Hot Air BalloonSprint retrospective template
Lift, weight, destination, and weather — energy and risk in one metaphor.
Columns in this template
Picture the team in a balloon: identify what lifts you up, weighs you down, where you're headed, and storms ahead.
When to use Hot Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloon parallels Sailboat with a lighter metaphor: what gives lift, what’s sandbagging you, where you’re going, and what storms might hit. Use it for mid-project check-ins when morale and risk both matter.
Facilitator tips
- Hot Air is morale and enablers; Sandbags are concrete blockers — separate them during grouping.
- Destination should stay one shared goal; split multiple goals across sprints if needed.
- Storm pairs with a mitigation action — “watch API rate limits” beats “bad things might happen”.
Run this template now
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Related templates
Sailboat
Visualize the team as a sailboat with wind (helpers), anchors (blockers), rocks (risks), and island (goals).
Speed Car
Visualize the team as a race car: identify what accelerates you, slows you down, risks ahead, and the finish line.
Hopes & Concerns
Surface what the team is excited about and what they are worried about — ideal for project kick-offs or new teams.