Estimating adaptive projects

Question 1

Adaptive developments require:

Answer 1

• Vision and business case
• Objectives and scope
• Estimates and contract
• Roadmap, schedule and milestones

These are required upfront (even for adaptive projects) to at least have an overview contract

Question 2

What is a user story?

Answer 2

A user story is a business requirement written in natural language that describes what a user wants to achieve with the software.

Documented on 3x5 cards

“As a student, I want to search for courses being offered so that I can enroll in the upcoming semester.”

Question 3

General structure of writing user stories

Answer 3

As a (role), I want to (goal), so that (benefit)

Question 4

What roles are involved in estimating user stories?

Answer 4

• Involves the entire team
• Product Owner: discuss the content
• Scrum Master: facilitates the meeting, remove blockers and impediments.
• Development team: technical support

User stories are in the backlog

Question 5

What role does the product owner play in estimating user stories?

Answer 5

The product owner discusses the content of the user stories and ensures that the team understands the requirements.

Question 6

How do you estimate user stories?

Answer 6

Relative estimation

Question 7

What is relative estimation in Agile?

Answer 7

Relative estimation is a method where tasks are compared to each other to determine which ones are more challenging, rather than estimating in hours or monetary units.

Which task is harder than

The team uses relative estimation to rank user stories based on the effort required to complete them.

Question 8

Why is it important for the team to understand how to estimate Agile projects?

Answer 8

It is important because estimation is done by the team, and understanding the process helps in planning and executing the project effectively.

Question 9

What is the significance of story points in Agile estimation?

Answer 9

Story points are used to assign a relative measure of effort to user stories, allowing the team to gauge the complexity without tying it to time or cost.

Question 10

What is planning poker?

AKA Bockman Estimation

Answer 10

Planning poker is a technique where team members use cards to vote on the effort required for each user story, promoting discussion and consensus.

Question 11

2 steps of Bockman estimation:

Answer 11

1. Order stories by increasing effort
2. Assign scores (story points)

Question 12

What is t-shirt sizing in Agile estimation?

Answer 12

T-shirt sizing is a method of estimating user stories by categorizing them as small, medium, large, or extra large based on their complexity.

Question 13

What does it mean to calibrate the first few sprints?

Answer 13

Calibrating the first few sprints involves assessing how well the team performs in estimating and completing user stories to improve future estimations.

Question 14

What challenges do adaptive contracts present in Agile projects?

Answer 14

Adaptive contracts can be challenging because they focus on delivering a backlog rather than a fixed set of tasks, which can be difficult for legal agreements.

Question 15

What is the purpose of assigning more story points to a user story?

Answer 15

Assigning more story points indicates that a user story requires more effort compared to others, helping the team understand its complexity.

Question 16

What should you do if a user story is too large to estimate effectively?

Answer 16

If a user story is too large, it should be broken down into smaller, more manageable user stories to facilitate better estimation.

Question 17

What is the primary difference between estimation in Agile projects and predictive projects?

Answer 17

Estimation in Agile projects is done through relative estimation, where team members compare tasks to each other, rather than predicting exact timeframes.

Question 18

How does the team order the user stories?

Answer 18

The team discusses each user story and determines its relative complexity compared to others without focusing on exact amounts of work.

Question 19

What is the Fibonacci series used for in Agile estimation?

Answer 19

The Fibonacci series is used to assign story points, helping to represent the relative effort required for each task.

1,2,3,5,8,13….

A story point of 1 represents a baseline unit of work, indicating a simple task.

Question 20

How does the team decide on the story points for a task?

Answer 20

Team members discuss the complexity of the task and agree on a number from the Fibonacci series that reflects its relative effort.

Team members compare tasks based on their experiences and insights, deciding which tasks require more or less effort.

Question 21

What happens after the team assigns story points to the user stories?

Answer 21

The team plans their first sprint, estimating how many story points they believe they can complete in that sprint.

Question 22

How does the team calibrate their performance in future sprints?

Answer 22

After completing a sprint, the team reviews how many story points they actually completed and adjusts their estimates for the next sprint accordingly.

Question 23

What is the significance of using the Fibonacci series for estimation?

Answer 23

The Fibonacci series helps to spread out estimates and encourages discussion about the differences in complexity between tasks.

Question 24

Can risks and uncertainties be included in the estimation process?

Answer 24

Yes, teams can factor in risks and uncertainties when assigning story points to account for potential challenges.

Question 25

What is t-shirt sizing, and how does it compare to Fibonacci estimation?

Answer 25

T-shirt sizing is another estimation method using sizes like small, medium, and large, but it is less precise than Fibonacci because it doesn't clarify the relationships between sizes.