Meme Madness Retrospective

Meme Retrospective Stop Start Continue format

Stop (The "This is Fine" Meme)

What should we stop doing that's quietly burning us down?

The 'Stop' category invites the team to identify habits, processes, or behaviors that are causing friction, waste, or harm — even if the team has been silently tolerating them. Reference the iconic 'This is Fine' dog meme to set the tone: what are we pretending is okay when it really isn't? Encourage honesty by reminding the team that naming a problem is the first step to fixing it. Look for patterns across responses and prioritize items that multiple team members flag.

Start (The "Distracted Boyfriend" Meme)

What shiny new ideas or practices should we finally commit to?

The 'Start' category is all about new ideas, tools, or practices the team wants to adopt. Use the 'Distracted Boyfriend' meme as a fun framing — what are we eyeing that we haven't committed to yet? Encourage the team to think about things they've seen work elsewhere, heard about in communities, or have been meaning to try. Be mindful of over-loading the team with too many 'starts' — help the group prioritize to one or two actionable changes they can realistically adopt next sprint.

Continue (The "One Does Not Simply" Meme)

What's working so well it would be chaos to stop?

The 'Continue' category highlights the practices, behaviors, and rituals that are genuinely working and should be protected. Use the 'One Does Not Simply' meme to frame it: these are the things you simply cannot walk away from. This section is often underused — encourage the team to be generous with recognition and to call out specific people or processes that have made a real difference. Celebrating what works reinforces positive culture and gives the team a foundation to build on.

When to use this retrospective

• Best used after a sprint or project phase that had a mix of highs and lows — the humor helps the team process both without defensiveness.
• Great for remote or hybrid teams who rely on digital communication and already share memes in team channels, making the format feel natural and familiar.
• Use this template when team morale needs a boost and you want to make the retrospective something people actually look forward to attending.
• Ideal for teams that have been running the same retrospective format for a while and need a fresh, engaging way to surface the same important feedback.
• Perfect for onboarding new team members into the retro culture — the lighthearted format lowers the barrier to participation and encourages everyone to contribute.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If your last sprint were a meme, which one would it be and why?
• What's a meme that perfectly describes your current relationship with your to-do list?

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Set the tone early by sharing a relevant meme in the meeting intro — it signals that humor is welcome and gets people in the right headspace.
• Encourage participants to reference actual meme formats in their responses (e.g., 'Drake pointing,' 'Expanding Brain') to keep the energy light and creative, but remind the team that the underlying feedback should still be genuine and actionable.
• Watch out for the retro becoming all laughs and no action items — make sure to close each topic by identifying at least one concrete next step the team will commit to.
• If some team members are less familiar with meme culture, do a quick 2-minute 'meme primer' at the start or share a few examples in the meeting notes beforehand so no one feels left out.
• Use dot voting to prioritize the most important items in each category — even in a fun retro, focus is key to driving real improvement.
• Keep the session timeboxed to 60 minutes or less. The meme format naturally keeps energy high, but fatigue can set in quickly if the meeting drags on.