inviting everyone to see the sprint as a shopping spree where the goal is to find and maximize project value.
Review the column themes together: Doorbusters to Grab (start), Fading Discounts (stop), Hot Sellers (continue). Clarify what kind of feedback belongs in each.
Allow time for team members to add their notes to each column individually, aiming for concise, value-focused contributions.
Invite everyone to read through all notes silently, then discuss key items collectively, asking clarifying questions and highlighting patterns or surprises.
Facilitate voting to prioritize top Doorbusters to try, Fading Discounts to drop, and Hot Sellers to strengthen. Encourage brief rationales during voting.
Collaboratively agree on 2–3 concrete actions, assigning owners and due dates for follow-up.
Close with a quick round of appreciations or one 'biggest bargain' takeaway from the session.
Pro Tips
Encourage playful language and analogies to keep energy high and lower barriers to sharing honestly.
Frame 'Fading Discounts' constructively by focusing on limiting waste, not on blame.
Rotate facilitators each time to keep the format fresh and perspectives diverse.
After deciding actions, check if they map directly to columns—if not, adjust your definitions for next time.
FAQ
How do I encourage honest sharing about what to stop?
Normalize bringing up 'bad buys' as opportunities to save resources, not as failures. Lead by example and reinforce a no-blame culture.
What if there are too many ideas in Doorbusters to Grab?
Prioritize through group voting and align on which opportunities are most likely to bring value right now; park the rest for future reviews.
How can I keep the session energetic?
Use the shopping metaphor actively, encourage humor, and keep the pace brisk to create a fun, engaging environment.
Can this format work for small teams?
Yes, but for very small teams, spend more time discussing each item together rather than rushing to voting.
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At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective