October 4, 2017

Sprints and roadmaps

Map

Sprints are a handy way of thinking. A backlog of things that need doing get attacked in short sharp sprints – bursts of activity on a human scale, one-or-two weeks only, that helps everyone stay focused and keep motivated as the end is always in sight. Standard operating procedure in a flood of development teams and seeping its way into management thinking.

Trouble is … sprint, sprint, sprint … lays a trap. So focused on clearing the backlog, on getting things done – eyes down, one foot stepping purposefully through the to-do list after the other – that you can lose sight of the roadmap. You gets plenty done, but they take you on a route you didn’t plan and end in a place you never wanted.

The roadmap: where you want to go.

Fit the sprints to the map – make them take you somewhere, (not just keep you busy).

Skippy strategy: Keep the map on your lap.

Category:
Focus