1. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Breaking down the Epic User Story

2. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Dilbert on the User Story

3. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Why are Epics important? When do we break them down? Who does it? How do we do it?

4. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Why are Epics important?

5. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Business Case Financing Scope & Approach Contracts Initial Release Plan Assemble Team Sprint Planning 1 day Acceptance Defined Team commits Tasks created Product Owner establishes vision and prioritizes Product Backlog Sprint 1 to 4 weeks Team (BA, QA, Dev, etc.) creates and estimates Sprint Backlog (tasks) Potentially Shippable Daily Scrum < 15 minutes Burn down Review 1/2 day Sprint Retrospective 1/2 day Burn up velocity Scrum

6. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com A list of goals, features, and items that a product must provide in order to meet a business need. The Product Owner creates and maintains this list, and from it all Sprints derive their work. User Stories are popular product backlog items. Product Backlog The essential planning tool

7. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Good Stories Are...

8. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com The Epic User Story

9. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com How much is there? 33 25 8 8 20 30 40Total: 180 Total features in P B/L features per interval of time (velocity) length of interval

10. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com How much is there?

11. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Why are Epics important? I can forecast… I can start sooner…

12. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Why breakdown at all?

13. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Good Stories Are...

14. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Good to great!

15. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Independent Negotiable Valuable Estimable Small Testable Sprint 1 to 4 weeks Fits nicely into one sprint…

16. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com In today’s session… EpicSmall I wonder how…

17. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com When do we do it?

18. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Timing – in between… Initial Product Backlog Product Backlog Grooming Sprint Planning Sprint Execution Grooming Session Breakdown Sprint Execution Next Sprint Planning Sizing

19. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Timing – as you go… Initial Product Backlog Product Backlog Grooming Sprint Planning Sprint Execution Next Sprint Planning Sprint Execution Breakdown & Sizing

20. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Who does it?

21. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Sponsor ScrumMasterProduct Owner Stakeholders Team Who breaks down the Epics?

22. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Sponsor ScrumMasterProduct Owner Stakeholders Team Who breaks down the Epics?

23. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com How do we do it?

24. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 1.Workflow Steps 2.Business Rules 3.Major Effort 4.Simple / Complex 5.Variations in Data 6.Defer non-functionals 7.Operations (CRUD) 8.Spikes (research) Original List ©2009 Humanizing Work, LLC

25. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 1.Workflow Steps

26. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 2. Business Rules

27. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 3. Major Effort

28. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 4. Simple / Complex

29. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 5. Variations in data

30. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 6. Defer non-functionals

31. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 7. Operations (CRUD)

32. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Guidelines for breaking down EpicSmall 8. Spikes  (research)  Be careful with this one

33. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Here they are again EpicSmall 1.Workflow Steps 2.Business Rules 3.Major Effort 4.Simple / Complex 5.Variations in Data 6.Defer non-functionals 7.Operations (CRUD) 8.Spikes (research) Original List ©2009 Humanizing Work, LLC

34. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Why are Epics important? When do we break them down? Who does it? How do we do it?

35. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Break them down in between. All responsible, PO accountable. Eight guidelines. Break them down as we go. Epics help us forecast. Epics get us started sooner.

36. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Plans are nothing. Planning is everything. -Dwight D. Eisenhower

37. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Gary.McCants @ImprovingEnterprises.com All Done!

38. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Questions? www.synerzip.com Hemant Elhence hemant@synerzip.com 469.322.0349

39. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Synerzip in a Nut-shell 1. Software product development partner for small/mid- sized technology companies Exclusive focus on small/mid-sized technology companies, typically venture-backed companies in growth phase By definition, all Synerzip work is the IP of its respective clients Deep experience in full SDLC – design, dev, QA/testing, deployment 2. Dedicated team of high caliber software professionals for each client Seamlessly extends client’s local team, offering full transparency Stable teams with very low turn-over NOT just “staff augmentation”, but provide full mgmt support 3. Actually reduces risk of development/delivery Experienced team - uses appropriate level of engineering discipline Practices Agile development – responsive, yet disciplined 4. Reduces cost – dual-shore team, 50% cost advantage 5. Offers long term flexibility – allows (facilitates) taking offshore team captive – aka “BOT” option

40. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com Our Clients

41. ©2011 Improving Enterprises, Inc. www.synerzip.com 41 Call Us for a Free Consultation! www.synerzip.com Hemant Elhence hemant@synerzip.com 469.322.0349 Thanks!