Building a Product Backlog from Scratch

This presentation overviews techniques that you can adapt to your own needs to populate, estimate and prioritize a backlog for a large-scale product - by looking into a real-case scenario. It also shows how a well-defined product backlog can guide a team to a successful delivery.

Transcript

1. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Building a Product Backlog (from scratch)
 Fred (@fredfigueiredo) December 2014
2. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo We’re Agile!
3. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What’s your process like? • “We do all of this in each Sprint!” • Sprint duration: 6M • Workload distribution • Requirements & Design: 3M • Implementation: 1M • QA: 2M • How often do you release? • Once, every sprint!
4. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What’s that like? • “MMmmmmm”
5. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What do you feel? • “AAAmmmmmm!”
6. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Why do you do it? • “My boss tells me to!”
7. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo
8. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Agile Values (2001) • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools • Working software over comprehensive documentation • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation • Responding to change over following a plan
9. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection Agile is not about what we do. It’s about who we are.
10. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection
11. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Hi :)
12. CONTEXT Some story telling…
13. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Context… 13+ years 7+ companies 15+ organizations 6 months – 3 years From 4 – 60k workers Disrupt, Inspire, Change!
14. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Context… ~6 years Traditional Development ~7 years Agile Development
15. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo About… Cloud-based Property Management System Integrated. CRM. Customizable.
16. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reality check? • 3 developers • No code • Hundreds of pages with documentation • No development process • No plan, to the exception of a date • No Agile culture • No UX culture
17. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo v1.0 - UX?
18. THE CHALLENGE Build Backlog Show Plan in 5 Days Start Development Deliver v2 in 5 Months High Expectations
22. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Where to start? • d V1.0
23. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Sounds familiar?
24. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Goal 1) Awareness
25. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Goal 2) Agreement
26. BUILDING THE BACKLOG (in less than 5 days)
27. Day 1 - Requirements
31. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
34. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection Gather the requirements together with “all” main stakeholders.
35. Day 2 - Estimate
37. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
40. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection Don’t waste time estimating. It’s really just guessing.
41. Day 3 - Classify
45. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection Talk about complexity and risk together with the team. They will build it.
46. Day 4 - Prioritize
50. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection Prioritizing is key to identify the 20% of work that brings 80% of the value.
51. Day 5 - Release Planning
55. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
56. Darren’s Demo - After Sprint 1
57. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection It’s important to have a vision and a plan. But these too will change.
58. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Reflection To build a backlog: gather, estimate classify, prioritize, and plan.
59. 3 Months After Do Agile @ Hotel Ninjas
64. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
70. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
72. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
75. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
76. 5 Months After Being Agile @ Hotel Ninjas
86. @fredfigueiredo / Sep 2014
89. RECAP
92. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Agile Values (2001) • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools • Working software over comprehensive documentation • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation • Responding to change over following a plan
93. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What we do? Scrum, Kanban, XP are processes. Standups, Retrospectives, TDD are tools.
94. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Who we are! Individuals and Interactions
97. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What we do? Write documentation: user manuals, technical specifications, reports, …
98. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Who we are! “Working Software”
100. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What we do? Negotiate with customers, end-users, investors, and other stakeholders.
101. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Who we are! “Customer” Collaboration
103. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo What we do? Build a backlog, prioritize, estimate, and follow a plan.
104. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Who we are! Responding to Change
106. WRAP-UP Main Take-away
107. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Recommendation?
108. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Do what? Do whatever works for you. No more. No less. But do it!
109. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Remember! Agile is not about doing, it’s about being.
112. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo References • User Story Mapping • Creating an Agile Road Map Using Story Mapping • Swimlane Sizing – Complete & Fast Backlog Estimation • Affinity Estimating: A How-To • Converting Product Concepts into Backlog Items • How to create your project map to reach your destination • Give Life to Your Product Backlog
113. #CAS2k14 | @fredfigueiredo Questions & Answers
 Fred (@fredfigueiredo) December 2014