AGILE SPRINT GUIDE.

A PLAYBOOK FOR RUNNING SUCCESSFUL SPRINTS.

AGILESPRINTGUIDE.A PLAYBOOK FOR RUNNING SUCCESSFUL SPRINTS.

WELCOME

www.lhbs.com

See what we did there?

What is Agile?

Why do Agile?

How to do Agile?

2 3INTRODUCTION

WELCOME. LHBS is a marketing & innovation firm with offices in Berlin and Copenhagen. We help clients to understand today’s emerging customer expectations and to shape their business offerings for tomorrow.

www.lhbs.com

If you’re reading this, chances are Agile has peaked your inter-est. You have a challenge and you’ve set your goal, now it’s just a matter of where to start. Fear not, soon-to-be-sprinter, this guide was made for you.

We’re calling this a Playbook. It has everything you need to stop talking and begin running your own Sprints, from getting the team together to running each stage successfully.The cupcakes, you may be wondering, serve as a deliciously simple analogy we find makes it all easier to digest.See what we did there?

Okay, on with the Sprints.

After reading this Playbook, you’ll be able to answer:

What is Agile?A top line description of Agile and the methodology we apply

Why do Agile?Brief overview of the benefits of Agile methodologies

How to do Agile?A step-by-step guide to running effective Sprints

INTRODUCTION2 3

THE CUPCAKEANALOGY.

The cupcake model, first put forward by Brandon Schauer, former CEO of Adaptive Path, is a great analogy to understand how the Agile team works together, the individual responsibili-ties and how to progress through the Sprint stages. Oh yes, and we just really love cake.

We’ll use the analogy in tandem with describing the actual workings of an Agile Sprint within a business, delving deeper into the cake side of things when it’s the best way to explain a process.

We hope you enjoy discovering more about running your own Agile Sprints effectively, and look forward to hearing of your success!

PhilosophyBasic skills& knowledge

Recipe A delicious cupcake

+ =

This guide

PhilosophyCore values& principles

A wonderful version of your initial goal

+ =

INTRODUCTION4 5

CONTENT 1

3

WHAT AGILE

A top line description of Agile

and the methodology we apply 8

Introducing the Agile Manifesto 12

Highlighting our approach 16

WHY AGILE

Brief overview of the

HOW AGILE

A step-by-step guide to running effective Sprints 40

Setting the stage for working in Sprints 44

Running effective Agile Sprints 60

Taking the next steps

26 CONTENT

CONTENT.

7CONTENT6

1. WHAT AGILEA top line description of Agile and the methodology we apply 8

1. Agile values & principles —Introducing the Agile Manifesto

2. Agile methods & practices —Highlighting our approach

12

16

2. WHY AGILEBrief overview of the benefits of Agile methodologies 32

1. Flexibility

2. Customer-approved value

3. Internal business benefits

36

37

38

3. HOW AGILEA step-by-step guide to running effective Sprints 40

1. Before the Sprint — Setting the stage for working in Sprints

2. During the Sprint — Running effective Agile Sprints

3. After the Sprint — Taking the next steps

44

60

78

9

WHATAGILE.

CHAPTER 1

8

11

Too often, the term Agile is used to merely perpetuate thetrend, tending to miss the mark on what Agile actually is.It is not a certain methodology, not a specific way ofdeveloping software, nor is it a framework or process.

So, what is it?

WHAT AGILE10

AGILE IS A SETOF VALUES ANDPRINCIPLES.

Agile is a set of principles. It is an approach to a way of working, with a number of processes that can be applied to put Agile into action. It’s a foundation for teams to use to make decisions that result in delivering business value more often.

Agile is not about doing more work in less time:It’s about generating more value with fewer resources.“Value” here meaning value to the customer or client,in turn generating more revenue to the business.

Agile is incredibly valuable when an organizationneeds to step away from the core business, and innovate.

11WHAT AGILE10

WHAT AGILE12

1. AGILEVALUES ANDPRINCIPLES.

AGILE MANIFESTOIn 2001, a group of 17 software developers, fed up of overly complex and time-wasting “waterfall” processes, decided to change the status-quo surrounding software develop-ment.

