{"id":25925,"date":"2021-04-14T10:30:52","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T10:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/shape-up-process-shaping\/"},"modified":"2024-02-29T03:48:29","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T03:48:29","slug":"shape-up-process-shaping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/shape-up-process-shaping\/","title":{"rendered":"Shape Up Process: Shaping"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"introduction-to-shaping\">\n<h2>Introduction to Shaping:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"image-content\">\n<figure> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/l0zlFW2OqtwPoE4qPmNLRQ.png\" alt=\"Shape Up Process: Shaping\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/l0zlFW2OqtwPoE4qPmNLRQ.png\"> <\/a><figcaption>\n     Shape Up Process: Shaping<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Welcome to Process Street's Shape Up Processes template pack. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\">Shape Up started off as <a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Basecamp<\/a>\u2018s internal approach to developing and shipping software at lightning speed. It is now being adopted by Dev. teams across the globe, including the Process Street EPD team! The full approach has been clearly written (and illustrated), freely contributed, and easily accessible e-book:&nbsp;<em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/webbook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters<\/a>\u201c.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This pack will take you through the three key phases of Shape Up's development methodology:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Shaping<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Betting<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Building<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"style-success\"><strong>This template focuses on the first phase, shaping. Shaping has four stages:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Setting boundaries<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Roughing out the elements<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Addressing risks<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>&nbsp;Writing the pitch<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"style-info\">When shaping, look at your current business and product priorities to determine what it is you want to address in the next build cycle<strong>.<\/strong> In shaping, the question is no longer \u201chow long will it take to fix the problem?\u201d (like in Scrum and other agile frameworks) but rather \u201chow long are we <em>willing to spend<\/em>, to fix the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"record-checklist-details\">\n<h2>Record checklist details<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-success\">Use the form fields below to <strong>record key<\/strong> <strong>checklist details.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Project name <\/label><br \/>\n<input type=\"text\" placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Your name <\/label><br \/>\n<input type=\"text\" placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Your role <\/label><br \/>\n<input type=\"text\" placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"date-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Today's date <\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"date-container\"> <button type=\"button\" disabled=\"\" class=\"btn btn-default\"> <i class=\"fa fa-calendar btn-icon\"><\/i> Date will be set here <\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"include-team-members\">\n<h2>Include team members<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>Later on, in the Shaping exercise, you'll be asked to <strong>bring in the technical experts<\/strong>. This comes before writing the final pitch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\">At this stage you'll want to<strong> reach out to some technical experts<\/strong>, this could be an <strong>Engineer<\/strong>, a <strong>Product Designer<\/strong>, and so on. You'll walk them through the idea of the pitch. You'll communicate the idea you are shaping as a potential bet, and ask for feedback.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use the dropdown below to assign technical experts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"set-boundaries\">\n<h2>Set boundaries:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>The first step of shaping is setting boundaries on what you're trying to do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Raw idea = <\/strong><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><em>Requests of feature ideas that are expressed in words and haven't been shaped.&nbsp;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>About the raw idea: <\/strong>Sometimes an idea gets you excited right away. If that's the case you need to set boundaries to temper the excitement on that idea. The boundaries check whether this is really something you're going to be able to invest time in or not.&nbsp; It's important to stop and think about how valuable the idea is, we can all jump too quickly to either committing resources or having long discussions about potential solutions that go nowhere.<\/p>\n<p>Other ideas are less exciting and feel more like a challenge. The customer wants a calendar; you don\u2019t particularly want to build one, but feel you need to do something about the request.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The way you <strong>deal with raw ideas<\/strong> is <strong>by setting an appetite:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Appetite =&nbsp; <\/strong><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><em>The amount of time you want to spend on a project, as opposed to an estimate.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>About the appetite:<\/strong> An appetite is completely different from an estimate. Estimates start with a design and end with a number. Appetites start with a number and end with a design. We use the appetite as a creative constraint on the design process.<\/p>\n<p>Think of the appetite as a time budget for a standard-sized team.&nbsp; The appetite usually comes in two sizes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><code>Small Batch<\/code>: A set of 1-2 week projects that a single team ships by the end of a six-week cycle. We batch these together into a <code>six week<\/code>&nbsp;cycle.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><code>Big Batch<\/code>: One project that occupies a team for the whole cycle. This project takes the same-size team a full six-weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"establish-the-raw-idea\">\n<h2>Establish the \"raw idea\"<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>When deciding what feature to build you'll always start with a raw idea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A raw idea:&nbsp;<\/strong>Requests of feature ideas that are expressed in words and haven't been shaped.