Just in time product management resources
I recently wrote an article to explain how I describe user stories. Since I published that article, I’ve received a request for more information on feature refinement, so I thought I would describe how I approach that in a bit of detail. What is a Feature Before I dive in too deep it’s helpful to …
Last week, I discussed how you can describe user stories using models, acceptance criteria, and examples as ways to aid your conversations and remember what you talked about. Using those techniques in the way I described allows you to define a solution in broad brushstrokes (identify the user stories you eventually want to deliver), and …
What is a Definition of Ready A definition of ready is an agreement on the set of conditions that need to be true in order to consider a backlog item ready to be included in an iteration for delivery. An Example The conditions that I see included most frequently in a definition of ready are …
What Is a Definition of Done The definition of done is an agreement on the set of conditions that need to be true in order to consider a backlog item done and at a point where it can deliver value to stakeholders. An Example Typical items in a definition of done include Acceptance criteria are …
What is a Delivery Board A delivery board is a way for a team to visualize their process for delivering functionality in a sprint. The best delivery boards consist of a whiteboard or wall divided into columns that reflect the various steps a team takes to develop and test backlog items in a sprint. The …
A question that I see often is: How do you (Should you | Can you) use user stories to properly document requirements for a product? There are some people nodding in agreement “yes, I’ve often wondered that myself.” There are others who are cringing. User stories weren’t intended to be requirements. Kent Beck originally came …
What Is System Documentation System documentation is information about an as-built solution and acts as a reference for future maintenance or update efforts. It is organized based on system functionality rather than when changes were made to the system, making it easier for people who maintain the solution to find the information they need quickly. …
What Is An Internal Product? An internal product is software that your organization does not offer for sale to others, but is used to support its various business activities. These products can be things your organization built in house or purchased to then customize and configure. Internal products generally satisfy the needs of users internal …
What Is a Discovery Board Discovery boards are ways for teams to visualize their backlog refinement process. The best discovery boards consist of a whiteboard or wall divided into columns that reflect the various steps a team takes to get product backlog items ready to be delivered (developed and tested) in an iteration. The backlog …
What Is Story Mapping A story map is a visual representation of a backlog that provides additional context regarding how backlog items are related to each other and when the team is planning to deliver them. This context is typically presented in terms of the personas that will use specific features, and the particular user …
Examples are concrete descriptions of the expected behavior of an aspect of a solution using real-life data.
What Is the Internal Product Opportunity Assessment Marty Cagan in his book Inspired suggests a product opportunity assessment. Cagan’s assessment consists of ten questions to ask when examining a product opportunity to elicit more information about it and determine whether it is worth pursuing. I’ve compiled a similar list of questions for people working on …
What Is The Context Leadership Model The Context Leadership Model, created by Todd Little, was introduced in Stand Back and Deliver as a tool for determining the appropriate leadership style given a product’s uncertainty and complexity. The Context Leadership Model can also be used to understand the risks inherent in a product and determine how …
What are the Six Questions? The six questions listed below help guide your discussion about your organization’s differentiating activities. These six questions represent two different perspectives. You can use the first four questions to identify differentiating activities in your organization: 1) Whom do we serve?2) What do they want and need most?3) What do we …
Agile2017 happened a couple of weeks ago. Now that I’ve had time to get back in the swing of things, and get the videos published from the conference, I wanted to share some sessions of interest to product people that I attended (or presented). Most of these have videos, and you’ll need to be an …
