The Speed Car & The Abyss

A dynamic retrospective-futurespective hybrid that combines reflection on your team's recent performance with proactive risk planning. This car-themed template uses powerful visual metaphors to help agile teams analyze past momentum and prepare for upcoming challenges.

What Is The Speed Car & The Abyss?

The Speed Car & The Abyss is an expanded version of the popular Speed Car retrospective that adds a forward-looking dimension. This template uses a compelling metaphor of a car racing toward its goals while facing potential dangers ahead. The complete metaphor includes:

• Parachute: Factors that slowed your team down during the past sprint/period
• Engine: Elements that propelled your team forward and created momentum
• Abyss: Upcoming risks, obstacles, or challenges your team anticipates
• Bridge: Solutions and strategies to overcome those future risks

By combining retrospective elements (Parachute and Engine) with futurespective components (Abyss and Bridge), teams gain a more comprehensive view of their progress and path forward.

Benefits & When to Use

This template is particularly valuable when:

• Your team has completed several sprints and needs both reflection and planning
• You're approaching significant project milestones or transitions
• Recent work has revealed potential risks that need addressing
• Teams feel stuck in a cycle of identifying the same issues without looking ahead

Key benefits include:

• Balances reflection on past performance with proactive risk mitigation
• Creates a natural flow from problem identification to solution planning
• Encourages forward-thinking rather than dwelling solely on past issues
• Helps teams visualize their progress and challenges through an intuitive metaphor
• Bridges the gap between retrospective insights and future sprint planning

How to Run a Speed Car & The Abyss Session

Total time: 45-60 minutes

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

   • Explain the four zones of the template and what each represents
   • Clarify that participants will reflect on both past performance and future challenges
   • Set the context for the sprint/period being reviewed

2. Individual Reflection (10 minutes)

   • Have team members silently add sticky notes to all four areas:
     • Parachute: "What slowed us down?"
     • Engine: "What drove us forward?"
     • Abyss: "What risks are coming up?"
     • Bridge: "What can we do to overcome these risks?"

3. Group Discussion (20-25 minutes)

   • Take turns revealing and discussing sticky notes in each section
   • Start with the retrospective elements (Parachute and Engine) before moving to future elements
   • Use the "Reactions" tool to indicate agreement with others' observations
   • Pro tip: Use participant highlighting to track each person's contributions

4. Pattern Identification (5-10 minutes)

   • Look for connections between past challenges (Parachute) and future risks (Abyss)
   • Identify which Engine elements might help address upcoming challenges
   • Evaluate which Bridge solutions seem most feasible and impactful

5. Action Planning (10 minutes)

   • Create specific, assignable action items in the Actions section
   • Focus particularly on Bridge solutions that address high-priority Abyss risks
   • Ensure actions have clear owners and timelines for completion

Tips for a Successful Session

• Balance the discussion time between retrospective elements and future planning
• Encourage specific examples rather than vague statements in all sections
• Look for patterns between what slowed you down previously and potential future risks
• Prioritize risks in the Abyss section to focus your Bridge solutions on the most critical issues
• Create concrete bridge solutions that can be translated into sprint backlog items
• Connect the dots between successful Engine elements and potential Bridge solutions
• Keep the atmosphere constructive by focusing on systems and processes rather than individuals
• Document actions immediately to maintain momentum from insights to implementation

This template effectively combines reflection with anticipation, helping your team learn from the past while preparing for what lies ahead on your development journey.