Shape Up

Shape Up is the up-and-coming method for agile software development. Strong developer/product/designer collaboration has been close to my heart since I started my first company in 2010.

With the introduction of Shape Up, I see a renewed opportunity to deliver on the promises made by the agile manifesto in its original form. Shape Up flips the Scrum approach of “Estimates” on its head and replaces it with an “Appetite” approach. This means focusing on fixed time and variable scope rather than the other way around.

To effectively implement features with variable scope, we must shape the idea in a way that solves all open questions while leaving room for flexibility. This requires the cooperation of all relevant crafts, including developers, designers, and product managers.

Only then can small, autonomous teams implement the idea powerfully and effectively.

I wrote about my experiences, implementing Shape Up for a Scrum Team , as well as the philosophical fundamentals and very hands on options for structuring and staffing teams to adapt Shape Up .

Quick start / Educate yourself ¶

Because more and more questions come to me, how to get started and what resources are available, I have created this learning path in which I usually recommend the currently available resources.

• Let’s start by watching this short introduction from Ryan. It convinces everybody why Shape Up is a good idea.
• Next, you should read the online book available for free.
• If you are more into listening to something german, there is also a podcast I did with SDDC.
• Once you have a basic understanding, you can keep up to date with further resources in the Shape Up Forum or YouTube.
• I started a playlist to filter out the relevant content – I will add more things here as more content comes.
• There is also a Shape Up Practitioners Remote Meetup for real-time exchange. Every past episode is recorded and available on YouTube .
• For advanced learnings on transitioning to Shape Up from Scrum, there is a (recorded) Session with me as part of this format: From Scrum to Shape Up – Grey Areas During Transit .

Sparring with me ¶

In the cozy Shape Up community, exchanging how exactly one implements the method is frequent. I am personally in exchange with practitioners from Argentina to New Zealand and love to connect with even more.

Therefore I am open to sparring and discussions with everybody who plans to implement the method and eager to learn from everybody who has already implemented it. Just book a slot in my calendar.

To serve this purpose, I keep my Friday afternoons free. If you are interested, book a slot.

Hands-on / Consulting ¶

For cases that need more attention than fits in a 1h sparring session, I also offer paid hands-on help to implement the method in organizations of all sizes and industries.

Just drop me a line: [email protected] .

Keynote / Lightning Talk ¶

If you want to introduce Shape Up to your company/team without getting too real, you can book me for a lighting talk or keynote.

After a short briefing talk, I will put together slides and give a presentation (remote or in person) for your situation based on my existing resources and experience.

This also goes to: [email protected] .