Book Reviews
Sprint Summary & Review: Solve Big Problems and Test Ideas in Five Days
Jake Knapp reveals the 5-day design sprint process used at Google Ventures. Deep summary with the full schedule, team roles, prototype mindset,…
Read Summary →Jake Knapp
"The Google Ventures designer who condensed months of product development into a five-day 'design sprint.'"
Jake Knapp is an American author and designer who spent over a decade at Google and Google Ventures, where he created the "design sprint"—a five-day process for solving big problems and testing new ideas—that he later documented in the bestselling book "Sprint." Working with hundreds of startups through Google Ventures, Knapp refined the sprint methodology into a repeatable framework that companies from Slack to Uber have used to move from a vague idea to a tested prototype in a single week. He followed "Sprint" with "Make Time," co-written with longtime collaborator John Zeratsky, which applies similar structured-experimentation thinking to reclaiming focus and energy in everyday life.
2 books featured·Creator of the design sprint·Former Google Ventures design partner
Books by Jake Knapp
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
Book Reviews
Make Time Summary & Review: Design Your Day Around What Matters
Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky gives you a 4-step daily framework — Highlight, Laser, Energize, Reflect — plus 87…
Read Summary →Key Ideas & Recurring Themes
Solve big problems in five days
Knapp's design sprint compresses months of debate and development into a structured five-day process: map, sketch, decide, prototype, and test with real customers.
A decider must be in the room
Sprints fail when key decisions get deferred; Knapp insists a single empowered "Decider" must be present to keep momentum and cut through debate.
Make time by highlighting, lasering, and reflecting
In "Make Time," Knapp and Zeratsky propose picking one daily highlight, using tactics to stay laser-focused on it, and reflecting each evening to refine the system.
Notable Quotes
"We've found that magic happens when we use big whiteboards to solve problems. As humans, our short-term memory is not all that good, but our spatial memory is awesome."— Sprint
"By asking people for their input early in the process, you help them feel invested in the outcome."— Sprint
"Good ideas are hard to find. And even the best ideas face an uncertain path to real-world success."— Sprint
"Being in a curiosity mindset means being fascinated by your customers and their reactions."— Sprint
Related Authors
Book Author Jake Knapp
Sprint Summary & Review: Solve Big Problems and Test Ideas in Five Days
Jake Knapp reveals the 5-day design sprint process used at Google Ventures. Deep summary with the full schedule, team roles, prototype mindset, and a 7-day plan.
Make Time Summary & Review: Design Your Day Around What Matters
Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky gives you a 4-step daily framework — Highlight, Laser, Energize, Reflect — plus 87 tactics to reclaim your attention.