🥔🚜 Spud Sprint
Let’s mash through our sprint, peeling successes and planting fresh ideas, all while staying crispy agile!
Template Columns
🌱 Sprouting Ideas
Identify new practices to plant for future growth.
Base column: Start🛑 Peel the Bad
Highlight habits to discard like unwanted skins.
Base column: Stop🥔 Keep the Mash
Maintain the smooth processes that keep us hearty.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A fun, potato‑themed sprint retrospective that surfaces new ideas, discards unhelpful habits, and reinforces what’s working.
When to use this template
Use when you want a light‑hearted review that still drives concrete improvements and keeps the team energized.
How to facilitate
Begin by sharing the purpose of the Spud Sprint and display the three columns: Sprouting Ideas, Peel the Bad, and Keep the Mash.
Give each participant 2–3 minutes to silently add sticky notes to the column that matches their thought: new ideas to plant, habits to stop, and practices to keep.
Facilitate a quick round‑robin where each person briefly explains one of their notes, grouping similar items as you go.
Vote on the top two items in each column using dot voting or emoji reactions to prioritize actions.
Turn the highest‑voted ideas into concrete action items, assigning owners and due dates before closing the session.
Pro Tips
Encourage playful language (e.g., “peel” or “sprout”) to keep the mood light and boost participation.
Limit each participant to three notes per column to avoid overload and keep discussion focused.
If time is tight, combine voting and action‑item creation into a single 5‑minute block.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to come up with ideas for Sprouting Ideas?
Prompt them with examples such as trying a new stand‑up format, experimenting with pair programming, or adopting a lightweight documentation habit.
How do we handle dominant voices during the explanation round?
Set a strict timebox per person (e.g., 30 seconds) and use a virtual talking stick or the raise‑hand feature to ensure equal airtime.
Can we reuse the same board for multiple sprints?
Yes, duplicate the board each sprint to keep a fresh canvas, but archive the previous notes for historical reference and trend analysis.
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At a glance
- Duration
30–45 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