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\">For example: <em>\u201ccustomers are asking for group notifications.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The essence of determining a raw idea is to avoid going down rabbit holes by discussing a solution. Once the raw idea is established, set some broad terms on the discussion to make it productive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-danger\"><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong>Key point:<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Be explicit in your answers so that they make sense when the data is pulled through into the final pitch. For example, if asked to \"Input raw idea\" write in the text field <strong>\"raw idea = X feature\".<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>With Shape Up there is<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>no backlog&nbsp;<\/strong>so be sure to provide space for all ideas to be heard. AND be prepared to <strong>say no to the ideas that are less pressing<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Input raw idea <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Set terms to make the raw idea productive <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"determine-the-appetite\">\n<h2>Determine the \"appetite\"<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Set the appetite<\/strong> by defining how much of your time and attention the subject (raw idea) deserves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Appetite: The amount of time you want to spend on a project, as opposed to an estimate.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">Answer the following questions to help you set your appetite. Then <strong>set the appetite in the form field<\/strong> below.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Detail what you're trying to solve <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Explain why it matters <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Define the success criteria <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Determine the affected customers <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Establish what the cost of doing this is (instead of something else) <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"select-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Set the appetite <\/label> <select disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><option value=\"An option will be selected here\">An option will be selected here<\/option><\/select><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-success\">Setting the appetite and coming up with a solution requires you to be <strong>critical about the problem<\/strong>. Ensure you give yourself both a <strong>realistic and achievable timeframe.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"roughout-the-elements\">\n<h2>Roughout the elements:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Roughout how you plan to go about solving the raw idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Two things enable you to move at the right speed at this stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First:<\/strong> Have the right people\u2014or nobody\u2014in the room. Either work alone or with a trusted partner who can keep to your pace. Someone who has the same background knowledge, so you can jump between ideas with minimal explanations needed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second: <\/strong>Avoid the wrong level of detail in the drawings and sketches. If you start with wireframes or specific visual layouts, you'll get stuck on unnecessary details and won\u2019t be able to explore as broadly as you need to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-success\">It's called roughing out for a reason. Try to avoid getting lost in the details.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"preliminary-questions\">\n<h2>Preliminary questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong>Answer the questions to begin roughing out the elements.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-success\">Don't forget to be explicit in your answers so that they make sense when the data is pulled through to the final pitch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Where in the current system does the new thing fit? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> How do you get to the existing system? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> What are the key components or interactions? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Where does it take you? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"choose-your-technique\">\n<h2>Choose your technique<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-info\">This task uses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/conditional-logic\/#:~:text=Process%20Street's%20Conditional%20Logic,which%20occur%20within%20the%20checklist.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">conditional logic<\/a>. This means that what you select from the dropdown will influence which tasks follow using <em>if-this-then-that <\/em>logic. Conditional logic helps you mitigate time wasted on tasks that bring no value to this specific Shaping process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If your<strong> idea can be translated into words<\/strong> then the <strong>best technique<\/strong> for roughing it out is <strong>\"breadboarding\"<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">However, if it is&nbsp;more of <strong>a visual one<\/strong> and <strong>is difficult to put into words<\/strong> use then <strong>\"fat-marker sketching\"<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">If you think that your idea <strong>can be put into words AND is a visual one<\/strong>, simply <strong>select both<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"select-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Chosen method to roughout elements <\/label> <select disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><option value=\"An option will be selected here\">An option will be selected here<\/option><\/select><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"roughout-the-elements-breadboarding\">\n<h2>Roughout the elements: Breadboarding<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Construct your breadboard.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><code>What is a breadboard?<\/code><\/p>\n<p>Borrowed from electrical engineering, a breadboard is an electrical engineering prototype that has all the components and wiring of a real device but no industrial design.