# Retrospective > Generates a sprint or milestone retrospective by analyzing completed work, velocity, blockers, and patterns. Produces actionable insights for the next iteration. - Skill: `natea/retrospective` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add natea/retrospective` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/natea/retrospective/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: natea (https://skillmd.com/u/natea) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/natea/retrospective --- ## Phase 1: Parse Arguments Determine whether this is a sprint retrospective (`sprint-N`) or a milestone retrospective (`milestone-name`). --- ## Phase 1b: Check for Existing Retrospective Before loading any data, glob for an existing retrospective file: - For sprint retrospectives: `production/retrospectives/retro-[sprint-slug]-*.md` (also check `production/sprints/sprint-[N]-retrospective.md` as an alternate location) - For milestone retrospectives: `production/retrospectives/retro-[milestone-name]-*.md` If a matching file is found, present the user with: ``` An existing retrospective was found: [filename] [A] Update existing retrospective — load it and add/revise sections [B] Start fresh — generate a new retrospective, archiving the old one ``` Wait for user selection before continuing. If updating, read the existing file and carry its content forward into the generation phase, revising sections with new data. --- ## Phase 2: Load Sprint or Milestone Data Read the sprint or milestone plan from the appropriate location: - Sprint plans: `production/sprints/` - Milestone definitions: `production/milestones/` **If the file does not exist or is empty**, output: > "No sprint data found for [sprint/milestone]. Run `/sprint-status` to generate > sprint data first, or provide the sprint details manually." Then use `AskUserQuestion` to present two options: - **[A] Provide data manually** — ask the user to paste or describe the sprint tasks, dates, and outcomes; use that as the source of truth for the retrospective. - **[B] Stop** — abort the skill. Verdict: **BLOCKED** — no sprint data available. If the user chooses [A], collect the data and continue to Phase 3 using what they provide. If the user chooses [B], stop here. Extract: planned tasks, estimated effort, owners, and goals. Read the git log for the period covered by the sprint or milestone to understand what was actually committed and when. --- ## Phase 3: Analyze Completion and Trends Scan for completed and incomplete tasks by comparing the plan against actual deliverables. Check for: - Tasks completed as planned - Tasks completed but modified from the plan - Tasks carried over (not completed) - Tasks added mid-sprint (unplanned work) - Tasks removed or descoped Scan the codebase for TODO/FIXME trends: - Count current TODO/FIXME/HACK comments - Compare to previous sprint counts if available (check previous retrospectives) - Note whether technical debt is growing or shrinking Read previous retrospectives (if any) from `production/sprints/` or `production/milestones/` to check: - Were previous action items addressed? - Are the same problems recurring? - How has velocity trended? --- ## Phase 4: Generate the Retrospective ```markdown ## Retrospective: [Sprint N / Milestone Name] Period: [Start Date] -- [End Date] Generated: [Date] ### Metrics | Metric | Planned | Actual | Delta | |--------|---------|--------|-------| | Tasks | [X] | [Y] | [+/- Z] | | Completion Rate | -- | [Z%] | -- | | Story Points / Effort Days | [X] | [Y] | [+/- Z] | | Bugs Found | -- | [N] | -- | | Bugs Fixed | -- | [N] | -- | | Unplanned Tasks Added | -- | [N] | -- | | Commits | -- | [N] | -- | ### Velocity Trend | Sprint | Planned | Completed | Rate | |--------|---------|-----------|------| | [N-2] | [X] | [Y] | [Z%] | | [N-1] | [X] | [Y] | [Z%] | | [N] (current) | [X] | [Y] | [Z%] | **Trend**: [Increasing / Stable / Decreasing] [One sentence explaining the trend] ### What Went Well - [Observation backed by specific data or examples] - [Another positive observation] - [Recognize specific contributions or decisions that paid off] ### What Went Poorly - [Specific issue with measurable impact -- e.g., "Feature X took 5 days instead of estimated 2, blocking tasks Y and Z"] - [Another issue with impact] - [Do not assign blame -- focus on systemic causes] ### Blockers Encountered | Blocker | Duration | Resolution | Prevention | |---------|----------|------------|------------| | [What blocked progress] | [How long] | [How it was resolved] | [How to prevent recurrence] | ### Estimation Accuracy | Task | Estimated | Actual | Variance | Likely Cause | |------|-----------|--------|----------|--------------| | [Most overestimated task] | [X] | [Y] | [+Z] | [Why] | | [Most underestimated task] | [X] | [Y] | [-Z] | [Why] | **Overall estimation accuracy**: [X%] of tasks within +/- 20% of estimate [Analysis: Are we consistently over- or under-estimating? For which types of tasks? What adjustment should we apply?] ### Carryover Analysis | Task | Original Sprint | Times Carried | Reason | Action | |------|----------------|---------------|--------|--------| | [Task that was not completed] | [Sprint N-X] | [N] | [Why] | [Complete / Descope / Redesign] | ### Technical Debt Status - Current TODO count: [N] (previous: [N]) - Current FIXME count: [N] (previous: [N]) - Current HACK count: [N] (previous: [N]) - Trend: [Growing / Stable / Shrinking] - [Note any areas of concern] ### Previous Action Items Follow-Up | Action Item (from Sprint N-1) | Status | Notes | |-------------------------------|--------|-------| | [Previous action] | [Done / In Progress / Not Started] | [Context] | ### Action Items for Next Iteration | # | Action | Owner | Priority | Deadline | |---|--------|-------|----------|----------| | 1 | [Specific, measurable action] | [Who] | [High/Med/Low] | [When] | | 2 | [Another action] | [Who] | [Priority] | [When] | ### Process Improvements - [Specific change to how we work, with expected benefit] - [Another improvement -- keep it to 2-3 actionable items, not a wish list] ### Summary [2-3 sentence overall assessment: Was this a good sprint/milestone? What is the single most important thing to change going forward?] ``` --- ## Phase 5: Save Retrospective Present the retrospective and top findings to the user (completion rate, velocity trend, top blocker, most important action item). Ask: "May I write this to `production/sprints/sprint-[N]-retrospective.md`?" (or the milestone path if applicable) If yes, write the file, creating the directory if needed. Verdict: **COMPLETE** — retrospective saved. If no, stop here. Verdict: **BLOCKED** — user declined write. --- ## Phase 6: Next Steps - Run `/sprint-plan` to incorporate the action items and velocity data into the next sprint. - If this was a milestone retrospective, run `/gate-check` to formally assess readiness for the next phase. ### Guidelines - Be honest and specific. Vague retrospectives ("communication could be better") produce vague improvements. Use data and examples. - Focus on systemic issues, not individual blame. - Limit action items to 3-5. More than that dilutes focus. - Every action item must have an owner and a deadline. - Check whether previous action items were completed. Recurring unaddressed items are a process smell. - If this is a milestone retrospective, also evaluate whether the milestone goals were achieved and what that means for the overall project timeline.