Design Sprints, Discomfort, and Learning to Let Go
Friends, big news.
I recently completed the AJ&Smart Design Sprint Masterclass, which means I’m officially certified in running Design Sprints. But more importantly, it forced me to reflect on how I actually facilitate groups under pressure.
The course—created in collaboration with Jake Knapp, author of Sprint and the person who popularized the concept at Google Ventures—focuses on leading teams to create and test new product concepts in just four days.
Two years ago, my boss asked me to facilitate a Design Sprint in Montréal to validate an advertiser product. About seven people would be coming together, with a few execs tapped for insights as part of the research.
I had about a month to prepare.
Cool, cool, cool. No stress. An entire team coming together, people flying in from the US and Canada and I’d be facilitating? Of course I’m not panicking.
The reality was I had no idea how to run a Design Sprint. I had heard about them but I’d never actually been a part of one.
Still, I was in. Validating a product in a week and get feedback from real customers? That is every PM’s dream. Sign me up!
To get myself there, I spent the next few weeks poring over AJ&Smart’s Design Sprint 2.0 YouTube Playlist. It was a gold mine and taught me the essential exercises to get started. During Sprint Week, under my guidance we sketched, discussed, debated, and validated our idea. Overall, it was a success- but deep down I knew I wanted to hone my skills further.
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Our Sprint Team!
Here are 3 gaps I observed from my experience facilitating that motivated me to pursue further training.
Emphasizing perfection over progress
My mindset of perfection getting in the way of progress certainly took over during some parts. The point of the Design Sprint is not to get perfect alignment and harmony at every step- that’s unrealistic and honestly, counterproductive.
Seeing discomfort as a bug as opposed to a feature
Sprint days are meant to feel messy. There will be moments when the group thinks they’re moving too fast, that not all the scenarios have been explored, or that the solution chosen isn’t the best one out there. This is normal- it’s a signal that the Sprint is doing its job.
Underestimating how finite energy really is
Energy is a limited resource. People can only stay deeply focused for so long before distractions creep in and engagement drops. This is why moving fast and sticking to the recipe (for the most part) matters so much. As a facilitator, managing energy and momentum is just as important as managing the agenda.
Ultimately, the main goal of a Design Sprint is to be clear and decisive about the assumptions and risks you want to test with your customers. If you have de-risked the critical unknowns, you’ve saved yourself a lot of time- and pain- down the line.
What I’ve learned since that first sprint is that strong facilitation isn’t about having all the answers or getting everyone perfectly aligned. It’s about creating the conditions for good decisions to happen quickly, even when things feel uncomfortable.
The Design Sprint gave me a structure—but the real growth came from learning when to let go, when to push forward, and how to protect the group’s energy. That’s the muscle I’m continuing to build, and why this work still excites me.
If you’re a startup, entrepreneur, or simply have an idea percolating and need some guidance to test and validate quickly, let’s chat!
For an example in action check out my virtual 2-day "Design Sprint “Lite” workshop I facilitated. (Part 1 and Part 2).