🎧🔥 Hottest 100 Countdown
Spin the record of our sprint! Celebrate the chart‑toppers, drop the misses, and remix our workflow for the next hit‑filled sprint.
Template Columns
🎵 New Releases
Identify fresh ideas and practices to launch in the next sprint.
Base column: Start⏹️ Skip the Flops
Highlight processes or habits that missed the mark and should be stopped.
Base column: Stop▶️ Keep the Hits
Pinpoint successful tactics that should stay on repeat.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A fun, music‑themed sprint retrospective that ranks what to start, stop, and keep like a top‑100 chart.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a lively, quick‑fire review that celebrates successes and discards low‑performing practices.
How to facilitate
Gather the team in a virtual board and explain the Hottest 100 Countdown metaphor, treating each column as a chart category.
Give each participant 3‑5 sticky notes to write ideas for New Releases, Skip the Flops, and Keep the Hits, one idea per note.
Collect all notes, place them in the corresponding columns, and let the group read them aloud, clustering similar items.
Vote on each item using dot voting or emoji reactions, allowing each person three votes per column to surface the top items.
Discuss the top‑voted items, decide concrete actions for New Releases, agree on removal steps for Skip the Flops, and assign owners for Keep the Hits.
Pro Tips
Limit each participant to a maximum of five ideas per column to keep the board manageable and focused.
Use a timer for each voting round (e.g., 2 minutes) to maintain momentum and prevent analysis paralysis.
Capture action items in a separate ‘Next Sprint’ column and follow up in the sprint planning meeting.
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?
Prompt with examples or ask each person to think of one personal win or pain point; you can also combine similar notes.
How do we ensure the voting isn’t dominated by louder voices?
Use anonymous dot voting or reaction counts so every vote carries equal weight regardless of seniority.
What if the top‑voted items are too many to act on?
Limit the sprint to the three highest‑ranked items per column and defer lower‑ranked ideas to a backlog for future consideration.
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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