Processes

Understanding the Sprint Goal The sprint goal represents the objective that the development team aims to achieve by the end of the sprint. It guides the team’s efforts and priorities throughout the sprint. A clear, focused sprint goal helps align the team and prevent scope creep. The sprint goal should describe the intended outcome rather…

Defining Technical Debt and its Impact Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional work caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. As teams race to deliver new features, corners inevitably get cut, piling up technical debt over time. This debt manifests as difficulty…

Defining Acceptance Criteria for Research Clear expectations are a critical component of efficient and effective research. Well-defined acceptance criteria act as a guide for researchers, aligning efforts and outcomes with the goals and intent of a study. By investing time upfront to delineate precise, objective, and measurable criteria that specify what “done” means, teams can…

Quantifying Research Work in Agile Frameworks Research work is often an overlooked effort in Agile frameworks. As an intangible activity, quantifying nebulous research tasks can be challenging. However, making research work transparent is critical for planning and tracking. Techniques like linking research to features, adding metadata to tickets, and analyzing velocity can elucidate the research…

Defining the Problem: Metrics Abuse and Toxic Work Cultures Many organizations rely heavily on metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive accountability. However, excessive focus on quantitative metrics can lead to unintended consequences: Emphasis on short-term results over long-term value creation Risk-averse behavior and fear of failure Lack of collaboration and knowledge sharing Unethical…