Lourenço P. Soares | Alexandre Klaser

Goal-based Priorization

Backlog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toiletqueue/

Backlog

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herby_fr/

Ok, but...

Ok, but...

...if there’s no backlog, what is there?

Effort aligned to business

goals

Effort aligned to business

goals Independent streams of

work

Just enough to meet the

goal

Effort aligned to business

goals Independent streams of

work

Recaptulando...

Goal-based

Priorizati

on

!  What’s the expected result when we implement a given functionality?

!  How can we guarantee we are doing what must be done?

Effort aligned to business goals

http://www.flickr.com/photos/morganhh/

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

Hypothesis Model

Once upon a time...

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

1. The goal

protection against the weather

protection against the weather

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

2. What we measure

we are dry and the temperature is

between 15 and 35°C

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

protection against the weather

we are dry and the temperature is

between 15 and 35°C

a family 3. For whom

a family

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

protection against the weather

we are dry and the temperature is

between 15 and 35°C 4. What we will do

building a cabin

a family

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

protection against the weather

we are dry and the temperature is

between 15 and 35°C

building a cabin

!  What to do when a hypothesis is wrong or cannot be validated?

!  How to prioritize streams of work and maintain business alignment?

Independent streams of work

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsie/

Multiple hypothesis

WE BELIEVE THAT...

FOR...

WILL ACHIEVE...

WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN...

Prioritized by value

Business Value

User

valu

e

Low

Low

High

High

Prioritized by value

Business Value

User

valu

e

Low

Low

High

High

Prioritized by value

Business Value

User

valu

e

Low

Low

High

High

Prioritized by value

H3 H2

H1

H6 H4

H7

H5

Business Value

User

valu

e

Low

Low

High

High

!  How to validate a hypothesis with the least possible effort?

!  How to avoid that dependency between stories prevent progress in small increments?

Just enough to meet the goal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/

I ndependent

N egotiable

V aluable

E estimable

S mall

T estable

I ndependent

N egotiable

E estimable

S mall

V aluable

T estable

N egotiable

E estimable

V aluable

T estable

I ndependent

S mall

Hypothesis are like onions

We believe…

For…

Will achieve…

We will know when…

Kano Model

Implementation

Satis

fact

ion

Basic met ≠ J not met = L

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model

Kano Model

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model

Performance met = J not met = L

Basic met ≠ J not met = L

Implementation

Satis

fact

ion

Kano Model

Excitement met = J not met ≠ L

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model

Performance met = J not met = L

Basic met ≠ J not met = L

Implementation

Satis

fact

ion

We believe that building a cabin

for a family will achieve protection again

st the weather

we will know we are successful when we are dry

and the temperature is between 15 and

35°C

Levels of attainment of goals Pr

ovid

e !   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

Levels of attainment of goals Pr

ovid

e !   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

“It’s a proof of concept... Without this, the experience is broken... I would never go live with only this...”

Levels of attainment of goals

!   Basic functionality !   Meets user needs !   Anyone with minimum knowledge

should be able to use it

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

!   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

“It’s a proof of concept... Without this, the experience is broken... I would never go live with only this...”

Levels of attainment of goals

!   Basic functionality !   Meets user needs !   Anyone with minimum knowledge

should be able to use it

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

!   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

“It’s a proof of concept... Without this, the experience is broken... I would never go live with only this...”

“All of our competitors have it... I would expect it to work... It’s something even my mom would understand...”

Levels of attainment of goals

!   Basic functionality !   Meets user needs !   Anyone with minimum knowledge

should be able to use it

!   Diferentiating proposition !   Only the main features of the

product should be at this level !   Draw users to the product

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

!   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

“It’s a proof of concept... Without this, the experience is broken... I would never go live with only this...”

“All of our competitors have it... I would expect it to work... It’s something even my mom would understand...”

Levels of attainment of goals

!   Basic functionality !   Meets user needs !   Anyone with minimum knowledge

should be able to use it

!   Diferentiating proposition !   Only the main features of the

product should be at this level !   Draw users to the product

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

!   Basic mechanics !   It is impossible to know if it is doable

before validating this much !   You need to know it to use it

“It’s a proof of concept... Without this, the experience is broken... I would never go live with only this...”

“All of our competitors have it... I would expect it to work... It’s something even my mom would understand...”

“Only your product does this... Makes me come back time and time again... Everyone is talking about it...”

Deming Cycle

PLAN

DO

CHECK

ACT

Prioritized hypothesis

H3 H2

H1

H6 H4

H7

H5

Business Value

User

valu

e

Low

Low

High

High

Priority Matrix Pr

ovid

e Sa

tisfy

Ex

cel

H3 H2 H1 H5 H6 H4 H7

As a homeless person

I want a wall on the usually

rainy side

So that I get less ra

in

when it is windy

Now add stories Pr

ovid

e Sa

tisfy

Ex

cel

H3 H2 H1 H5 H6 H4 H7

As a homeless person

I want a roof over my

head So that I d

on’t get wet

when it rains

Priority Matrix Pr

ovid

e Sa

tisfy

Ex

cel

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

A real-world example

Consuming stories H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Consuming stories H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Consuming stories H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l Consuming stories

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

^ H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Identifying scope creep H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l Identifying scope creep

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Why is this in scope?

Small finite increments

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story ü

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Small finite increments

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story ü ü

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Small finite increments

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story ü ü

ü

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l Small finite increments

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story ü ü

ü

ü  Can have functional tests

ü  Can be deployed in production

ü  Can test user experience

Prov

ide

Satis

fy

Exce

l Small finite increments

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story

Story

Story Story

Story

Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story Story

Story

Story Story Story Story ü ü

ü

ü  Can have functional tests

ü  Can be deployed in production

ü  Can test user experience VALIDATED LEARNING!

It works in practice…

Actual product owner using the

board

The whole team using the board

“It helps a great deal when finding the most important stories”

Recaptulando...

Questions, Comments,

Suggestions?

lous@thoughtworks.com about.me/lous

aklaser@thoughtworks.com @alklaser

Recaptulando... Further reading

!  Beyond Good Enough – Darius Kumana (bit.ly/darius_bge) !  Systemico Model – Barry O’Rilley & Lourenço P. Soares (bit.ly/systemico)

!  Kano Model – Jason Mesut (bit.ly/kano_model) !  Replacing Requirements with Hypotheses– Josh Seiden (bit.ly/josh_hdd) !  INVEST in Good Stories, and SMART Tasks – Bill Wake (bit.ly/invest_stories)

lous@thoughtworks.com about.me/lous

aklaser@thoughtworks.com @alklaser

Another real-world example