Launching Agile Projects

ExamplesSimon Girvan

@simongirvan

A summary of all the examples from the workshop

Elevator Pitch Example

For Pirateswho Need a new or additional parrot

the ‘Parrots Arrr Us’ Website

is a Pirate and Parrot matching service

that finds a parrot to perfectly match your needs

Unlike stealing one from another pirate

Our Product removes the risk of revenge attacks or a bad bird

‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example

Product Box

• Benefits not features• Emotions and feelings

Our ‘Why Are We Here’

• On a personal level, we want to develop ourselves• We want to reach Certified Team Coach® level with Scrum Alliance• Running workshops and facilitating large groups is good evidence• This is a good professional challenge for us both

• We are passionate about sharing our experiences and want others to get good results from these approaches too• The submission has been accepted, so it will definitely go ahead (low

risk of being cancelled)

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Our ‘Elevator Pitch’ 1

For people at this Agile conferencewho want to learn new techniques and how to apply them

the Launching Agile Projects Workshop

is an interactive and informative workshopthat is hands-on, fun and useful

Unlike other ways to learn Our Product allows participants to immerse themselves in the material, embedding the learning more effectively

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Our ‘Elevator Pitch’ 2

For people at this Agile conferencewho want to learn new techniques and how to apply them

the Launching Agile Projects Approach

is a way of preparing for the start of a project

that helps teams get sufficient knowledge to start a project

Unlike other project start-up techniques

Our Product is a lightweight approach that uses a just enough, just in time philosophy

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Our ‘Product Box’

In Scope Not In Scope

Unsure

The NOT List

These are the things that you are certain are in scope for the project These are the things that you are certain are NOT in scope for the project

These are the things that you aren’t sure whether they are in scope or not in scope.

Based on ideas from “The Agile Samurai”, by Jonathan Rasmussan

@simongirvan

• Full Coverage of both Inception Deck

• Limited coverage of LiftOff and Chartering

• Exercises and Practical content• Templates and Hand Outs• Meaningful Examples• Rehearse with at least one group• Materials can be reused for other

events

• Exercises for all elements• Feedback from every group• Detailed discussion of each

element

• How to deal with detailed questions during the main sections • Downloadable Resources?• How far to go down the pirate route wrt costume, etc

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Meet The Neighbours

Generic

example

Our ‘Meet The Neighbours’

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Our Assumption MapOur Assumption MapOur Assumption MapAssumption Map

Have Evidence

Brainstorm all your assumptions and map onto the horizontal axis first. Then, map onto vertical axis ands decide what to do!

@simongirvan

No Evidence

Important

Not Important

Based on ideas from @davidjbland, @danto_ma and @AlexOsterwalder.

There is demand for this workshop

Technique has merit

Technique is portable

Workshop format is good enough for learning

Room layout is suitable

Exercise choices are suitable

People haven’t heard much of this before

Weighting between ID and LO is OK

Weighting between content and exercises is OK

Two presenters are better than one

Timeslot allocated is conducive to the workshop format

Pirate theme is appropriate

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Our ‘Candidate Solution’

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Candidate Solution

‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example

1.F

itting in

everythin

g we w

ant in

the

time th

at we h

ave

2.H

aving en

ou

gh tim

e to p

repare

3.W

ill the exercises b

e usefu

l?

4.W

ill peo

ple actu

ally take p

art in th

e

exercises

5.Is th

e split righ

t betw

een th

e Incep

tion

Deck

and

Liftoff

?

Aw

ake List

These are th

e thin

gs w

e are are worried

may

keep

us aw

ake at n

ight

What are the things that you personally are w

orrying about? This is more than just project

risks. Include non-technical factors like people, facilities, processes, skills, other demands

on your time, offi

ce politics, etc. Discuss amongst the team

what you can do about them

.

@sim

ongirvan

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Our ‘Wheel of Pain’

We are not based in same location so plan at least 2 workshops where we can work together. Use online collaboration tools.

There is a lot of information to try to get across. Use pilot groups to test format. Create templates and handouts to help attendees remember the content.

