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Start, Stop, Continue

The most popular agile retrospective template — for good reason.

What is it?

Start, Stop, Continue is a simple, powerful retrospective format that helps teams identify behaviors to adopt, abandon, and maintain. It's the most used retro template in agile teams worldwide.

Start

Things the team should begin doing to improve.

Stop

Things that are slowing the team down or causing problems.

Continue

Things that are working well and should be kept.

When to use it

▸New team finding its rhythm
▸After a difficult or confusing sprint
▸Regular retrospectives — works every time
▸When you need a reliable, low-prep format

Facilitation tips

1Keep cards hidden until everyone has finished writing to avoid anchoring.
2Time-box the writing phase to 8–10 minutes.
3Use dot-voting to prioritize — don't try to discuss everything.
4Commit to 2–3 action items max. Quality over quantity.

🎬 Use this template

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