Overcome the 6 Traps of Agile

Overcome the 6
Traps of Agile
David Hawks
@austinagile
Copyright @ 2014 Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved. Agile Velocity Proprietary

David Hawks
Agile Velocity
Agile Coach
david@agilevelocity.com
Role
Name
Company
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Email Address(If you would like a copy of the
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45%$
19%$
16%$
13%$
7%$
Never$
Rarely$
Some5mes$
O8en$
Always$
From: A Standish Group study
What causes us to build features which
are rarely or never used?
Feature/function usage in the software industry
Find a Partner and Discuss the
following Question.

David Hawks
CEO of Agile Velocity
Agile Trainer and Coach
@austinagile
austinagile.com (blog)
david@agilevelocity.com
Deliver Innovative Products Faster

Problem #1
We make tough decisions
too early and lock them in
Image Credit: http://i.qkme.me/3unlv7.jpg

Defer Decisions to the
last Responsible Moment
x

x
z

Smartest Point??
x
z

Smartest Point??Dumbest Point
x
z

Smartest Point??Dumbest Point
Accelerate Learning
x
z

Effective
Communication
Exercise

Problem #2
The team doesn’t have a Shared
Understanding of their purpose

We want to Shift the Process from a Requirements Delivery Process…
9

False Assumptions:
9

False Assumptions:
1. The customer knows what he wants
9

False Assumptions:
2. The developers know how to build it
9

False Assumptions:
2. The developers know how to build it
3. Nothing will change along the way
9

…To a Requirements Discovery Process
10

…To a Requirements Discovery Process
Reality:
1. The customer discovers what he wants
2. The developers discover how to build it
3. Many things change along the way 10

User Story Mapping
Technique to Learn
about Customer Needs

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Select
item
for

purchase

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews
Remove
from

cart
Estimate
total
w/

tax
shipping
Modify
item

quantity
Select
multiple

items
for

purchase

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews Update

profile
Order

status
View
open
orders
Confirm
payment
&

shipping
info
Remove
from

cart
Estimate
total
w/

tax
shipping
Modify
item

quantity
Select
multiple

items
for

purchase

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Decreasing
priority
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews Update

profile
Order

status
View
open
orders
Confirm
payment
&

shipping
info
Remove
from

cart
Estimate
total
w/

tax
shipping
Modify
item

quantity
Select
multiple

items
for

purchase

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Decreasing
priority
Clear
search

criteria
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews
Facebook
for

login
Search
by
SKU
Persist
payment

info
Zoom
on

photos
Product-‐
specific

filters Side
by
side

comparison
Pay
by
PayPal
Update

profile
Order

status
View
open
orders
Confirm
payment
&

shipping
info
Remove
from

cart
Estimate
total
w/

tax
shipping
Modify
item

quantity
Select
multiple

items
for

purchase

A
sample
story
map:
E-‐commerce
site
Search
by

keyword
View
description
&

photo
Filter
by

price
Pay
by
credit

card
Select
item
for

purchase
Enter

shipping
info
Filter
by
brand
Decreasing
priority
Clear
search

criteria
MVP
1
above
this
line
Search

products
Shopping

cart
Create

account
Pay
&

Ship
Compare

products
Detailed

product
specs
Read
product

reviews
Facebook
for

login
Search
by
SKU
Persist
payment

info
Zoom
on

photos
Product-‐
specific

filters Side
by
side

comparison
Pay
by
PayPal
Update

profile
Order

status
View
open
orders
Confirm
payment
&

shipping
info
Remove
from

cart
Estimate
total
w/

tax
shipping
Modify
item

quantity
Select
multiple

items
for

purchase

Problem #3
Long/ No Feedback or Validation
Cycles
http://www.skinit.com/assets/catalog/jumbo_shot/jumbo_shot57479340.jpg

Lean Startup/ Lean UX
Validated Learning
BuildLearn
Measure
Minimize time
thru the loop

Validated Learning
BuildLearn
Measure
Minimize time
thru the loop
1) What do we
need to learn?

Validated Learning
BuildLearn
Measure
Minimize time
thru the loop
1) What do we
need to learn?
2) How can we measure it?