&nbsp;<strong> A breadboard is when you:<\/strong><code><\/code><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Breadboard: <\/strong>Sketch and discuss the key components and connections of an interface idea without specifying a particular visual design. To do that, you can use a simple shorthand. <strong>There are three basic things to draw:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Places:<\/strong> Things you can navigate to, like screens, dialogs, or menus that pop up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Affordances:<\/strong> Things the user can act on, like buttons and fields.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connection lines:<\/strong> These show how the affordances take the user from place to place.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"style-danger\">When breadboarding with Shape Up <strong>use words instead of pictures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">Use the text fields below to<strong> record the components you're identifying and their connections<\/strong>.<strong>&nbsp; Or, upload\/link the document<\/strong> you used to record the breadboarding exercise.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Record places <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Record affordances <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Record connection lines <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"file-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Upload breadboarding doc. <\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"file-container\"> <button type=\"button\" disabled=\"\" class=\"btn btn-default\"> <i class=\"fa fa-upload btn-icon\"><\/i> File will be uploaded here <\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"roughout-the-elements-fatmarker-sketching\">\n<h2>Roughout the elements: Fat-marker sketching<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Draw your fat-marker sketch.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><code>What is a fat-marker sketch?<\/code><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Fat marker sketching:<\/strong> A sketch made with such broad strokes that adding detail is difficult or impossible.<\/p>\n<p>Shape Up originally did their sketcher with larger tipped Sharpie markers on paper. Today they also do them on iPads with the pen size set to a large diameter.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">Use the field below to upload\/link a copy of your fat-marker sketch.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"file-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Upload fat-marker sketch <\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"file-container\"> <button type=\"button\" disabled=\"\" class=\"btn btn-default\"> <i class=\"fa fa-upload btn-icon\"><\/i> File will be uploaded here <\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"keep-the-idea-in-the-private-sphere\">\n<h2>Keep the idea in the private sphere<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-success\">Before moving forward it's important to <strong>confirm you've understood <\/strong>the following <strong>three points<\/strong>:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Room for designers:<\/strong> <em>Now is <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">not the time to bring in designers<\/span>.&nbsp;By leaving details out, the breadboard and fat marker methods give room to designers in <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">subsequent phases of the project.<\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/1.3-chapter-04#room-for-designers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Not deliverable yet: <\/strong><em>This step of shaping is <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">still in your private sphere<\/span>. It\u2019s normal for the artifacts (or elements) at this point to be more or less indecipherable to anybody who wasn\u2019t there with you. It's important to <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">keep it that way for now<\/span>.<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/1.3-chapter-04#not-deliverable-yet\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>No conveyor belt:&nbsp;<\/strong><em>Bear in mind that, at this stage, you <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">could still walk away from the project<\/span>. It hasn't been bet on, nor has it been committed to. <\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-danger\">The Shaping process is <strong>designed to add value to the raw idea by making it more actionable<\/strong>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/1.3-chapter-04#no-conveyor-belt\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"select-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Confirm you've understood <\/label> <select disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><option value=\"An option will be selected here\">An option will be selected here<\/option><\/select><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"address-risks\">\n<h2>Address risks:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>Once you've roughed out the elements and think you have a solution, it's time to <strong>take a hard look at that solution<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-success\">The <strong>aim<\/strong> here is to <strong>find holes or unanswered questions that could trip up the team<\/strong> further down the line.<\/p>\n<p>By addressing the risks you <strong>amend the solution<\/strong>,<strong> cut things out<\/strong> of it, or <strong>specify details<\/strong> at certain tricky spots to prevent the team from getting stuck or wasting time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-warning\">Well-shaped work looks like a<strong> thin-tailed probability distribution <\/strong>(like the <strong>image<\/strong> <strong>below<\/strong>). There\u2019s a slight chance it could take an extra week but, beyond that, the elements of the solution are defined enough and familiar enough that there\u2019s no reason it should drag on longer than that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-content\">\n<figure> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/rFvhaLpEOZcfqgM69QVKmA.png\" alt=\"Shape Up: Well-shaped work = a thin-tailed distribution of risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/rFvhaLpEOZcfqgM69QVKmA.png\"> <\/a><figcaption>\n     Shape Up: Well-shaped work = a thin-tailed distribution of risk<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/1.4-chapter-05#different-categories-of-risk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"deal-with-rabbit-holes\">\n<h2>Deal with rabbit holes<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Find and address rabbit holes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><code>What are rabbit holes?