What Is a Foundation Sprint? A Smarter Start for Big Ideas
If you’ve ever started a project feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure where to focus, you’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges in design and product development isn’t execution—it’s figuring out what’s worth building in the first place. That’s where the Foundation Sprint comes in.
What Is a Foundation Sprint?
A Foundation Sprint is a structured, two-day workshop designed to bring clarity and confidence at the start of a project. Developed by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (Click: How to Make What People Want), this sprint helps teams align quickly, define priorities, and ensure they are solving the right problems from day one.
Instead of spending months brainstorming, debating features, or making assumptions about what customers want, a Foundation Sprint compresses this work into just 48 hours of focused, high-impact decision-making.
Why Does This Matter?
Most projects don’t fail because of poor execution or lack of talent—they fail because teams focus on the wrong problem or struggle to stand out from the competition. A sprint like this tackles these issues head-on, helping teams:
Define their most important customer and their biggest problem
Identify what makes their product radically different
Choose a clear starting point to move forward with confidence
By answering these key questions early, teams avoid wasted effort and build solutions that truly resonate with their audience.
How a Foundation Sprint Works
The Foundation Sprint follows a structured process to address three big questions:
- Who are we helping, and what’s their biggest problem?
- What sets us apart from the competition?
- Which approach gives us the best chance of success?
By the end of the sprint, teams walk away with a Founding Hypothesis—a clear, testable statement that serves as a strategic guide moving forward. This ensures that every decision is rooted in real insights rather than guesswork.
Why We’re Paying Attention
While we don’t run Foundation Sprints yet, we see massive value in this approach. Good design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about solving real problems in ways that stand out.
Anything that helps teams:
✔ Align faster
✔ Avoid wasted effort
✔ Build something people truly want
…is worth exploring.
Whether you’re launching a new product, repositioning a brand, or refining a service, a Foundation Sprint can help you make the right decisions before investing time and money into development.