The document outlines the Google Ventures sprint process created by Jake Knapp. The sprint is a 5-day process where teams: 1) crystalize an ambitious problem to solve on Monday, 2) independently sketch potential solutions on Tuesday, 3) decide on one sketch to prototype on Wednesday, 4) build the prototype on Thursday, and 5) interview and learn from 5 potential customers on Friday. The sprint process emphasizes rapid prototyping and testing ideas with customers to help teams solve big problems or plan important projects.

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2. This presentation consists of highlights
from the interview with Moe Abdou,
founder & host of 33voices®.

3. Jake Knapp created the Google Ventures sprint process and has run
more than a hundred sprints with startups such as 23andme, Slack,
Nest, and Foundation Medicine. Previously, Jake worked at Google,
leading sprints for everything from Gmail to Google X. He is currently
among the world’s tallest designers.
Jake Knapp
@jakek
Partner at GV, author of SPRINT

4. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Insight #1

5. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Monday - Crystalize one ambitious
problem to solve
Insight #1

6. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Tuesday - Work independently to
sketch potential solutions
Insight #1

7. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Wednesday - Decide on the one
sketch to prototype
Insight #1

8. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Thursday - Build the prototype
Insight #1

9. If you’re starting an important
project or trying to solve a big problem,
consider Google Venture’s five-day
Sprint process. Here’s how it works:
Friday - Interview and learn from
five potential customers
Insight #1

10. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:

11. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
The Decider - Likely the CEO who
understands the depth of the problem
and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion

12. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
A Finance expert - Likely the CFO or
business development manager who
understands the flow of money

13. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
A Marketing expert - Likely the CMO
who crafts the company’s messages

14. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
A Customer expert - Likely someone in
sales or customer support who regularly
talks to customers one-on-one

15. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
A Tech/logistics expert - Likely the CTO
who knows how to build and deliver

16. Insight #2
To run an effective Sprint, you
need a team of diverse thinkers.
Here’s what the ideal team looks like:
A Design expert - Likely a designer or
product expert who designs the
products your company makes

17. Insight #3
Most products & services fail at the
human level — so, as you begin your Sprint,
embrace A Prototype Mindset where your
highest objective is to build and test
a realistic facade of the real thing.

18. Insight #4
On Monday -
Start at the End - Imagining a perfect
future, ask your team this question:

19. Insight #4
On Monday -
Start at the End - Imagining a perfect
future, ask your team this question:
• Why are we doing this project?

20. Insight #4
On Monday -
Start at the End - Imagining a perfect
future, ask your team this question:
• Where do we want to be six months,
a year, or even five years from now?

21. Insight #4
On Monday -
Start at the End - Imagining a perfect
future, ask your team this question:
• In a less than perfect future - Imagine if we
travel into the future and our project failed,
what might have caused that?

22. Insight #4
On Monday -
Create a visual map that represents
your broad challenge and specific targets

23. Insight #4
On Monday -
Ask the experts - Identify at least one expert
who can talk about each of these topics:
Strategy - Start by asking the
Decider these questions:

24. Insight #4
On Monday -
Ask the experts - Identify at least one expert
who can talk about each of these topics:
Strategy - Start by asking the
Decider these questions:
• What will make this project a success?

25. Insight #4
On Monday -
Ask the experts - Identify at least one expert
who can talk about each of these topics:
Strategy - Start by asking the
Decider these questions:
• What’s the biggest risk?

26. Insight #4
On Monday -
Ask the experts - Identify at least one expert
who can talk about each of these topics:
Strategy - Start by asking the
Decider these questions:
• What’s our unique advantage or opportunity?