While the waterfall approach works well in stable envi-ronments, it has too often proved ineffective in today’s unpredictable and rapidly changing markets. Its inflexi-ble plans and often overly-detailed (untested) require-ments are simply thrown over the wall to each depart-ment, and only viewed as a whole at the end of the project.

Those ingenious software developers thought up a whole new way to approach development that has since been adopted and reshaped for entire businesses. The outcome?

The Agile Manifesto, made up of four key values:

INDIVIDUALS AND INTERACTIONS.

Processes And ToolsOver

WORKING PROTOTYPES.

Comprehensive Documentation

Over

CUSTOMERCOLLABORATION.

Contract Negotiations

Over

RESPONDING TO CHANGE.

Following A PlanOver

13

12 PRINCIPLES OFTHE AGILE BUSINESSMANIFESTO.

The original “12 principles of the Agile Manifesto” werewritten to be reference points for software developers whenmaking decisions and approaching projects. In a businesssetting, they needed a little context-rework.

Out came the “12 principles of the Agile Business Manifesto ”(see Appendix for details). They are essentially moreactionable guidelines to help professionals adhere to the four core values.

The primary orientation is towards customer need delivered

through constant improvement of customer experience.

Strategies and tactics are highly adaptive and responsive,

and change is welcome.

Iterative, Sprint working delivers customer value

through continuous progress and momentum.

01

02

03

Effective cross-functional collaboration supported

through clear intent is critical for success.04Build companies with motivated individuals. Empower teams to deliver

through a flexible working environment characterized by trust and comfort

with dissent.

Bureaucracy and politics are minimized, co-location and

face-to-face communication maximized, wherever possible.

Working outputs are the optimum measure

of progress and success.

Agile business supports relentless and sustainable innovation and progress.

Change and iteration is constant, and the pace of progress never slows.

05

06

07

08Technical excellence and good design are

central to maintaining pace and agility.

Strategies and tactics are highly adaptive and responsive,

and change is welcome.

The best results emerge from small

teams with a high degree of autonomy.

Continuous improvement is achieved through embedded reflection

time as well as behaviors and culture that support learning.

09

10

11

12

14 15WHAT AGILE

16 17WHAT AGILEWHAT AGILE

2. AGILEMETHODS& PRACTICES.

AGILE WAYOF WORKING.

So why adopt Agile?

Organizations that choose Agile are able to, basically, innovate faster.

By creating a dedicated work environment for the Agile project team, separated from the core business, they can focus wholly on the project at hand and avoid any daily pressures from the core business. Equally, the core busi-ness can continue to run without a hiccup. It’s best all round to have your own space.

Those working Agile will be able to get closer to customers, through continuous research, ongoing user testing and-constant feedback sessions of findings and viable ideas. This means less risk and minimal waste of resources from the revenue-generating and stable core business.

Agile has proven useful not only in its original realm of software development, but more recently in product, service and process development, as well as in marketing and HR departments. What an agile thing Agile is.

WHAT AGILE18

The aim is to produce results andlearnings fast.

Done is better than perfect

Timeboxing allocates a fixedtime period, called a time box, to eachplanned activity.

Time boxed

Agile helps businesses to accelerate profit-able growth by taking people out of their functional silos and putting them into interdisciplinary and customer-focused teams. The idea is to end endless debate and product development cycles.

Self-organized,interdisciplinary team

Everyone in the team is fully dedicated to the Agile project and it’s everyone’s priority. The top management stands behind the Agile team, protects it and provides it with a dedicated budget.

Dedicated resources & focus

Everyone is passionatelyobsessed with deliveringmore value to customers.

Customer focus

The defined workflow is built uponworking in short cycles, which ensurescontinuous feedback and continuousimprovement.

Principle ofcontinuous improvement

19

WHAT AGILE

Agile is a mindset

Lean Scrum Agile Sprint

20

AGILEWORKING MODEL.

Described by four values

Defined by twelve principles

Manifested through an unlimited number of practices

Scrum

Lean

These practices come

together to form a

working model of Agile.

Agile Sprint

Minimum Viable

Product

21

WHAT AGILE6

LEAN. SCRUM.