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Our ‘Choose Your Approach’

• Adhoc planning approach• Collaborative online and in person• Iterative – low detail to start• Keep actions in Teams• Content on Sharepoint• No formal reporting

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Choose Your Approach

How will we manage and govern the project?

How will we communicate with

stakeholders?

• Agile using Scrum• 2 week Sprints• Visible Backlog• MMP as first release as early as

possible• All stakeholders invited to

Review/Demo• Real users from version 1 onwards

• Monthly update to Board

Generic

example

How Big Is This Ship? (Size It Up)

• Best guess rough estimate of size and duration• Initial estimate of the team required to do this

Sprint 0

2 Senior Engineers0.5 Infrastructure

MMP Development

Standard Agile team including BA, UX and Architecture experience

Releases 2-n

Standard Agile team, including higher level devops and test experience

2 Weeks 4 – 6 weeks 8 – 12 weeks

Start Develo

ping in 2 we

eks

MMP 4 – 6 week

s later

4-6 further

versions

Team size 2-

7

ROM Cost £18

0-£270k

ROM Duration

3 – 5 months

Generic

example

Our ‘How Big Is This Ship?’

Inception DeckGood Enough for

Rehearsal

Include reviewers and pilot workshop attendees

By end Jan 2019 By end Feb 2019 By end March

4 months duration17 days effort (8.5 each)

Less than £100

First Rehearsal

Revise and more rehearsal

Prep & Deliver

Preferably at least one more

runthrough

Order print materials

During April 10 May 2019

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What’s Gonna Give? Decide the extent to which you expect each factor to be flexible or fixed.If too many are too fixed, consider forcing a minimum number of points (say 10 if scoring 4 factors)

@simongirvan

Deliver All The Features

Based on an idea from “The Agile Samurai” by Jonathan Rasmusson

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

Stay On Budget

Can be flexible on this

Must do this

Deliver on Time

Deliver High Quality

Others may include Useability, Security, Supportability, Accessibility, etc. If they matter to you or your stakeholders include them!

Must

Must

Must

Must

Must

Must

Clarity of Message

Portable

Ongoing Support

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Our ‘Final Test’

We do we know enough about this project:

• We know what’s required to have enough material available to present;• We know how we intend to test it;• We know what the first steps are.

We are ready to start!

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Summary of the Inception Deck• Why Are We Here:

• Why are we here?• Elevator Pitch• Product Box

What Can You Expect?• Choose Your Approach• Size it Up• What’s Gonna Give?• The Final Test

What Are We Being Asked To Do?• The NOT List• Meet The Neighbours• Assumption Map• Candidate Solution• Awake List• Wheel of Pain

In Scope Not In Scope

Unsure

The NOT List

These are the things that you are certain are in scope for the project These are the things that you are certain are NOT in scope for the project

These are the things that you aren’t sure whether they are in scope or not in scope.

Based on ideas from “The Agile Samurai”, by Jonathan Rasmussan

@simongirvan

1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Awake ListThese are the things we are are worried may

keep us awake at night

What are the things that you personally are worrying about? This is more than

just project risks. Include non-technical factors like people, facilities, processes,

skills, other demands on your time, office politics, etc. Discuss amongst the

team what you can do about them.

@simongirvan

Based on ideas from “The Agile Samurai”, by Jonathan Rasmussan

What’s Gonna Give? Decide the extent to which you expect each factor to

be flexible or fixed.

If too many are too fixed, consider forcing a minimum

number of points (say 10 if scoring 4 factors)

@simongirvan

Deliver All

The Features

Based on an idea from “The Agile Samurai” by Jonathan Rasmusson

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

Stay On

Budget

Can be flexible

on this

Must do

this

Deliver on

Time

Deliver High

Quality

Others may include Useability, Security, S

upportability, Accessibility, e

tc. If they matter to you or your stakeholders include them!

Must

Must

Must

Must

Must

Must

Assumption Map

Have Evidence

Brainstorm all your assumptions and map onto the

horizontal axis first. Then, map onto vertical axis ands decide what to do!

@simongirvan

No Evidence

Important

Not Important

Based on ideas from by @davidjbland, @danto_ma and @AlexOsterwalder.

