Same criteria as the original: high stakes, limited time, or stuck. The async format doesn’t change what makes a good sprint challenge.
One additional requirement for async: The challenge must be articulable in writing. In a room, a Decider can wave their hands, draw on a whiteboard, and explain nuance in real time. Async requires a written Challenge Brief that stands on its own.
The Challenge Brief
The Decider (with AI assistance) writes a 1–2 page document covering:
- What’s the project? Plain-language description.
- Why does it matter? Stakes, opportunity, urgency.
- What do we already know? Existing research, prior attempts, known constraints.
- What don’t we know? The big unknowns this sprint should address.
- What’s the scope? What’s in bounds and out of bounds.
This brief replaces the Monday morning “CEO explains the challenge” moment. It gets distributed to the team before Phase 1 opens, so everyone starts with shared context.