MyMapSailboat Retrospective
The prompt
Create a Sailboat retrospective with Wind (what propels us), Anchor (what holds us back), Rocks (risks), and Island (goals)
Make your own version
About the framework
Distinguish present obstacles from risks ahead
The sailboat example uses four quadrants with four notes each. Wind represents helpful forces such as trust, automated testing, product vision, and fast iteration. Anchor records current drag from legacy code, unclear module ownership, manual QA, and context switching.
Rocks names possible future problems: losing an engineer, an approaching security audit, an API deprecation, and headcount reductions. Island holds sample goals for a version 2.0 launch, uptime, onboarding time, and user growth. The example is a labeled board rather than an illustration of a boat or a risk-scoring matrix.
Start by replacing the notes with your team’s situation. Separate a blocker already affecting delivery from a risk that may occur later, then connect the most important obstacles to the goals they threaten. Add owners and response plans to the selected risks.
What's included
What you get
- Sixteen notes grouped into four metaphor-based quadrants
- Wind examples for communication, testing, vision, and delivery
- Anchor examples for technical and organizational friction
- Rocks covering staffing, audit, API, and budget risks
- Island goals for launch, reliability, onboarding, and growth
Sailboat Retrospective
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions
What separates an anchor from a rock?
An anchor is slowing the team now, such as manual QA. A rock is a possible or approaching hazard, such as an API deprecation deadline.
Are the Island figures established team targets?
They are sample goals, including 99.9% uptime and onboarding under one week. Replace them with agreed targets and define how each will be measured.
Does the board rank the risks?
No. The four Rocks notes have no likelihood, impact, or owners. Add those details if you need to choose which risks to address first.
Sailboat Retrospective
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