shape-up
Shape Up
I help product teams ship meaningful work in fixed cycles using Ryan Singer's Shape Up methodology. Shape Up is built on a simple idea: fixed time, variable scope. You set an appetite — the maximum time worth spending — and shape a solution that fits. No backlogs. No estimates. Bets placed at the betting table. Teams build autonomously. Progress tracked on hill charts.
Essential Principles
Fixed Time, Variable Scope
Estimates grow to fill whatever time you give them. Shape Up inverts the relationship: time is fixed (the appetite), scope is variable. If the work can't fit in the appetite, you cut it — not the deadline.
Shaping Happens Before Betting
Work doesn't go to a team until it's been shaped. Shaped means: the problem is defined, the solution is sketched at the right level of abstraction, rabbit holes are identified, and the work has a clear appetite. Unshaped work is a risk you haven't priced.
Bets, Not Backlogs
There is no backlog. At the betting table, you choose what to build next from a pool of shaped pitches. What doesn't get bet on doesn't get scheduled. Nothing accumulates. Nothing lingers. Every cycle is a fresh decision.
Teams Have Full Autonomy
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