27. Insight #4
On Monday -
Voice of the Customer - Focus on
the person who talks to your customers
more than anyone else

28. Insight #4
On Monday -
How Things Work - Who understands
the mechanics of your product?

29. Insight #4
On Monday -
Previous Efforts - Find someone who has
already thought about the problem in detail and
seek to understands older ideas, failed
experiments or any current efforts
to address the problem

30. Insight #4
On Monday -
To foster ingenuity, frame your questions
with the words “How Might We —”.

31. Insight #4
On Monday -
Organize your “How Might
We —“ expert notes

32. Insight #4
On Monday -
End by being clear on the most essential
goal to focus on during the Sprint.

33. Insight #5
On Tuesday -

34. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
Remix and Improve - Are there
existing solutions that could uncover
surprising and useful ideas?

35. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
• Sketch potential solutions independently.

36. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
• Take notes on the goals, opportunities
and inspiration you’ve collected.

37. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
• Jot down the rough ideas that give
form to your thoughts.

38. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
• Crazy 8s - Take your strongest ideas and
rapidly sketch 8 variations in 8 minutes.

39. Insight #5
On Tuesday -
• Sketch your best idea in a three-panel
storyboard format that captures exactly
what your customer will see as they
interact with your product or service.

40. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:

41. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:
• Art museum - put the solution sketches
on the wall with masking tape.

42. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:
• Heat map - Look at all the solutions in silence
and use dot stickers to mark interesting parts.

43. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:
• Speed critique - Quickly discuss the
highlights of each solution and use sticky
notes to capture big ideas.

44. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:
• Straw poll - Each person chooses one
solution, and votes for it with a dot sticker.

45. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Decide:
• Supervote - The Decider makes the
final decision, with more stickers.

46. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Rumble:
If you identify two really good, conflicting
ideas, opt not to choose between them.
Instead, you can prototype both.

47. Insight #6
On Wednesday - Storyboard:
Use a grid format to sketch your prototype
storyboard beginning with the opening scene
that answers the question ‘how do customers
find out about our company’?

48. Insight #7
On Thursday -
• Adopt a ‘fake it’ philosophy to turn your
storyboard into a realistic Prototype.

49. Insight #7
On Thursday -
• Adopt a ‘prototype mindset’

50. Insight #7
On Thursday -
• Shift from perfect to just enough, from
long-term quality to temporary simulation.

51. Insight #7
On Thursday -
• Make your prototype as realistic as
possible,
as to elicit real emotions.

52. Insight #8
On Friday - The Customer interviews:

53. Insight #8
On Friday - The Customer interviews:
• One member from your team will
act as the interviewer.

54. Insight #8
On Friday - The Customer interviews:
• He/she will interview only
FIVE people - one each hour .

55. Insight #8
On Friday -
He/she will follow this
Five-Act interview process:
• A friendly welcome to start the interview

56. Insight #8
On Friday -
He/she will follow this
Five-Act interview process:
• A series of general, open-ended context
questions about the customer.

57. Insight #8
On Friday -
He/she will follow this
Five-Act interview process:
• Introduction to the Prototype(s).

58. Insight #8
On Friday -
He/she will follow this
Five-Act interview process:
• Detailed tasks to get the customer
reacting to the prototype.

59. Insight #8
On Friday -
He/she will follow this
Five-Act interview process:
• A quick debrief to capture the customer’s
overarching thoughts and impressions.

60. Insight #9
“There’s this gap between the vision and the
customer, to make the two fit, you have to talk
to people.” - Joe Gebbia, Airbnb

61. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:

62. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:
Instead of jumping right into solutions,
take your time to map out the problem
and agree on an initial target

63. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:
Instead of shouting out ideas,
work independently to sketch
possible solutions

64. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:
Instead of abstract debate
and endless meetings, use voting
and a Decider to make crisp decisions
to reflect your team’s priorities

65. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:
Instead of getting all the details right before
testing your solutions, create a facade

66. Insight #10
Next time you’re not sure
what to do, struggling to get started,
or dealing with a high stakes decision.
Try a SPRINT and remember that:
Instead of guessing and hoping you’re on the
right track, test your prototype with real people.

67. Reflect - What’s your most
ambitious problem?
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Jenna@33voices.com
Presentation by Chase Jennings
Insights by Jenna Abdou

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