Stop asking WHEN?

Post on 08-May-2015

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Often wrong estimations are blamed as causes of project failures. In this talk I'm explaining why we as human beings inevitably suck at estimating our work in time. Irrational behaviour, cognitive biases, and laws of project nature work against a team trying to make estimates. Stop asking "when" - this is a wrong question.

Transcript of Stop asking WHEN?

JUST STOP ASKING

«WHEN?»

it is the time to stop the slavery

krivitsky@scrumguides.com@alexeykri

I’m one of the scrum guides

… when I am not coaching

BUSINESS HAS ITS WANTS

WE ESTIMATE

WE FAIL MAKING PROMISES

BUSINESS STARTS TO PUSH

THE VICIOUS CICLE

BUSINESS HAS ITS WANTS

WE ESTIMATE

WE FAIL MAKING PROMISES

BUSINESS STARTS TO PUSH

UNDER PRESSURE WE ESTIMATE WORSE

WE FAIL AGAIN

BUSINESS PUSHES HARDER

A TYPICAL PROJECT …

#NOESTIMATES

we should have multiplied by 2x….

Denver Intl. Airport

Denver Intl. Airport

Overrun by $2 billionLater by 16 months.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon

Spent: $19 billion $7 billion

With a delay of 54 months

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House

Spent: $102 million

$7 million

Opened 10 years later

*CHAOSREPORT от Standish Group

Statistically a software development project will take

x2.0 MONEYx1.6 TIME

we’re good a solving simple tasks!

1. BOTH ITEMS COST $1,10

2. THE BAT IS ONE DOLLAR MORE EXPENSIVE

HOW MUCH DOES THE BALL COST?

we’re good a solving simple tasks…

NOT!

The “software” of our brain is buggy.

DON’T READ THIS TEXT

AND DON’T CALCULATE

3x3 = ?

WATERSO_PSHOWER

SALADSO_P

SPAGHETTI

WATERSOAPSHOWER

SALADSOUP

SPAGHETTI

3x3 =

THIS IS DONE BY YOUR «RABBIT»

abc def

“How much time will this feature take?”

2 days

“How much time will this feature take?”

How much time do I have?

2 days

“How much time will this feature take?”

How much time do I have?How do I feel

about it?

2 days

“How much time will this feature take?”

How much time do I have?How do I feel

about it?How good is the

spec?

2 days

“How much time will this feature take?”

How much time do I have?How do I feel

about it?How good is the

spec?How much time will they allow me?

2 days

JUM

PIN

GTO

CON

CLUSIO

NS

SOMETIMES FAST DECISIONS ARE GOOD

THE RABBIT IS ALSO GOOD AT

HOW MUCH IS 17x38 ?

WHAT KILLED THE ROMAN EMPIRE?

MCMLXXXIVwars

politics

lack of resourcesgood food:)

muslim nomads

rebels slavery

WHAT KILLED THE ROMAN EMPIRE?

“INTUITION” fast decisions

low energy consumption huge energy consumption

RABBIT vs. TURTLE

“LOGIC” complex stuff

RABBIT vs. TURTLE 2

WHEN YOU’RE ESTIMATINGWHICH SYSTEM IS ENGAGED?

How old was Mahatma Gandhi when he died?

2. How old was he when he died?

1a. Was Gandhi less than 100 years old when he died?

1b. Was Gandhi less more than 60 years old when he died?

1a. Was Gandhi less than 100 years old when he died?

1b. Was Gandhi less more than 60 years old when he died?

83average

68average

MEET LUCY.

SHE IS SHOCKED.

LUCY.

SHOCKED.

BUT EVEN IF YOUR LAZY TURTLE WOKE

UP….

THE LAWS OF NATURE WORK AGAINST YOU

1

Delays get accumulated

Delays get accumulated

Delays get accumulated

Delays get accumulated

Early completion gets lost

Delays get accumulated

Eliyahu M. Goldratt – suggested buffers

2

time

prob

abili

ty

1

THE ESTIMATES WE ARTICULATE ARE

THE EARLIEST PROBABLE TIME

3

KRIVITSKY’s zapadLAW

IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BE LATE

THAN TO COME EARLIER

4

THE LAST MANAGER’S BULLET

time

4x

3x

2x1.5x

«Cone of uncertainty» (Barry BOEHM)

THE LAST MANAGER’S BULLET

BUT THE CORE PROBLEM IS NOT IN

ESTIMATIONS AND THEIR INNACURACYRANDOMNESS

Commitment

CommitmentCommitment

CommitmentCommitment

CommitmentCommitment

Commitment

CommitmentCommitment

IS THERE AN EXIT?

1. CREATE SENSE OF URGENCY by fixing the time

DEADLINE(over there)YOU RELEASE

* procrastination is [TBD]

2. NEVER ESTIMATE ALONE (IN A DARK ROOM) non-anchored colleagues – your best friends

YOU

42

SOMEONE CRAZY

242

12142

SOMEONE BRAVE

SOMEONE ELSE

83average

68average

1. Was Gandhi less than 100 years old when he died? 1. Was Gandhi less more than

60 years old when he died?

AVERAGE FOR ALL is 76THE RIGHT ANSWER is 78 !

3. ESTIMATE IN SIZE S M L ХL YOU_RE_KIDDING 1 2 3 4 5

as a user blah…given when then foo…

YOU’RE KIDDING

S ML

MORE GROOMING

2

5

2

1

8

3

2

5

5

2

3

2

Σ

sprints3

2

4. MEASURE CAPACITY / VELOCITY points per sprint

2

5

2

1

8

3

2

5

5

2

3

2

sprints

3

2

2

5

2

1

8

3

2

5

5

2

3

2

YOUR VELOCITY

sprints

3

2

2

5

2

1

8

3

2

5

5

2

3

2

sprints

3

2

YOUR VELOCITY

5. DERIVE TIME (don’t estimate it) estimated_time = scope / velocity or project progress

2

5

2

1

8

3

2

5

5

2

3

2

sprints

3

2

спринты

PROBLEM ofESTIMATIONS ?

спринты

This is REALITY.and POSSIBILITIES.

7. ENGAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS to manage scope and value

forget all slides above…

forget all slides above…

and remember

3 advices

STOP FOCUSING ON ESTIMATIONS

AND ACCURACY

(as they will always suck)

#1

#2

START HAVING DISCUSSIONS AROUND

YOUR CAPACITY

AND SCOPE

#3 (in parallel)

CONTINUOUSLY FOCUS ON

IMPROVING YOUR CAPACITY

AND

MINIMIZING THE WORK TO BE DONE

JUST STOP ASKING

«WHEN?»

it is the time to stop the slavery

krivitsky@scrumguides.com@alexeykri