The Build Sprint

  1. A quick intro to managing software projects
  2. Issue management and estimation
  3. The Design Sprint
  4. The Build Sprint
  5. Product Management and the Product Owner role

Glossary

Recap

  • Scrum™
  • Sprint
  • Product and Sprint Backlogs
  • User story
  • Estimate / Actual / Velocity
  • Sprint Planning / Review / Retrospective
  • Scrum Facilitator
  • Product Owner
  • Stand-up

Daily stand-up

Three-item agenda

  1. What have you done since the last stand-up?
  2. What are you working on next?
  3. What is blocking your work?

The Sprint

  1. Plan
  2. Develop
  3. Test
  4. Review

1. Plan

Primary activities

  • User story creation
  • Sprint planning

Primary outputs

  • User story estimates
  • Sprint backlog

2. Develop

Primary activity

  • Software development

Primary output

  • A testable product iteration

3. Test

Primary activity

  • Qualitative user testing

Primary output

  • A validated product iteration

4. Review

Primary activities

  • Sprint review
  • Sprint retrospective
  • Backlog refinement

Primary output

  • A realistic expectation of your team’s capacity for the next sprint.

Recap

  1. Plan
  2. Develop
  3. Test
  4. Review Repeat…

On longer projects, 3-4 sprints might be wrapped in a release.

The release cycle gives an opportunity to iteratively review progress, resourcing and budget against business expectations.

Release

  1. Plan
  2. Budget
  3. 3-4 Sprints
  4. Review of progress vs business need

In conclusion

At the start of the build, set time aside to prioritise and label your user stories, estimate your velocity and set your sprint goals.

At the end of each sprint (on Thursdays), complete a sprint review, retrospective, and plan for the next sprint.

At the end of the final sprint, make sure you complete your handover documentation.

And don’t forget the daily stand-up.