This is a second proposal for Agile2014 intended for audiences interested in learning how to apply Agile in terms of "process"; it does so by translating them to typical boardgame mechanics. This presentation is INCOMPLETE, but will be fleshed out. It should be enough for reviewers to know what the general feel of the session would be (including a couple of exercises). This is still several iterations away from being complete.

1. Software
Development
Game with Purpose

2. Get to know each other…
• Break into teams of 4
• In 2 min, each share:
–
–
–
–
Your Superhero Name
Your Actual Hometown
Your Current Super Power
What You Hope to Learn
(the new superpower you
hope to take away)
• Take another 1 min to
consolidate these to
report out: ID your
superhero team‟s name
(e.g. Fantastic Four, Justice
League)

3. Tell us what you learned…
• 1 person from each team
tell us:
– Your team name
– Each superhero‟s name &
superpower
– Which one of your
superheroes comes from
the farthest reaches of the
planet
– But MOST
IMPORTANTLY, what each
wants to learn

4. Shhhhh….
Software
Development
is a
Game
Don‟t tell anyone OK?

5. We could have FUN
while we build something useful

6. Bah!

9. We come
in a
Palette
of
Backgrounds,
Skills, Talents, & Interests
(Think about what you just learned about the diversity of everyone here.)

11. Game
Exercise Time

12. Instructions
• Separate into 3 teams
• Elect a leader
• Leader gets a goal & shares
w/team (visual sharing only)
• 1st team to arrange all chairs
to meet goal w/in 2 min wins!
NO TALKING!

13. Debrief

14. Development is like exploration…
The game‟s decisions are
made on imperfect information

16. Developing
a
Product Release
is like an
RPG
Adventure
Goal to accomplish
(Biz Value to realize)
Party self-organizes
Gain tools & experience

17. Product
Development
is like an RPG
Campaign
Priorities from distant
netherworlds
Based on the needs
of the Imperium
(Business)
Experience carries
from one release to
the next
But each release is
continued learning

18. It‟s
Exercise Time
again
Game
I like traffic lights…

19. Understanding Self-Organization
(Part 1)
• Gather into 3 teams; take 1 minute to determine a
traffic „director‟
– Traffic director needs to know how to call out to each of
you; name, number, letter, et cetera
• I‟ll set up some barriers you‟ll need to navigate
• Traffic Director comes to one side; team members
set up at start of lanes - object is to get each person
to lane‟s end (I‟ll time you from start to all finish.)
• Traffic director is to tell you to stop by name (or all),
then which lane to move to and then when to start
again
• Run up against a chair? Make a crash sound!
• When I announce go, start walking
Team 1 is up first!

20. Understanding Self-Organization
(Part 2)
• We‟ll use the same barriers that you‟ll need to
navigate
• Traffic Director comes to one side; team
members set up at start of lanes - object is still
to get each person to each lane‟s end (I‟ll
time you from start to all finish)
• Each individual can decide when to stop (no
crashes)
• Traffic director is to tell you which lane to
move to, you may start up again as soon you
are in your new lane
• When I announce go, start walking
Team 2 is up!

21. Understanding Self-Organization
(Part 3)
• We‟ll use the same barriers you‟ll need to
navigate; I‟ll put some that say ORG on them
• Traffic Director comes to one side; team members
set up at start of lanes - object is still to get each
person to each lane‟s end (I‟ll time you from start
to all finish)
• Each individual can decide when to stop AND
can step around any barrier that does not have
ORG on it and continue; if you hit an ORG one,
just stop and wait for its removal
• Traffic director removes any that say ORG
• You may state you have an ORG barrier in your
lane
• When I announce go, start walking
Team 3 is up!

22. Debrief

23. Prioritizing
the
Backlog
is similar
to
Deck-Building
…through

24. Negotiations

25. The Agile game is defined in a
set of release sessions
Within the release session, perform
the following:
Develop a release plan
• Take in (or develop) the epics
• Deck-build (prioritize) the epics
• Size the epics
Determine the # of iteration phases
the team will take & how many
daily turns they will have
For each iteration
phase
• Prioritize & split the epics
• Estimate the stories & take in
stories based on what you think
you can accomplish
• Take your daily team turns

26. Each daily turn starts with a
cooperative, simultaneous
action selection, worker
placement event.
Within the daily
turn:
Conduct the selection by
• Reviewing what you did yesterday
• Determining where to place your
efforts today
• Highlighting any impediments
Expend action points working
on the stories chosen
Handle events as they arise
Save the World a Day at a Time

27. Once all daily turns have been taken for the Iteration
Phase, do the following:
• Conduct a review of the potentially shippable software
• Score the team‟s contribution (measure the story points added &
completed)
• Review what the team can do to play the game better (retrospect)
When product owner team member states to do so, usually at the
end of the
Release Session, ship the product to production.

28. Let‟s
look at
Agile: the Game
A Quick Tutorial

29. Story-telling is a key part of
development activities
The product owner is the bard
The „developers‟ are the wizards
The stories become structured so
that they read as spells
Scoring is based on how many
stories are created that the bard
can see envisioned

30. How do we
mitigate
the
risky parts?

31. Establishing
a
Continuous
Integration pipeline
is like having your
economic engine
up & running

32. …and building it out
islike
advancing
your
tech tree

35. So how does
„Waterfall‟
compare?

37. It‟s always
sold as a
happy
project…
…with a
happy
team …

38. Look! Here‟s
the happy
(a.k.a. critical)
path…
…planned
in one
direction…

39. What a
great
product…
Just stick to
the path!

40. And look,
there are
some
wondrous
shortcuts
we can
take early
on…

42. What do
you mean I
can get
stuck
here?
And here?
And here
also?

43. That‟s not the
way Waterfall
was
promised to
work!
You’re right!
It‟s more like…

45. It gets
worse

46. A
can take
you from
to

47. That‟s like…
You Failed Your Tests
“Looks like a design flaw”
“Are you sure you got
that requirement right?”

49. And
Management‟s
reaction?

52. Introducing,
Integrating,
& Customizing

53. Prioritize
with
Auctions
or…

54. or…

55. Purchasing

56. We could
take a flow-based approach
likeKanban

57. Ding!
Corner
on
Agility!

58. Games Referenced In This
Deck…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chess
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Villa Paletti
(Generic Meeples used in many
Euros)
Pandemic
Chairs
Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas
Dungeons & Dragons
Traveller
Mille Bornes
Eminent Domain
Genoa
El Grande
Isle of Dr Necreaux
Puerto Rico
Once Upon a Time
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(Generic d6)
Container
Supernova
Alien Frontiers
Risk
Niagara
Candyland
–
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Willy Wonka & Panama Canal photos
Monopoly
Mouse Trap
It Came from the Pit
Ca$h „N‟ Gun$
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
Masterpiece
Bazaar
Factory Fun
Pit
Most photos in this deck are from BoardGameGeek.