<\/code><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Rabbit holes: <\/strong>Technical unknowns, unsolved design problems, or misunderstood interdependencies. Rabbit holes could mean that the project takes <em>multiple times<\/em> the original appetite to complete.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You want to remove the unknowns and tricky problems from the project so that your probability (think of the graph from the previous task) is as thin-tailed as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-danger\"><strong>Aim for a project with independent, well-understood parts<\/strong> that <strong>assemble<\/strong> together<strong> in known ways<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong>Answer the following questions<\/strong> to address any possible rabbit holes:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Have you missed anything? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Have you made any technical assumptions that aren't fair? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> How exactly would a user get from the starting point to the end? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Does this require new technical work you\u2019ve never done before? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Are you making assumptions about how the parts fit together? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Have you assumed another design solution exists? if so, which? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Is there a hard decision to settle in advance so it doesn\u2019t trip up the team? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"determine-no-goes\">\n<h2>Determine no goes<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p><strong>Decide which roads you won't go down later on.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Call out <strong>any cases you specifically&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>aren\u2019t<\/em><\/strong><strong>&nbsp;supporting<\/strong> to keep the project well within the appetite.<\/p>\n<p>This is where scope hammering comes into play.<\/p>\n<p><code>What is scope hammering?&nbsp;<\/code><\/p>\n<p class=\"style-info\"><strong>Scope hammering: <\/strong><em>Forcefully questioning a design, implementation, or use case to cut scope and finish inside the fixed time box.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>There may be <strong>parts of the solution you got excited about<\/strong> during the sketching phase that <strong>are not <em>really<\/em> necessary<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\">Use the text field below to<strong> note down any part (no goes) that are not necessary<\/strong> and can be <strong>cut from the original solution<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Identify no goes <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"present-to-technical-experts\">\n<h2>Present to technical experts<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-danger\"><strong>This task is for the Technical Experts to glance over.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tech experts, <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong>check out the idea<\/strong> below and <strong>answer<\/strong> the<strong> following questions<\/strong><\/span>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Proposed Idea<\/h4>\n<h5>Basic information<\/h5>\n<p><strong>Created by:&nbsp;<\/strong> {{form.Your_name}}<\/p>\n<p><strong>Role: <\/strong>{{form.Your_role}}<\/p>\n<p><strong>Date started: <\/strong>{{form.Today's_date}}<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h5>Idea and solution<\/h5>\n<p>{{form.Input_raw_idea}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Set_terms_to_make_the_raw_idea_productive}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Detail_what_you're_trying_to_solve}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Explain_why_it_matters}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Define_the_success_criteria}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Determine_the_affected_customers}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Establish_what_the_cost_of_doing_this_is_(instead_of_something_else)}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Set_the_appetite}}<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h5>Risks<\/h5>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_missed_anything?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_made_any_technical_assumptions_that_aren't_fair?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.How_exactly_would_a_user_get_from_the_starting_point_to_the_end?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Does_this_require_new_technical_work_you\u2019ve_never_done_before?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Are_you_making_assumptions_about_how_the_parts_fit_together?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_assumed_another_design_solution_exists?_if_so,_which?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Is_there_a_hard_decision_to_settle_in_advance_so_it_doesn\u2019t_trip_up_the_team?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Identify_no_goes}}<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Is this possible in the chosen appetite? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Are there any parts that need to be revisited? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Are there any time bombs that may blow up mid-way through? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textarea-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Is there a way to simplify the existing solution? <\/label> <textarea placeholder=\"Something will be typed here...\" rows=\"3\" disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><\/textarea><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"select-field-content form-field-content\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"> <label> Does this solution require another round of shaping? <\/label> <select disabled=\"\" class=\"form-control\"><option value=\"An option will be selected here\">An option will be selected here<\/option><\/select><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"write-the-pitch\">\n<h2>Write the pitch:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>The \u201cpitch\u201d is the document you use to lobby for resources and collect wider feedback. Once you think you\u2019ve shaped the idea enough to potentially bet on, formally write it up in what's up called a pitch.<\/p>\n<p><code>What is a pitch?<\/code><\/p>\n<p><strong>A pitch<\/strong> is a document that presents a shaped project idea for consideration at the betting table.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To re-cap, you and your team bet on different pitches in the betting table.