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Free Template

Retro notes that actually drive change.

What worked, what didn't, what to try next. With owners and dates on every action item so the next retro isn't the same conversation.

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Who uses this template

  • ›Engineering and product teams running sprint retrospectives
  • ›Project teams running post-mortems on major releases
  • ›Leaders running quarterly team retrospectives

The template

Copy this structure into Word, Google Docs, Notion, or your favorite notes app. Or skip the manual work and let Note Genie generate the retrospective notes for you from a recorded meeting.

01

What Went Well

Practices, decisions, or outcomes the team wants to repeat.

02

What Didn't Go Well

Friction, missed targets, or process failures the team wants to fix.

03

What We're Trying Next

Specific experiments or changes the team commits to for the next sprint.

04

Action Items

Owner and target date for each commitment.

05

Recurring Themes

Patterns that keep appearing across retros — these need a structural fix, not another action item.

Tip: Copy the plain-text version below into your document, then save as .docx or .pdf. Or download the AI version that fills it in automatically — see the example below.

Plain text — copy & paste

RETROSPECTIVE NOTES
===================

Meeting: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Attendees: ___________________________

1. WHAT WENT WELL
   (Practices, decisions, or outcomes the team wants to repeat.)
   
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________

2. WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL
   (Friction, missed targets, or process failures the team wants to fix.)
   
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________

3. WHAT WE'RE TRYING NEXT
   (Specific experiments or changes the team commits to for the next sprint.)
   
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________

4. ACTION ITEMS
   (Owner and target date for each commitment.)
   
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________

5. RECURRING THEMES
   (Patterns that keep appearing across retros — these need a structural fix, not another action item.)
   
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________
   ___________________________________________

AI-generated example

What the AI gives you back

Here's what Note Genie produces when you record a meeting and apply the Retrospective Notes template. No manual typing.

Sprint 24 Retro

Worked well: Pair programming on the migration job — bug count dropped 60% vs. solo authoring.

Didn't go well: Mid-sprint scope add from PM derailed the release. Same pattern as Sprint 22 retro.

Recurring theme: Mid-sprint scope adds. Action — EM and PM agree to a no-add-after-day-3 rule, with explicit escalation path for true emergencies. Owner: EM. Target: Sprint 25 kickoff.
Generate your first one free

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