The Journey

The first choice for pirates across the seven seas

• We will understand what our customers need and develop our services to meet a growing range of pirate needs, starting with parrots.

• We will make the “Parrots Arrrr Us” website the first port of call for pirates everywhere.

• We will make the “Parrots Arrrr Us” website accessible for pirates with disabilities.

• We will be easy for our suppliers to do business with

Vision and Team Mission Examples ‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example

Mission Tests Example• The first version of the Parrots Arrrr Us website is

accessible from each of the seven seas.• By 6 months parrots can be delivered to each of the 7

seas.• The first version of the website is usable by Pirates with

one hook arm and one eye patch.• By 6 months, the website is fully accessible to

international standards (WCAG 2.0)• By 9 months, at least one additional product or service has

been launched.

‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example

Alignment

Exercises and Artefacts that help the team understand each other, and how they can each make their maximum contribution to the project

Simple Rules Example

1. Integrity - We do what we say we will do

2. Ingenuity - We collaborate to help us come up with the

best ideas

3. Impact - We focus on delivering value to the customer in

everything we do4. Teamwork - We look out for each other and always offer to

help

Simple RulesThese are the things we value and believe in

A few (5 plus or minus 2) short descriptions of the values and beliefs that the team find important. Start with an action verb. Eg: “Ingenuity - We collaborate to help us come up with the best ideas.” @simongirvan

Based on ideas from “Liftoff”, by Diana Larson and Ainsley Nies

Generic

example

Working Agreement Example

Generic

example1. We don’t work on anything that isn’t on the Sprint Backlog2. Our calendars are always up to date with location and

availability3. All our meetings matter - No meeting purpose; no meeting4. We have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously5. We respect each other’s quiet time - Headphones on means

no interruptions.

Working Agreement

These few (5 plus or minus 2) statements describe the contract between the team members. They describe specific actions that the team have decided are important to them and will call each other out on. They will evolve with the team. For example: “We respect each other’s quiet time - headphones on means no interruptions” @simongirvan

Based on ideas from “Liftoff”, by Diana Larson and Ainsley Nies

As a team, we work together best when…

Context

Assumption Map

Have Evidence

Brainstorm all your assumptions and map onto the

horizontal axis first. Then, map onto vertical axis ands decide what to do!

@simongirvan

No Evidence

Important

Not Important

Based on ideas from by @davidjbland, @danto_ma and @AlexOsterwalder.

Exercises and Artefacts that help the team understand the external environment and what they require of others in order to succeed.

Context Diagram

‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example

Com

mitted

Reso

urces

These are th

e resources th

at the team

need

or

wan

t to h

elp th

em d

eliver the p

rod

uct

Consider anything that makes a difference to the team

’s ability to deliver. Eg IT resources, licences, training, accom

modation, budgets, tools, tim

e, availability to stakeholders, hardw

are, etc@

simongirvan

Based on ideas from “Liftoff”, by Diana Larson and Ainsley N

ies

Com

mitted

Resource

Priority (M

/S/C)

✔AW

S Hosting and storageM

✔Travel Budget

M

✔Stationary Budget

M

TrainingS

✔Softw

are Licence UpgradesC

Conference AttendanceC

4k Monitors

C

✔Access to end users

S

All Stakeholders at Sprint Reviews

S

Office Coffee M

achineC

Electronic Whiteboard

C

Generic

example

Prospective Analysis Imagine all the possible events that could happen over the next few months, both positive and negative. Assess their impact (positive and negative) on the project and the likelihood of them happening. Be bold.

@simongirvanProbability

Won’t Happen

Based on ideas from “Liftoff”, by Diana Larson and Ainsley Nies

Unlikely 50/50 Chance Likely Will HappenImpa

ct

-3

-2

-1

0

3

2

1 Website V1 live on June 1

Livestock license rejected

First Successful Order Completed by 15 June

Process orders from Region 1

Delivery to all 7 seas available

Approval for next project idea

Problems delivering to certain areas

Full seven seas service available in version 1

Competitor will launch before we do

Idea is copied by competitor

‘Parrots Arrr

Us’ example