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The betting table<\/strong> is a meeting during the cool-down when stakeholders decide which pitches to bet on in the next cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"style-success\">To prepare for the betting table you must write a pitch that summarizes the problem, constraints, solution, rabbit holes, and limitations. Then the pitch goes to the betting table for consideration. If the project gets chosen, the pitch can be re-used at the kick-off to explain the project to the team.<\/p>\n<p>The pitch consists of five ingredients:<\/p>\n<p>There are five ingredients that we always want to include in a pitch:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Problem<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 The raw idea, a use case, or something we\u2019ve seen that motivates us to work on this<\/li>\n<li><strong>Appetite<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 How much time we want to spend and how that constrains the solution<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 The core elements we came up with, presented in a form that\u2019s easy for people to immediately understand<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rabbit holes<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 Details about the solution worth calling out to avoid problems<\/li>\n<li><strong>No-gos<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 Anything specifically excluded from the concept: functionality or use cases we intentionally aren\u2019t covering to fit the appetite or make the problem tractable<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"finalize-the-pitch\">\n<h2>Finalize the pitch<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">The Pitch<\/h3>\n<hr>\n<h5>Idea and solution<\/h5>\n<p>{{form.Input_raw_idea}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Set_terms_to_make_the_raw_idea_productive}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Detail_what_you're_trying_to_solve}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Explain_why_it_matters}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Define_the_success_criteria}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Determine_the_affected_customers}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Establish_what_the_cost_of_doing_this_is_(instead_of_something_else)}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Set_the_appetite}}<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h5>Risks<\/h5>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_missed_anything?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_made_any_technical_assumptions_that_aren't_fair?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.How_exactly_would_a_user_get_from_the_starting_point_to_the_end?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Does_this_require_new_technical_work_you\u2019ve_never_done_before?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Are_you_making_assumptions_about_how_the_parts_fit_together?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Have_you_assumed_another_design_solution_exists?_if_so,_which?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Is_there_a_hard_decision_to_settle_in_advance_so_it_doesn\u2019t_trip_up_the_team?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Identify_no_goes}}<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h5>Technical expert's input<\/h5>\n<p>{{form.Is_this_possible_in_the_chosen_appetite?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Is_there_a_way_to_simplify_the_existing_solution?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Is_there_a_hard_decision_to_settle_in_advance_so_it_doesn\u2019t_trip_up_the_team?}}<\/p>\n<p>{{form.Are_there_any_time_bombs_that_may_blow_up_mid-way_through?}}<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p class=\"style-success\">For access to Process Street's version of <span style=\"background-color: #fce8a7;\"><strong>Shape Up's betting process<\/strong><\/span>,<strong> click this template:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/shape-up-process-betting\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up Process: Betting<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Sources<\/h4>\n<hr>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/4.2-appendix-03\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up: How to Begin to Shape Up<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\/1.1-chapter-02\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up: Principles of Shaping<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/basecamp.com\/shapeup\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">and Ship Work that Matters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/shape-up\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Process Street: Shape Up vs Scrum: 6 Months to 6 Weeks \u2013 How We Cut Our Dev Cycle 75%<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/help\/docs\/getting-started\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Process Street: Getting Started with Process Street<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"related-checklists\">\n<h2>Related checklists:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Related checklists<\/h4>\n<hr>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/shape-up-process-betting\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up Process: Betting<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/%20https:\/\/www.process.st\/templates\/shape-up-process-building\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shape Up Process: Building<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction to Shaping: Shape Up Process: Shaping Welcome to Process Street's Shape Up Processes template pack. Shape Up started off as Basecamp\u2018s internal approach to developing and shipping software at lightning speed. It is now being adopted by Dev. teams across the globe, including the Process Street EPD team! The full approach has been clearly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"cover_icon_emoji":"","cover_icon_url":"","tasks_count":"20","template_description":"Shaping is the first phase of Shape Up's development method, follow this checklist to start shaping.","template_id":"q7VZOYEsbD3YeUcACzNLYA","task_0":"Introduction to Shaping:","task_slug_0":"introduction-to-shaping","task_1":"Record checklist details","task_slug_1":"record-checklist-details","task_2":"Include team members","task_slug_2":"include-team-members","task_3":"Set boundaries:","task_slug_3":"set-boundaries","task_4":"Establish the &quot;raw idea&quot;","task_slug_4":"establish-the-raw-idea","task_5":"Determine the &quot;appetite&quot;","task_slug_5":"determine-the-appetite","task_6":"Roughout the 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