What is the Start, Stop, Continue retrospective format?

A retrospective format where the team lists what it should start doing, what it should stop doing, and what it should continue doing. It is quick to run and focuses directly on changes in behavior.

What other retrospective formats are there?

Popular alternatives include Mad, Sad, Glad; the 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for); and the Sailboat retro. Rename the branches in this template to use any of them.

Project Management

Sprint Retrospective Template (Start, Stop, Continue)

By RP Hobbyist · Updated October 2026

A sprint retrospective is the Scrum meeting at the end of each sprint where the team looks at how it worked and agrees on improvements for the next one. Start, Stop, Continue is one of the simplest and most popular retro formats: the team lists what it should start doing, what it should stop doing, and what is working well and should continue.

This template gives you the three branches with example items under each. Collect ideas from everyone, group similar ones, then pick one or two to commit to as action items for the next sprint.

Sprint Retrospective template as a mind map — The Sprint Retrospective template as it opens in the editor.

It opens as a new map with 10 topics already filled in. You don't need an account.

Open in the editor

When to use a Sprint Retrospective

End-of-sprint retrospectives for Scrum and agile teams
Project or release post-mortems
Quick team health checks after a busy period
Personal weekly reviews

What goes in each branch

Start: New practices, tools or habits the team wants to try in the next sprint.
Continue: What worked well and should be kept, so good practices aren't lost.
Stop: Things that waste time, cause friction, or no longer add value.

Example: A web team after a two-week sprint

Start: pair up on complex tickets; write acceptance criteria before estimating
Continue: 15-minute stand-ups; code reviews within a day
Stop: adding work mid-sprint without re-planning; meetings without an agenda
Action items: the Product Owner guards sprint scope; the team lead adds an agenda template

Tips

Have everyone add items silently first so the loudest voices don't dominate.
Group duplicates, then vote on the one or two most valuable changes.
Turn each chosen item into an action with an owner, and check it at the next retro.
Keep past retro maps so you can see whether improvements actually stuck.

Using this template in Neuron Mapping

Click Open in the editor. The template opens as a new map.
Select a topic and press Tab to add a branch under it, or double-click a topic to change its text.
Select a topic to change its color and shape, or add notes to it in Markdown.
When you're done, export the map as a PDF or PNG, or save it to keep editing later.

Everything runs locally in your browser: your map is saved on your device, works offline, and can be exported as PDF, PNG or an editable .nmm file.