💣🕰️ Gunpowder Plot
Uncover the sparks of our sprint like conspirators plotting success—ignite new ideas, defuse setbacks, and keep the momentum blazing.
Template Columns
🔥💡 Ignite New Schemes
Identify fresh initiatives to spark progress, like planting the first fuse.
Base column: Start⚔️✂️ Cut the Fuse
Highlight practices that risk blowing up the sprint and should be halted.
Base column: Stop🛡️💥 Guard the Powder
Maintain the effective tactics that keep our project safely explosive.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A high‑energy sprint retrospective that surfaces new ideas, stops harmful practices, and reinforces what works.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs a fresh burst of creativity and wants to quickly identify both risks and opportunities after a fast‑paced sprint.
How to facilitate
Explain the Gunpowder Plot metaphor and the three columns: Ignite New Schemes, Cut the Fuse, Guard the Powder
Give participants 5 minutes to silently add sticky notes to Ignite New Schemes for fresh initiatives they want to start
Group similar ideas, discuss each briefly, and turn the most promising ones into concrete action items with owners
Switch to Cut the Fuse, have everyone write practices to stop, then prioritize which to eliminate based on impact
Review Guard the Powder, list the tactics that worked well, and vote on the top items to keep and repeat
Summarize the agreed actions, assign owners and due dates, and close with a quick confidence check on the plan
Pro Tips
Use colored virtual stickers to differentiate new ideas, stops, and continues for quick visual scanning
Limit discussion time per item (e.g., 2 minutes) to keep momentum and avoid deep dives on low‑impact topics
End with a one‑sentence commitment from each owner to increase accountability
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for Ignite New Schemes?
Prompt with open‑ended questions like “What could we try next sprint?” or pull in recent customer feedback to spark inspiration.
How do we decide which items in Cut the Fuse to actually stop?
Vote using dot stickers or a quick poll, then focus on the top‑ranked items that have the highest negative impact.
Can we combine this format with a traditional Start‑Stop‑Continue?
Yes, treat Ignite as Start, Cut as Stop, and Guard as Continue; the metaphor simply adds a fun narrative layer.
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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