SPRINT
What the book is about
Section titled “What the book is about”- A step‑by‑step playbook for running a structured five‑day design sprint.
- Written by Jake Knapp, with John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz, based on their work at Google Ventures.
- Focused on rapid prototyping, user testing, and fast decision‑making.
The 5‑Day Sprint Structure
Section titled “The 5‑Day Sprint Structure”Each day has a strict purpose:
- Monday — Map the problem, define long‑term goals, and identify sprint questions.
- Tuesday — Individually sketch solutions (Crazy 8s).
- Wednesday — Critique, vote, and let the Decider choose the solution.
- Thursday — Build a realistic prototype (“Goldilocks quality”).
- Friday — Test with five real users to reveal usability patterns.
Key principles
Section titled “Key principles”- Start with the end — Define what you must learn by Friday.
- Sketch alone — Individual ideation beats group brainstorming.
- Decider role — One person makes final calls to avoid compromise.
- Prototype fast — Fake it; don’t build it.
- Five interviews — Five users reveal ~85% of usability issues.
Core takeaway
Section titled “Core takeaway”Sprint is a practical, five‑day method created at Google Ventures to help teams solve big problems quickly by mapping, sketching, deciding, prototyping, and testing with real users.
Why it matters
Section titled “Why it matters”- Compresses months of product debates into one focused week.
- Helps teams avoid building products nobody wants by testing early with real users.
- Used by companies like Slack, LEGO, and The New York Times.