The design sprint
In one sentence
A five-day process to go from a big question to a tested prototype with real customers.
The simple version
Instead of debating for months, a small team spends one focused week: Monday map the problem, Tuesday sketch ideas, Wednesday decide, Thursday build a realistic prototype, Friday test it with five customers.
- 1Mon: Map
- 2Tue: Sketch
- 3Wed: Decide
- 4Thu: Prototype
- 5Fri: Test
Why it matters
You get real customer reactions in a week, before spending money building anything.
How to do it
- 1Monday: agree the goal and map the problem.
- 2Tuesday: everyone sketches solutions alone.
- 3Wednesday: vote and pick the best.
- 4Thursday: build a 'fake' but realistic prototype.
- 5Friday: test it with five target customers and watch.
Real-world example
A startup unsure whether customers want a booking feature builds a clickable prototype on Thursday; by Friday 4 of 5 testers are confused, saving months of work.
What the books say
Five customer interviews are usually enough to reveal the biggest patterns in a prototype test.
Common mistakes
- Inviting too many people.
- Building a real product instead of a prototype.
- Testing with friends instead of target customers.
Questions people ask
Do we need all five days?
The book recommends it, but small teams often run a shortened version. Keep the Friday customer test no matter what.
References
- [1]
More books on this in the library
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
A practical guide to the Design Sprint methodology created at Google, offering a unique five-day process for solving tough problems and testing new ideas quickly.
Sprint
Written by Jake Knapp, this book introduces a unique five-day process for solving tough problems and testing new ideas. It's a practical guide for startup teams looking to innovate quickly.
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
Five-day product management sprint process for startups to build and test MVPs, validate ideas via prototyping and user feedback. Developed at Google Ventures for rapid problem-solving. Faster alternative to extended cycles in PM literature like Inspired.
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making
Unorthodox product management guide for startups from Tony Fadell, covering processes for MVP building, team leadership, and product iteration based on iPod and Nest experiences. Key use cases include rapid prototyping and scaling hardware-software products. Offers a hands-on alternative to theoretical PM books like Inspired.
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making
A practical startup and product-building book by Tony Fadell that shares hard-won lessons from building world-changing products at Apple, Nest, and other ventures. It covers how to go from idea to product, lead teams, navigate investors, and make products that truly matter—highly relevant for startup founders learning to build and ship things people love.
Build
Written by Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod and Nest, this book shares lessons on product development and leadership. It offers insights into building innovative products, making it a great resource for product-driven founders.