# Shape Up - Ryan Singer Created: 2022_03_03 21:33 Tags: [[Book]] [[Productivity]] [[Startup]] [[Process]] ### Breadboarding Allows you to work things out without design to see how complex a feature is - Place: things you can navigate to: pages, dialogs or menus - Affordnace: things the user can act on: buttons, inputs, copy text (directs you to be able to take next action) - Connection line: show how affordances take users from place to place ![[ShapeUp_Breadboarding.excalidraw.svg]] Sketching: use a fat marker for low fidelity designs to not influence people or encourage bike shedding ### Pitch How to present a good bet - Problem: the idea, use case that motivates the work that needs to be done - Appetite: how much time we want to spend and how that constrains the solution - Solution: the core elements from the shaping phase, in an easy to understand format - Rabbit holes: details about the solution worth calling out - No Goes (scope down): anything specifically excluded to help on time or make the problem easier Example pitch: basecamp.com/shapeup-todo-pitch Pitch review happens asynchronously and gets put onto the betting table 6 week cycle and then 2 week cool down to allow for bug fixing and project planning time to ramp back up. Work divided into big batch and small batch: - Big batch: intend to take up most of the 6 weeks - Small batch: fit several smaller projects within the 6 weeks that are worth doing ### Work is like a hill 2 phases: unknown (uphill), known (downhill) ![[ShapeUp_HillDiagram.excalidraw.svg]] Can have multiple 'scopes' (portions of a project) all at different parts ot the hill to indicate how far along the project is. 1. The Shape Up approach is based on the idea that most software projects are open-ended and uncertain, so trying to plan out every detail in advance is not an effective approach. 2. Instead, the Shape Up approach is based on a six-week project cycle called a "cycle of work," which includes a three-week shaping phase and a three-week building phase. 3. During the shaping phase, the team works to define the problem, identify the risks and constraints, and come up with a rough plan for solving the problem. 4. Once the shaping phase is complete, the team moves into the building phase, where they work to implement the plan they developed during the shaping phase. 5. The Shape Up approach emphasizes the importance of having a strong "bet" or "thesis" for each project, which outlines what the team is trying to accomplish and how they plan to do it. 6. The approach also emphasizes the importance of saying "no" to good ideas that are not a good fit for the current project or cycle of work. 7. Finally, the Shape Up approach is designed to promote autonomy and ownership among team members, giving them the space and support they need to do their best work. ## References -