Validated Learning
BuildLearn
Measure
Minimize time
thru the loop
1) What do we
need to learn?
2) How can we measure it?
3) What is the
simplest thing
to build to
measure it?
(MVP)

Assume the team was working in value
order, when would you release this product?
What would be the benefit of releasing
early?
45%$
19%$
16%$
13%$
7%$
Never$
Rarely$
Some5mes$
O8en$
Always$

What keeps us from delivering
products faster?
http://www.captivations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fast-delivery.jpg

Problem #4
Drowning in a Sea of Opportunity

Working on
many items in
parallel
Impact of Change

Working on
many items in
parallel
HighestValue
Impact of Change

Working on
many items in
parallel
Working on
items in value
order
HighestValue
Impact of Change

Little’s Law
WIP
Throughput
= Avg. Cycle
Time

Problem #5
Not Getting to Done
Image Credit: http://files.smashingmagazine.com/wallpapers/april-13/images/its_not_done_until_it_ships__15.png

Illusion of Progress
Requirements
Design
Development
Test
Release

Illusion of Progress
Requirements
Design
Development
Test
Release
80%done??

Working Software is your primary
Measure of Progress
Requirements
Design
Development
Sprint 1
Test
Requirements
Design
Development
Sprint 2
Test
Requirements
Design
Development
Sprint 3
Test
Requirements
Design
Development
Sprint 4
Test
Potentially Shippable Product Increment

Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Hardening
The Plan:
10 Weeks to Deliver 80 Points

}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
The Plan:

20 Points
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
The Plan:

20 Points 20 Points
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
The Plan:

20 Points 20 Points 20 Points
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
The Plan:

20 Points 20 Points 20 Points 20 Points
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
The Plan:

}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
Done = Feature Complete and Feature Tested
*But defects were deferred to the end
The Plan:

}8 Weeks
1 2 3 4 Hardening
}
8 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
Done = Feature Complete and Feature Tested
*But defects were deferred to the end
The Plan:
Reality:
16 Weeks to Deliver 80 Points (10 Points per 2 Weeks)

Go Slow to Go Fast!

Done = Feature Complete, Feature Tested, and defects
fixed
Go Slow to Go Fast!

fixed
Go Slow to Go Fast!
Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
Sprint 5
}
2 Weeks
15 Points

fixed
Go Slow to Go Fast!
Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
}
2 Weeks
Sprint 5
}
2 Weeks
15 Points
We Delivered 75 Points in 10 Weeks
15 Points per 2 weeks

Solution
Stop Starting, Start Finishing

Problem #6
Everything is Important
Image Credit: http://d.wildapricot.net/images/newsblog/bigstock-important-very-high-priority-i-46052392.jpg?sfvrsn=0

How we Normally
Assign Work
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will

How we Normally
Assign Work
Project 1
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will

How we Normally
Assign Work
Project 1
Project 2
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will

How we Normally
Assign Work
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will

How we Normally
Assign Work
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will
All High Priority
How does Alex decide what to work on next?

How we should
prioritize work in Agile
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will
Agile Team
Prioritized
Team Backlog

How we should
Project 1
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will
Agile Team
Prioritized
Team Backlog

How we should
Project 1
Project 3
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will
Agile Team
Prioritized
Team Backlog

How we should
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Carter
Alex
James
Camryn
Janet
Will
Agile Team
Prioritized
Team Backlog

The PSPI is the
Answer
It requires:

The PSPI is the
Answer
It requires:
Focus

The PSPI is the
Answer
It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down

The PSPI is the
Answer
It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down
Swarming

The PSPI is the
Answer
It allows us to:It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down
Swarming

The PSPI is the
Answer
It allows us to:
Deliver Often
It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down
Swarming

The PSPI is the
Answer
It allows us to:
Deliver Often
Accelerate
Learning
It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down
Swarming

The PSPI is the
Answer
It allows us to:
Deliver Often
Accelerate
Learning
Pivot
It requires:
Focus
Breaking Work
Down
Swarming

What can you change so your
product can deliver value faster?

Overcome the 6 Traps of Agile

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