Which tool is best for cutting down trees?

Depends on how you use it!

Henrik Kniberg

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Henrik Kniberg - Crisp AB
Agile coach, certified scrum trainer Java guy Cofounder / CTO of Goyada (mobile services) 30 developers Lead architect at Ace Interactive (gaming) 20 developers Chief of development at Tain (gaming) 40 developers
henrik.kniberg@crisp.se +46 70 4925284

How to use the feedback device

When you see this signal Vote! = This isnt a problem for us. Honestly. = We do have some problems with this = Oh, the pain!
Henrik Kniberg 3

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

1: ScrumMaster
isnt is tech guru is too busy to do SM stuff is line manager is not dedicated to team does not know Scrum does not have an impediment backlog

We have work to do. We cant afford the overhead of a ScrumMaster!

SM

Impediment backlog
No impediment backlog Slow workstations No test environment No contact with customer Crowded office
4

Henrik Kniberg

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

2: Definition of Done
dont have a default DoD dont obey it is outside of teams control

But you said you were done!

See who is logged in 100 concurrent users

Default Definition of Done

Unit/Integration tested Ready for acceptance test deployed on demo server

Default Definition of Done

Releasable Acceptance tested release notes written No increased technical debt

Henrik Kniberg

= I havent messed up the codebase

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

What is your velocity? Huh?

3: Velocity

isnt known isnt used 3 is misused 100 concurrent users 8 death marches team asked to promise dates including stories that arent Done Yo-yo velocity EXAMPLE
Today is Aug 6 Sprint length = 2 weeks Velocity = 30 - 40

See who is logged in 5

!! "!!
PO

At least

At most

What will be done by X-mas?

(10 sprints)
Henrik Kniberg 6

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

4: Retrospective

Were too busy, lets just start the next sprint instead

doesnt happen doesnt result in a list of improvements improvements arent executed improvements arent followed up unwanted people at the meeting everybody doesnt talk
Velocity
1

10

11

12

13

Sprint
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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Sprint retrospective
Part 1: What happened?

First story ready for test

Jeff sick Story #25 removed from sprint Big argument

New desks installed

LAN shootout

Team flow!

Sprint demo

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

2008-04-03

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Sprint retrospective
Part 2: What do we do differently next sprint?

2008-04-03

Henrik Kniberg 9

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

You have to do more!

5: Team commitment
Team is pressured Team doesnt track & learn Always undercommitting Always overcommitting Velocity = 0 Not allowing slack Estimated Actual

Estimated Actual Velocity Velocity

40 30 30 30
Estimated Actual

30 28 33 30 30 30 30
10

40 40 40
Henrik Kniberg

30 30 30

40 50 60

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

6: Technical debt
Letting it pile up Ignoring it

We dont have time to write unit tests or refactor code!

Duplicated code Lack of test coverage Unreadable code

Vmax Vactual
velocity

Vmax Vactual
velocity

Sustainable pace!

time

time

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Dealing with technical debt

Definition of Done Vmax Vactual
velocity

Definition of Done
.... bla bla .... No increased technical debt

.... bla bla .... Technical debt decreased

Sustainable pace

Slow down Stop accumulating debt time

First step

Second step
Slow down even more Start repaying debt
(optional)

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

7: Teamwork
Fixed roles Personal backlogs Not helping each other Implementing all stories in parallell External management

Well, at least I finished my stuff!

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

8: Product backlog & product owner

I dont have time to maintain the damned product backlog!

PBL doesnt exist PO PBL not visible 3 Never-ending stories 100 concurrent Too big stories users 8 PO without power or domain knowledge <> 1 PO PBL not maintained by PO PO surprised at sprint demo PO not prioritizing PO being a bottleneck
Henrik Kniberg

See who is logged in 5

Product Backlog

8
5 5
3

5 5

8
5
3

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

V
Apr 2008 May 2008 June 2008

2009

2010

Q3 2008 Q4 2008

2011

2009

2012

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

9: Mergophobia
No Done branch No branch policies Not integrating daily Not taking responsibility Hiding behind branches
Sorry, but

Merging is a pain, so we do it as seldom as possible

You cant get an agile company without agile engineering practices

XP, anyone? Henrik Kniberg 16

10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Version control multiple teams

Guidelines
Trunk always releasable Broken trunk = stop the line Merge from trunk every day Copy to trunk each time a story is completed
Day 1 Day 2 Sprint 1 Day 3

http://www.infoq.com/articles/agile-version-control
Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Release!

Trunk

Policy: Only stuff that is DONE!

m1

m2

Team A work
Policy: Unit tested

a1

a2

a3

a4

Team B work
Policy: Unit tested

b1

b2

b3

Timeline

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

10: Sprint backlog

doesnt exist too far from the team too complicated not used during Daily Scrum format not chosen by team not owned by the team no burndown not updated daily warning signs ignored

Oh you mean that thing that the ScrumMaster fiddles with sometimes?

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Warning signs
Burndown

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

11: Worrying too much about the problems

We should stop this agile stuff, since were obviously doing it all wrong

Problems are normal Never stop looking for problems Dont panic, dont despair Visible problem = killable problem = opportunity for improvement! Prioritize and fix problems - one by one! Look back once in a while and pat yourselves on the back

Henrik Kniberg

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10 ways to screw up with Scrum and XP

Want more? Try the Scrum Checklist

http://blog.crisp.se/henrikkniberg/2008/02/01/1201823760000.html

Henrik Kniberg

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Sail with pleasure!

The rocks make it more exciting :o)

Henrik Kniberg

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