1️⃣Map
👋 Introduction
On Day 1, think big & start at the end. Kick off the sprint by sharing knowledge, understanding the problem, and choosing a target for the week’s efforts. Monday’s structured discussions will help you align on goals and create a strong path for the rest of the sprint week.
1️⃣ Long-term goal
Long term goals ensure you are able to zoom out before getting started. It helps you focus on the right problem, not just the one that may seem to be the most pressing right now.
Keep the nature of the solution out when framing the long term goal. Frame the goal as the outcome we want to achieve. This allows for unexpected solutions to emerge later.
An ambiguous goal can create uncertainty that will persist throughout the entire sprint. Adding specifics early on will ensure that everyone is working towards the same objective.
2️⃣ Short-term goal
Defining a short-term goal provides a clear starting point for discussion and grounds the sprint in immediate and achievable outcomes. It would be the biggest bet you can take right now towards the long term goal.
When defining a short-term goal, avoid solely focusing on finding solutions and instead consider the driving force behind the product.
Think of your short-term goal as a milestone, while the long-term goal serves as an anchor that provides a sense of direction and purpose.
3️⃣ What could go wrong?
Lurking beneath every goal are unexamined assumptions. This is your opportunity to turn those assumptions into questions, so you can find strong answers.
Questioning assumptions can help you be better prepared for the unexpected and reveal potential long-term roadblocks early on.
4️⃣ Ideal Customer Profile
This will help you ground discussions in the experiences of real people. If you have multiple possible ICPs, this exercise will help you narrow them down.
Thinking of real people will help you understand how your customers make decisions and what challenges they might face.
A strong bio is concise and engaging, and includes unique personality traits and interests.
5️⃣ Map the journey
This turns each person’s perspective of the challenge, into a shared understanding. This will then serve as a basis for further conversation on opportunities and prioritisation.
Capturing all of your actors and the multiple entry points they might have will help you make sure that you don’t leave out any steps in your product's journey.
Quick Tip: During the sprint, you may notice questions on how you might solve certain problems. Have an observer take note of these and save them in a space that we’ll call a “Parking Lot”. Bring those back when they seem relevant.
6️⃣ How Might We?
Better ideas come from asking better questions. And framing a question as a “How Might We” helps you look for opportunities and challenges, rather than getting bogged down by problems or jumping to solutions too quick.
Make sure your How Might We’s are positive and actionable, so that they encourage creativity and guide your team towards a successful outcome.
7️⃣ Sprint Hypothesis
Narrow down the most ambiguous and risky part of the challenge to solve. This helps you validate or invalidate the opportunity confidently, and will give you an anchor for the rest of the week.
A strong hypothesis focuses on the target customer and problem you are trying to solve. Here, you are taking a bet and finding a strong theme to follow.
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