What? So What? Now What? Retrospective

Go from what happened to what you'll do next.

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What?

How would you describe the situation?

Our sprint velocity dropped by 20% over the last three iterations
Three team members were pulled into urgent customer support issues
We completed all planned features but had 15 bugs reported
So What?

How does this affect us?

The reduced velocity means we might miss our quarter-end goals
Context switching is affecting our team's focus and productivity
Quality issues are creating trust concerns with our customers
Now What?

What do we need to do to move forward?

Implement a rotation system for handling support requests
Create a bug-fixing task force for the next sprint
Schedule standup reviews bi-weekly to optimize timing

What is the What? So What? Now What? retrospective?

What? So What? Now What? is a reflection model set out by Rolfe et al. (2001) that splits a retrospective into three questions. Your team describes what happened, works out why it matters, and then decides what to do about it. Taking the questions in order stops the group from jumping to solutions before it agrees on the facts. In the What? column, people describe events and observations without judging them: velocity dropped, three people were pulled onto support, the release shipped with 15 bugs. So What? is where the team interprets those facts and talks about their impact. Now What? turns that analysis into specific actions with owners. It works best for complex or messy situations, such as a difficult release or a period of change, where people see the same events differently. Agreeing on the facts first gives the later discussion a common starting point.

What? So What? Now What? retrospective format

What?

How would you describe the situation?

Ask for facts and observations, not interpretation. Encourage specific examples of what happened or what people noticed, with numbers where you have them. If someone starts explaining why, park it for So What?

So What?

How does this affect us?

This is where the team interprets the facts. Ask what each observation means for the team, the project and the wider organization, good or bad. Expect disagreement here; it usually shows where people experienced the sprint differently.

Now What?

What do we need to do to move forward?

Turn the analysis into specific actions. Ask the team to prioritize, give each action an owner, and check that every action is realistic and within the team's control.

When to use this retrospective

  • After a big milestone or release, to look at what actually happened before deciding what to change
  • When a problem is complex and the team keeps jumping to fixes before agreeing on the facts
  • During organizational change, to help the team make sense of a new situation and decide how to respond
  • When retros stay at surface-level observations and you need to get to causes and concrete actions

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • What's the most surprising thing you learned last week?
  • If you could instantly master one new skill, what would it be and why?

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

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Keep the What? column to facts and observations. Save interpretation for So What?
  • Timebox each stage so So What? doesn't eat the time you need for Now What?
  • Use round-robin or written notes so quieter team members get heard
  • Link each action in Now What? back to an observation in What?, so you know what it's meant to fix
  • Give every action a specific owner and a deadline
  • Dot-vote on the So What? notes to pick the two or three worth acting on

Frequently asked questions

What is the What? So What? Now What? retrospective?
It's a three-stage reflection model from Rolfe et al. (2001). Your team describes what happened (What?), works out why it matters (So What?), then agrees on actions (Now What?).
When should we use the What? So What? Now What? retrospective?
Use it after a major milestone or release, when a complex problem needs careful analysis, or during organizational change. It also helps when your retros keep producing actions that miss the real cause.
What are the three stages of the What? So What? Now What? framework?
What? records events and observations without judgment. So What? looks at why they matter and how they affected the team. Now What? turns that into specific actions with owners.
How long does a What? So What? Now What? retrospective take?
Most teams need 45 to 60 minutes. Keep at least 15 minutes for Now What?, because the first two stages tend to run long.
Can you use What? So What? Now What? outside retrospectives?
Yes. The same three questions work for incident reviews, project debriefs and personal reflection after training or a difficult conversation.

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