Core idea:

Breaking down complex challenges into smaller, manageable parts, with a clear workflow of task progress(to-dos, doing & done).

Scrum is all about getting jobs done, and any task can be tackled in the quickest and most systematic way using this framework.Everyone has a shared goal or outcome. Each team member contributes to this by completing well delegated and comprehensible tasks with continuous progress tracking —keeping them focused and reactive to obstacles.

A team using the Scrum framework is:Small, interdisciplinary and self-organizing, with all members sharing a common goal.

CUSTOMER VALUE

+

Core idea:

Maximize customer value, minimize waste (of resources).

The purpose of Lean is twofold. First, it’s all about creatingthe highest level of value for customers and always working to raise this. The second being to use as few resources as possible and minimize waste along entire value streams — not only at isolated points — to deliver this value.

So the dream Lean process would be to provide customerswith perfect value through an equally perfect value creation system that produces zero waste.Empirical findings have proved that the higher the perceived value from the customer’s P.O.V., the more loyal they’re likely to be, so the higher the equity of that customer to the business. Just like karma, it all comes back.

A Lean team is:A group of individuals empowered to make quick decisions autonomously and take actions that provide the most value to customers and optimize all their processes to meet this end. ...

......

WHAT AGILE22 23

WHAT AGILE6

AGILESPRINT.

Core idea:

Using short, incremental phases of designing,prototyping and testing to answer critical business questions.

The Agile Sprint is an approach to creating and improvinguser experience and product design, placing the business,technology and (especially) the user in the spotlight.

Teams progress through short cycles — or “Sprints” —to develop understanding, research, ideation, prototyping andvalidation (often through user testing) within a set number ofdays. The result is a raw but valuable product or service to bebuilt on in the next Sprint — a.k.a. Minimum Viable Product.

MINIMUM VIABLEPRODUCT (MVP).

Core idea:

A product or service with just enough features and working parts to test and gather customer feedback.

Now this can’t be a simple drawing of an idea or a flat image of a product, but a working prototype to gain relevant and real feedback. It should also fit realistically into the customer journey, for example, a product could be made available through a realistic purchasing process or a service could be displayed on a real landing page.

The (delicious) cupcake analogy describes this approach as well as the traditional way in more detail.

TRY ME!

WHAT AGILE24 25

WHAT AGILE6

WATERFALLTHINKING.

The old way

The Waterfall Approach is comparable to a dry cake model. The product team starts with a basic and uninteresting product, a plain dry cake base. Then, as the next step in the plan, they add new features such as icing or filling.While it makes sense operationally, it’s doing nothingfor the customer.

What is a cake without the filling and the icing?Asking the real questions.

In business terms — what feedback could a customer give on how tasty the final, whole cake will be from only adry cake base? The impossibility to gather feedback from potential customers while it’s being made often results in a lot of time spent and upfront costs, potentially on a cake the end user won’t even like (business translation: they find very little value in it).

Only once the cake is ready can they know for sure, and the team could have already begun traveling down the wrong path, which 1. makes it expensive and time consuming to go back to the drawing board and 2. makes it much harder to change the mindset and focus of people involved in the creation to something new. Like apple pie.

So what approach can they take instead?

WHAT AGILE6 WHAT AGILE26 27

WHAT AGILE6

MINIMUMVIABLE PRODUCT.

The Agile way

The Minimum Viable Product (let’s shorten that to MVPand make it easier on the ink) is a superb answer tohow teams who want to work Agile can approach productor service creation.

First, what it isn’t. An MVP is not the smallest possibleproduct, made in the shortest amount of time and in thecheapest possible way. It is simply the minimum versionof the product or service that the customer will find exciting,be willing to use and that can kick-off conversations withcustomers about what could be better.

The idea is that teams start out by creating a smalleryet complete product (or service) that is already desirable,like a cupcake. With all the appeal of a complete cake —base, icing, filling — but production costs and time spentare much lower.

Iterations can be made quicker and easier, and it can beshipped to the customer at every step of the process sothe most valuable feedback can be gathered early on.Once the cupcake-version holds the most value for and isdesired by the customer, the teams can then assign moreresources to creating the full-blown version, this time beingsure it will be well received by customers.

