The Case For IncrementsBreaking Stakeholder Requirements Into Releasable Pieces of Value

Lin Fisher, CSM

What Exactly Is An Increment?It is a piece of functionality that is potentially shippable because we are confident that it delivers some measure of business value.

Let’s Look At An Example

Fully feed 20 kids during my son’s birthday party with a 10kg chocolate cake topped with strawberries

Solution

Feed my son and 1 friend with a finger licking 100 grams of chocolate cupcake with strawberry topping and leave them both wanting more

Increment

Why Not Just Break It Up By Task?

Create Batter Pour Batter Bake Batter Apply Icing Apply Fruit

What Does This Look Like?

Mix Batter

Pour Batter

Apply Icing

Apply Fruit

Bake

Progress

Did You Say Waterfall? Ding-Ding!

Mix Batter

Pour Batter

Apply Icing

Apply Fruit

Bake

What’s Not Awesome About That Approach?

It Takes Longer To Get Each Output

Sprint Goal: Mix

Sprint Goal: Pour

Sprint Goal: Bake

Sprint Goal: Toppings

These Stakeholders Want Cupcakes. Now…now…now…

This Could Take A While…

Which Is The Increment, Again?

Which Is The Increment, Again?

Wait! We Have

Velocity

Which Proves

We’ve Made

Progress!

These Stakeholders Want Cupcakes. Not Velocity

So How Do We Show Our Tech Effort?

Tasks

Increment

StoryAs a tweenager, I want a chocolate cupcake so I can have a good time at the birthday party.

Strawberry flavor | White frosting | Sprinkles | Wrapper | 100 gramsAcceptance Criteria

Technical

Business

Stakeholder

Ideal Agile Story Structure

This deployment went very well.