Start/Stop/Continue

Start/Stop/Continue is one of the most classic and enduring retrospective formats in agile methodology. Its strength lies in its simplicity: three straightforward questions that any team can immediately understand and engage with.

The format is based on facts and focuses on answering three essential questions:

• Start 🟢: What should we start doing? New practices, processes, or behaviors that the team believes would be beneficial.
• Stop 🔴: What should we stop doing? Activities, habits, or processes that aren't working, waste time, or create friction.
• Continue 🔵: What should we continue doing? Practices that are working well and should be maintained.

The beauty of Start/Stop/Continue is that it forces a balanced conversation: the team must identify both things to change and things to preserve. The "Continue" column is often underappreciated but is crucial - it ensures the team doesn't lose sight of what's already working while pursuing improvements.

This format is particularly well-suited for:

• Teams new to retrospectives, as it's immediately intuitive
• Time-constrained sessions, as the structure keeps discussion focused
• Regular sprint retrospectives where consistency and simplicity are valued

Despite its simplicity, this format remains remarkably effective. The constraint of categorizing every insight into one of three actionable buckets naturally drives the conversation toward concrete outcomes rather than abstract discussion.