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Retromik

Start, Stop, Continue Retrospective

The most actionable retro format — every column maps directly to a behaviour change.

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The board

01

START

What should we start doing?

02

STOP

What should we stop doing?

03

CONTINUE

What should we keep doing?

Start, Stop, Continue is the most action-oriented retrospective format there is. Instead of asking how people felt, it asks what the team should do differently — every single card is already a proposal for change.

That makes it ideal for teams that find retrospectives too abstract. There is no translation step between insight and action: a card in the Start column is a new experiment, a card in Stop is waste to remove, and a card in Continue protects what already works.

When to use a Start, Stop, Continue Retrospective

  • Your team keeps having the same discussions without behaviour actually changing
  • You want a fast, low-ceremony retro that still produces concrete outcomes
  • A new team needs a simple shared vocabulary for its first retrospectives
  • Mid-project checkpoints where you can still change course

How to run a Start, Stop, Continue Retrospective

  1. 1

    Agree what belongs in Stop

    Before writing, say it once: a Stop card is something the team itself does and can stop doing. "Stop accepting new work mid-sprint without swapping something out" works; "stop the outages" doesn't.

  2. 2

    Write every card as a behaviour

    Ask people to start each card with a verb. "Start writing acceptance criteria before planning" can be acted on; "better planning" can't.

  3. 3

    Read Continue before you vote

    Spend a minute on the Continue column first. It tells the team what it already does well, and keeps a Start from quietly replacing something that works.

  4. 4

    Pay for every Start with a Stop

    Each Start takes time from somewhere. When the team picks a Start, ask which Stop makes room for it.

  5. 5

    Leave with one Start and one Stop

    Vote, discuss, then commit to one of each with an owner and a date. Two real changes beat a list of eight.

Anonymous writing, voting, grouping and action items work the same as in any Retromik retro.

Read the full facilitation guide

Example cards

What good cards look like for a software team. Specific, about the work, never about a person.

START

  • Start writing acceptance criteria before planning.
  • Start a 10-minute demo for Support every Friday.
  • Start pairing on every production hotfix.

STOP

  • Stop pulling new tickets into the sprint without swapping one out.
  • Stop merging on Friday afternoons.
  • Stop holding standup when half the team is in a workshop.

CONTINUE

  • Continue the shared on-call notes doc.
  • Continue reviewing pull requests within a day.
  • Continue the no-meeting Wednesday mornings.

A 45-minute agenda

  1. 0–5 minRemind the team: behaviours only, things we control
  2. 5–15 minWrite cards silently in all three columns
  3. 15–20 minRead Continue, then vote
  4. 20–35 minDiscuss the top Start and Stop cards
  5. 35–45 minCommit to one Start and one Stop, each with an owner

Common mistakes

  • Stop cards about things the team can't control. Move them to the discussion, not the action list.
  • Every Start, no Stop. The team leaves with more work and nothing taken away.
  • Vague cards like "communicate better". Ask: who does what differently, starting when?
  • Skipping Continue. It's the column that protects what already works.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Start, Stop, Continue retrospective?

It is a retrospective format with three columns: things the team should start doing, things it should stop doing, and things it should continue doing. Every card is a directly actionable behaviour change rather than an observation.

How long should a Start, Stop, Continue retro take?

For a team of 5-8 people, 45-60 minutes works well: about 10 minutes writing cards, 5 minutes voting, 25 minutes discussing the top-voted cards, and 10 minutes committing to action items.

What is the difference between Stop and Start?

Stop removes existing waste — meetings, handoffs, or habits that cost more than they return. Start introduces new experiments. Teams often overload Start; a good facilitator pushes for at least as many Stop cards, because removing work is usually cheaper than adding it.

Is this template free to use?

Yes. Retromik is a free retrospective tool — sign up, pick the Start, Stop, Continue template, and share the board link with your team. Participants can join as guests without an account.

How many actions should come out of a Start, Stop, Continue retro?

Usually two: one Start and one Stop, each with an owner. More than that and most of them won't happen. If several good cards are left over, keep them on the board and revisit them next sprint.

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