A classic three-column retro format that helps teams identify new practices to adopt, unhelpful habits to drop, and winning behaviors to reinforce.
Drag example cards between columns or try voting to explore the format.
New behaviors, tools, or processes the team should begin adopting.
Writing acceptance criteria before each sprint
Using feature flags for all new features
Running a 15-min weekly tech debt review
Adding automated accessibility checks to CI
Processes, habits, or meetings that waste time or create friction.
Skipping code reviews for hotfixes
Having hour-long standups — keep it 15 min
Context-switching between three projects
Practices and behaviors that are working well and should be maintained.
Blast radius reduction — deployments are safer now
Using squash-and-merge for clean history
Daily standups — they keep us aligned
Use these prompts and example cards to start a focused conversation.
New behaviors, tools, or processes the team should begin adopting.
Example cards
Keep in mind: Don't list things that should already be happening
Processes, habits, or meetings that waste time or create friction.
Example cards
Keep in mind: Don't blame individuals — focus on process
Practices and behaviors that are working well and should be maintained.
Example cards
Keep in mind: Don't skip this column — reinforcement is crucial
Start/Stop/Continue takes about 15–25 min. Here's the flow.
Explain the three columns and the blameless retro culture. Set a timer for each phase.
Team adds cards silently to Start, Stop, and Continue. Encourage at least 2 cards per column.
Cluster similar cards and vote on top priorities. Focus on what the team can control.
Discuss the highest-voted cards in each column. Keep discussion solution-oriented.
Pick 1-2 concrete actions per column, assign owners, and set due dates.
The Start/Stop/Continue retrospective is one of the most widely used Agile retrospective formats — and for good reason. Its simplicity is its superpower. Three columns. Three questions. Infinite possibilities for improvement.
Originating from the Lean Startup movement and popularized by retrospectives pioneer Esther Derby, the Start/Stop/Continue format strips retrospective complexity down to its essence: what should we begin doing, what should we stop doing, and what should we keep doing? No metaphors, no complex frameworks — just clear, actionable categories that any team can use from their very first sprint.
The psychological power of Start/Stop/Continue lies in its balanced structure. Unlike formats that lean negative (what went wrong) or purely positive (what went well), this format demands equal attention to starting new habits, stopping unhelpful patterns, and continuing what already works. This triad creates a cognitive forcing function that prevents teams from fixating on problems while ignoring solutions.
If you like Start/Stop/Continue, you might also enjoy these formats.
Go beyond start, stop, and continue. Use five focused prompts to decide which habits to keep, increase, reduce, stop, or introduce.
A forward-looking retrospective format that helps goal-oriented teams reflect on progress, identify blockers, and plan the next sprint like climbing a mountain.
A four-column continuous improvement format — Drop, Add, Keep, Improve — that combines Start/Stop/Continue simplicity with actionable improvement granularity.
A focused two-column retro format — What Went Well and Needs Better — that balances celebration with honest improvement in the shortest possible time.
Start/Stop/Continue is a simple three-column retrospective format where teams identify what they should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing to improve their processes and outcomes.
15-25 minutes is ideal. The format is designed for speed — spend most time on the highest-voted cards in each column.
Yes — its simplicity makes it perfect for async and remote formats. Team members in different time zones can contribute cards asynchronously.
That's a signal the team is frustrated. Spend extra time on Continue to surface what's working, and consider whether a more supportive format like Mad/Sad/Glad would help.
Absolutely — many engineers use it as a personal productivity tool. Start an exercise routine, stop doom-scrolling, continue journaling.
Yes — you can enable anonymous mode for any retrospective, including Start/Stop/Continue, so team members share honest feedback without fear.
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