🌄⛏️ California Gold Rush
Strike it rich as we pan for project gold! Let’s discuss which new veins to explore, which fool's errands to drop, and which steady claims to keep. Prospect together for a team fortune!
Template Columns
đź’ˇ New Claims to Stake
Share fresh ideas and processes we should start exploring, just like staking out new territory.
Base column: Start🚫 Fool’s Gold to Abandon
Highlight unproductive efforts we should leave behind, like tossing aside worthless ore.
Base column: Stop🔑 Golden Nuggets to Keep
Discuss valuable habits and strategies we should continue, just like holding onto real gold.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The California Gold Rush retrospective is a creative format where teams prospect for valuable ideas, identify and drop unproductive efforts, and reinforce practices worth keeping.
When to use this template
This retrospective works well when your team needs to reassess priorities and experiment with new approaches, especially after sprints involving lots of trial and error or change.
How to facilitate
Begin by setting the Gold Rush scene and introducing each column, encouraging the team to think like prospectors seeking value as they reflect.
Silently brainstorm and add notes to each column: suggest new experiments or practices under New Claims to Stake, identify processes to drop under Fool’s Gold to Abandon, and list what’s gone well under Golden Nuggets to Keep.
Invite the team to review all contributions, grouping similar ideas and clarifying unclear notes together for shared understanding.
Facilitate a focused discussion on the most impactful or recurring items in each column, exploring why they matter and how to address them.
Help the team choose 1–3 concrete action items (next claims to stake, habits to cement, efforts to abandon) and assign responsibility for follow-up.
Close with reflections or a quick round where team members share which part of the Gold Rush metaphor resonated most with their experience.
Pro Tips
Use visual or storytelling prompts about the Gold Rush era to inspire creative thinking and break the routine.
Encourage teammates to bring metaphorical 'pan' and 'nugget' images as virtual backgrounds for added fun and engagement.
Prompt the team to focus on specifics—what exactly makes a new claim promising or a behavior golden?
Challenge the group to identify not just individual but collective 'claims' to prioritize.
Revisit previous retrospective action items, framing them as old claims—did they yield gold or fool’s gold?
FAQ
What if team members struggle to come up with new claims or ideas?
Frame the discussion with a few focused prompts, like asking what blockers slowed them down or which tools they wish existed. Remind the team that no idea is too small to stake as a claim.
How should we handle recurring fool’s gold items that the team has tried to abandon in past sprints?
Discuss what’s preventing full abandonment and brainstorm support or process changes to finally let go. Consider a team commitment or small experiment to make it stick.
Can this format be adapted for other project milestones?
Yes—use it any time you need to review what’s worth investing in and what to leave behind. You can adjust the metaphor to fit product launches, quarterly reviews, or after major releases.
What’s the best way to ensure follow-through on action items?
Assign clear owners for each action and add reminders to your project board. Revisit progress in your next standup or retrospective.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective