DAKI Retrospective (Drop, Add, Keep, Improve)
Four dials instead of three — the only format that separates a brand-new experiment from tuning what already exists.
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The board
01
DROP
What should we get rid of entirely?
02
ADD
What should we introduce that we don't do yet?
03
KEEP
What's working and shouldn't change?
04
IMPROVE
What exists but needs tuning?
DAKI is Start-Stop-Continue's more precise cousin. Where Start-Stop-Continue crams two different kinds of change into one column — a brand-new experiment and a small tweak to something that already exists both land in "Start" — DAKI splits them into Add and Improve. The distinction matters more than it sounds: a new experiment needs a hypothesis and an owner; a tuning fix just needs someone to make the change.
The fourth column also changes what Drop means. In a three-column format, "stop" quietly absorbs both hard removals and things that just need to be dialled down. DAKI's Drop is reserved for full removals — the Improve column catches everything that's not broken enough to kill, just imprecise enough to fix.
When to use a DAKI Retrospective
- Your Start-Stop-Continue retros keep piling unrelated ideas into "Start" — new experiments and small tweaks tangled together
- The team is mature enough to distinguish "kill this" from "adjust this" and wants a format that respects the difference
- You report retro outcomes to stakeholders and a four-way action taxonomy is easier to track than three
- Coming off a Starfish retro and ready to also entertain hard removals, not just dial adjustments
How to run a DAKI Retrospective
- 1
Split Add from Improve while writing
Before the write phase, remind the team: Add is something you don't do at all today; Improve is something you already do but imperfectly. When in doubt, ask 'does this already exist in some form?' — if yes, it's Improve.
- 2
Discuss Drop first
Dropping something frees time. Start there, so the Add discussion happens with room already made.
- 3
Treat Keep as a decision
A Keep card is a deliberate choice not to change something. Read them out; they stop good practices being tinkered with.
- 4
Write Improve cards with a target
"Code review: from two days to same-day" is an Improve card the team can check. "Better reviews" isn't.
- 5
Balance adds and drops
Before agreeing actions, count them. If the team is adding more than it drops, ask what gives.
Anonymous writing, voting, grouping and action items work the same as in any Retromik retro.
Example cards
What good cards look like for a software team. Specific, about the work, never about a person.
DROP
- The Monday status meeting.
- Updating the changelog by hand.
ADD
- A definition of ready for stories.
- Contract tests for the payments API.
KEEP
- Pairing on hotfixes.
- The shared demo every second Friday.
IMPROVE
- Code reviews: from two days to same-day.
- Standup: from 25 minutes to 15.
A 45-minute agenda
- 0–5 minExplain Add versus Improve
- 5–15 minWrite cards silently in all four columns
- 15–20 minVote, three votes each
- 20–35 minDiscuss Drop first, then Add and Improve
- 35–45 minAgree actions, checking adds against drops
Common mistakes
- More adds than drops. The team leaves with extra work.
- Improve cards filed under Add, or the other way round. Fix them while grouping.
- Keep left unread. It's the column that says what not to change.
- Too many actions from four columns. Pick two or three.
Frequently asked questions
What does DAKI stand for?
Drop, Add, Keep, Improve. It's a four-column retrospective format that extends Start-Stop-Continue by splitting 'Start' into two more precise categories: entirely new ideas (Add) and improvements to existing practices (Improve).
How is DAKI different from Start, Stop, Continue?
Start-Stop-Continue has three columns and blends new experiments with small process tweaks into a single 'Start' column. DAKI keeps them separate, which produces a cleaner action list — new initiatives need owners and hypotheses, while tuning fixes just need someone to make the change next sprint.
What's the difference between Keep and Improve?
Keep is working as-is and should be protected from well-meaning tinkering. Improve is directionally right but has friction — the mechanism works, the execution doesn't quite. If a card describes something that's actively good, it's Keep; if it describes something with a 'but,' it's Improve.
How long does a DAKI retro take?
Plan for 60-70 minutes with a team of 5-8 — one extra column means slightly more writing and discussion time than a three-column retro. Retromik is free to run it: create a board with the DAKI template and share the link; guests can join without an account.
Which DAKI column should we discuss first?
Drop. Removing something first creates room for anything the team wants to add or improve, and it keeps the session from ending with a longer to-do list than it started with.
Related templates
Starfish Retrospective
More of · Less of · Keep
Calibrate instead of overhaul — dial behaviours up and down rather than starting from zero.
ViewStart, Stop, Continue Retrospective
Start · Stop · Continue
The most actionable retro format — every column maps directly to a behaviour change.
ViewStrengths, Risks, Learnings Retrospective
Strengths · Risks · Learnings
A balanced sprint review that looks backward and forward at once — Retromik's signature format.
ViewRun a DAKI Retrospective with your team
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