The Map
In the original sprint, the Facilitator draws the map on the whiteboard while the team watches and corrects. This collaborative real-time drawing doesn’t work async.
Async approach: The AI drafts the first version of the map based on:
- The Challenge Brief
- Expert Q&A responses
- Team’s goal and questions
The AI posts the map as a simple text diagram or a rendered visual:
📍 DRAFT MAP — Please review and suggest edits
Actors: [New Customer] [Existing User] [Support Team]
[Discovers product] → [Visits site] → [Reads about features] ↓ [Signs up for trial] → [Onboarding flow] → [First real use] ↓ [Invites team] → [Team adopts] → [Converts to paid]
Reply in this thread:
- What’s missing?
- What’s in the wrong order?
- What actors am I forgetting?
- What’s the most critical step?
The AI iterates the map based on feedback (1–2 revisions within the phase window).
HMW Notes
As team members read expert Q&As and review the map, they collect How Might We notes.
📝 HMW NOTES — Submit via DM
As you review the expert Q&As and the map, convert problems and opportunities into “How might we…?” questions.
Examples: • “HMW make the trial feel valuable before the team joins?” • “HMW reduce the steps between signup and first use?”
Submit each HMW note as a separate DM to me. No limit on how many. Aim for 5-15 each.
⏱ Deadline: [time]
Why DM (blind): Same reason as the original’s silent sticky notes — prevents groupthink and ensures quieter team members contribute equally.