Speed Boat

Speed Boat is one of the most popular and widely used retrospective formats in the agile world. First published by Luke Hohmann in 2006 in his book Innovation Games: Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play, it uses a powerful nautical metaphor to guide team reflection.

Imagine your team as a speed boat sailing toward an island destination. Various forces help or hinder your journey:

• The Island 🏝️: Your goals and objectives. What did the team achieve? What destination milestones were reached?
• The Wind 💨: Your strengths and tailwinds. What propelled the team forward? Practices, tools, or factors that accelerated progress.
• The Anchor ⚓: Your blockers and drag. What slowed the team down? Obstacles, technical debt, or processes that acted as dead weight.
• The Reef 🪸: Upcoming risks and dangers. What hazards lie ahead? Potential problems that could damage the team's progress if not addressed.

The visual metaphor of Speed Boat makes it immediately intuitive: everyone understands the concepts of wind (helping forces), anchors (hindering forces), and reefs (risks). This accessibility makes it an excellent choice for teams new to retrospectives.

The format is also highly versatile - it works equally well for sprint retrospectives, project retrospectives, or even product strategy sessions. The session ends with concrete actions to cut the anchors, navigate around the reefs, and harness the wind.