A common misconception is that Agile teams don’t plan. However, Agile Coach, Reese Schmit says that's bull$h!t. Agile teams plan all the time. The difference is they focus on doing so at the right time and the right fidelity. How long did it take you to plan your last six-month project before the team started working? Weeks? Months?! In 45 minutes, you can plan that six-month project in 10% of the time it would have taken you to plan it the old way. Plan the Agile way. Using a real project, Reese teaches you how to build a backlog, estimate that backlog, prioritize it, order it based on ROI, capacity plan, and track to completion. The goal is to not deliver a plan. The goal is to deliver value. Know how to plan at the right time so your teams can get to the delivering value part that really matters.

1. Copyright © 2017 Agile Velocity, LLC. All Rights Reserved. AGILE VELOCITY PROPRIETARY
Agile = No Planning = Bull$h!t
Reese Schmit, Agile Coach
Agile Velocity

2. Sponsors
Advocates
In Kind
Supporters

3. “…I have
always found
that plans are
useless, but
planning is
indispensable.
”
-Dwight D.
Eisenhower

4. The point is not
to Deliver the
plan
@ReeseNDesist

5. Agile Teams
plan product
construction
in layers

6. • One item per sticky written
with sharpie
• 1 major project
• 1 minor update
• Something in the middle
Let’s get your house ready to sell

8. Story
Points
Story Points
A relative measure of
scope of a Story
i.e. How big a feature
is compared to other
features taking into
account complexity,
uncertainty and risk
Velocity
The average amount
of work the team has
Finished over
previous Sprints

9. Let’s Size this
Backlog

10. Let’s Prioritize
Now that it’s Sized

11. by ROI
Ordering MoSCoW

12. Feature Points Cumulative Total
Story A 2 2
Story B 5 7
Story C 3 10
Story D 1 11
Story E 3 14
Story F 2 16
Story G 5 21
Story H 2 23
Story I 2 25
Story J 3 28
Story K 5 33
Story L 2 35
Story M 8 43
Story N 2 45
Story O 5 50
Story P 2 52
Story Q 8 60
•Team Historical Velocity = 10 Points/ Sprint
•Sprints are 2 weeks each
•Release is scheduled for 6 Sprints/ 12 weeks
•Backlog has been reduced to 60 points
How comfortable would you be committing to the
business that the team will deliver the scope of
Story A-Q in 12 weeks?
Do we commit to our
Capacity?

13. Feature Points Cumulative Total
Story A 2 2
Story B 5 7
Story C 3 10
Story D 1 11
Story E 3 14
Story F 2 16
Story G 5 21
Story H 2 23
Story I 2 25
Story J 3 28
Story K 5 33
Story L 2 35
Story M 8 43
Story N 2 45
Story O 5 50
Story P 2 52
Story Q 8 60
While we are still forecasting to deliver 60 points, as far as committing
to features we would say:
“We are virtually certain we will deliver stories A-K,
and Stories L and M have a 50% chance. It is unlikely
that Stories N-Q will make it in the release.”
90% Confidence
50% Confidence
10% Confidence
Do we commit to our
Full Capacity?
Fixed Date - (#Sprints x Velocity) / Risk Factors = Confidence Target
Fixed Scope - Total Scope x Risk Factor / Velocity = #Sprints
Chance Story Points Confidence
10% (6x10) / 1 = 60
50% (6x10) / 1.4 = 43
90% (6x10) / 1.8 = 33
inscopeatrisk

14. 1.Total up your backlog
2.Determine you are 90%
confidant you can complete
3.Determine what you are
10% confidant you can
complete
4.Create stickies and place
them at those spots next to
your backlog
Your turn!

16. After 2 Sprints we completed A-G and achieved our target velocity. New
Stories X-Z arrived. Now we would say,
“We are virtually certain we will deliver stories H-L
incl. X, and Stories Y & Z have a 50% chance. It is
unlikely that Stories M-N will make it in the release,
and we almost certainly won’t have time for O-Q.”
is ongoing
RELEASE PLANNING
Feature Points Cumulative Total
Story A 2 Done
Story B 5 Done
Story C 3 Done
Story D 1 Done
Story E 3 Done
Story F 2 Done
Story G 5 Done
Story H 2 2
Story I 2 4
Story J 3 7
Story X 8 15
Story K 5 20
Story L 2 22
Story Y 5 27
Story Z 2 29
Story M 8 37
Story N 2 39
Story O 5 44
Story P 2 46
Story Q 8 54
inscopeatriskoutofscope

17. BurnUP
Release

18. And just like
that we have
a Plan