Brainstorm Blitz

Generate lots of ideas fast, then pick the best

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Big Ideas

What bold or wild ideas could we explore?

What if we let customers design their own onboarding flow?
Launch a 24-hour live product demo marathon to get people talking.
Partner with an unexpected brand in a totally different industry.
Quick Wins

Which ideas could we act on right away?

Add a single FAQ to the homepage to reduce support tickets.
Send a quick survey to our most active users for fast feedback.
Automate the welcome email with a personalized tip.
Roadblocks

What might get in the way of our ideas?

We don't have engineering capacity until next quarter.
Budget approval could take weeks to come through.
Some ideas overlap with another team's roadmap.
Next Steps

Which ideas should we commit to and who owns them?

Prototype the top-voted idea and review it next sprint.
Assign an owner to scope the budget for the campaign.
Run a small experiment with 10% of users this month.

What is a Brainstorm Blitz?

Brainstorm Blitz is a short, fast ideation session. Your team writes down as many ideas as it can without judging any of them, then narrows the list to the few worth acting on. The speed is deliberate: with no time to second-guess, people put forward the odd, ambitious ideas they'd normally keep to themselves. The format builds on the brainstorming rules that advertising executive Alex Osborn popularized in the 1950s: go for quantity, welcome wild ideas, build on each other's and hold criticism until later. The board has four rounds. Big Ideas is the divergent round, where nothing is too far-fetched. Quick Wins picks out what you could start this week. Roadblocks names what could get in the way. Next Steps is where the team votes and commits to a few ideas with owners. Use it for a product problem, a campaign or any time the team's thinking has gone stale. Because everyone adds ideas privately before the group sees them, quieter people and remote teammates contribute as much as the loudest voice in the room.

Brainstorm Blitz retrospective format

Big Ideas

What bold or wild ideas could we explore?

This is the divergent round, where no idea is too big or too far-fetched. Ask for quantity and hold all judgment. Wild ideas often contain a workable one, so invite people to build on each other's notes instead of critiquing them.

Quick Wins

Which ideas could we act on right away?

Move the team to ideas that take little effort and could start this week with the people and tools you already have. A couple of early wins shows the session will lead somewhere.

Roadblocks

What might get in the way of our ideas?

Name the obstacles, constraints and risks that could slow or block the ideas. Raising them now lets the team plan around them. Keep it honest without letting the round turn gloomy: for each roadblock, ask what would get you past it.

Next Steps

Which ideas should we commit to and who owns them?

This is the convergent round. Vote on the strongest ideas, then turn the top few into action items with an owner and a due date. Commit to a small number you'll actually finish.

When to use this retrospective

  • At the start of a new project or quarter, when you need fresh ideas and a short list of priorities.
  • When the team is stuck on a problem and the usual approaches aren't working.
  • Before planning a campaign, feature or initiative, when you want many options on the table quickly.
  • When you want every team member to contribute ideas, including quieter people on distributed teams.

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • If you could instantly master any new skill to use at work tomorrow, what would it be?
  • What's the most creative idea you've ever had, at work or otherwise, that you wish you'd acted on?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Set a tight timer for each round. Speed stops people editing their ideas before they share them.
  • Hold all criticism during the idea rounds. Critiquing too early makes people stop contributing.
  • Ask people to build on each other's ideas as well as adding new ones. Combined ideas are often the strongest.
  • Keep idea entry anonymous so seniority doesn't decide which ideas get shared.
  • End every session with voting and owned action items, or the ideas stay on the board.
  • Put "too big for now" ideas in a backlog so you can pick them up in a later session.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Brainstorm Blitz take?
Plan for 30–45 minutes, with a short, timed round for each of the four topics. The fast pace is deliberate: it keeps people from overthinking.
When should I use a Brainstorm Blitz?
Use it when you need a lot of fresh ideas quickly: at the start of a project, when the team is stuck on a problem, or before planning a new initiative or campaign.
How is a Brainstorm Blitz different from a regular retrospective?
A standard retrospective looks back at what happened. A Brainstorm Blitz looks forward: it generates new ideas and ends with a short list to act on.
How do I keep one person from dominating the session?
Have everyone add ideas anonymously in a timed writing round before any discussion starts. Then use group voting to pick the best ideas, so the decision doesn't rest on whoever talks most.
What's the best way to follow up after a Brainstorm Blitz?
Turn the top-voted ideas into action items with an owner and a due date. Put promising ideas you can't schedule yet in a backlog for the next session.

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