WHAT AGILE6 WHAT AGILE28 29

WHAT AGILE30

EXAMPLES OFACTUAL MINIMUMVIABLE PRODUCTS.

Iphone 1

The very first iPhone had very basicfunctions compared to today’s phones —even compared to the second iPhone.It was created to start a conversationwith customers and discover how theywould use this device.

Virgin Air

Before launching an entire fleet,the Virgin Air airline had simply oneBoeing 747 travelling on one route.

They would answer some key questionsand discover demand and desires

of customers.

Dropbox

Dropbox, the software that syncs filesacross devices began with a simplelanding page, hosting one explainervideo (demonstrating the service’s mainfeatures and use cases even though theproduct had not yet been built).

31

WHAT AGILE6

WHYAGILE.

CHAPTER 2

32 33

BECOMINGMORE AGILEIS THE BESTWAY FORCOMPANIESTO COPE WITHEMERGINGCHALLENGES.

WHY AGILE

With technology continuously evolving, it’s throwing upnew opportunities as well as new challenges.

Innovation cycles are shortening — just look at the rise offast fashion and Apple’s continuous new releases —new, disruptive competitors are entering markets andcustomers now want more interaction and influenceover the products they buy.

As a result, companies are being stretched to their limitswith their existing ways of working.

“It is not the strongest of the speciesthat survive, nor the most intelligent,but the one most responsive to change.”

— Charles Darwin

An Agile mindset supports innovation and delivery of morecustomer-centric value. It is no longer limited to the IT depart-ment, but can be adopted by the whole organization.

34 35

BENEFITSOF AGILE.

1. FlexibilityChange throughout the project is accepted and expected. Requirements will emerge and evolve as the productis developed — something actively encouraged to avoid surprises down the line.

This continuous feedback has two big benefits. One, quality of the end product is higher (in terms of value and usabilityfor the customer) because testing is integrated throughout the process of creation. Two, risk is managed and minimized.The small, incremental releases mean issues can be caught early, making response and resolution easier and faster.

2. Customer-approved valueThere’s nothing worse than spending a huge amount oftime, money and effort on creating a new product, throwingyourself behind a launch and feeling darn proud, only to bedeflated after consumers just don’t respond as you expected.

The Agile approach makes a great deal of sense when we consider all of the savings it makes the company,as well as all the early, valuable learnings it brings teams. With Agile, the end user is actively involved throughout the creation process, continuously testing and giving feedback to develop-ment teams.

This not only ensures the “right product” is created for the intended end user, but it also provides excellent visibilityto key stakeholders.

WHY AGILE36 37

3. Internal business benefitsLet’s go into more detail about exactly how businessescan benefit from working Agile on a project basis (because let’s face it, that’s how we can convince the people upstairs).

Revenue: Product benefits and the real unique selling points are being realized early on as the features are being tested and shipped to market incrementally.

Speed to market: Early and regular releases and keeping a product in “perpetual beta” (a.k.a. in beta development stage) is giving companies the chance to be first to market,as they’re developing in the open and releasing features as soon as they have a working product.

Cost control: While there may be some fluctuation in costs as the scope of the product and its features are variable,it will be minimal. This is down to only the “right” features being pursued to development as a result of continuoustesting. Instead of blowing the entire budget on a prediction and not being able to see the audience’s reaction untileverything is completed (and everything is spent), the budget spending is continuously re-evaluated and the mostis made from it.

It is also much more likely that less is required for marketing the product, as the company will be selling a needinstead of also having to create one.

More enjoyable: We know that happy employees equal higher motivation and so higher productivity levels. Workingcollaboratively, cooperatively as well as closely with customers keeps people focused on the real-world outcomeand genuinely interested in creating the best solution for consumers.

WHY AGILE38 39

HOWAGILE.

CHAPTER 3

40 41

AN AGILE SPRINTCAN BE BROKENDOWN INTO THREEKEY PHASES.

The how to Agile is a detailed overview of the Sprint process that LHBS has utilized over many projects and many industries. Included are the basics of Design Thinking and Scrum but also steps that have been incorporated based on our ongoing learnings and best practices.

BeforeSetting the stage for working in Agile Sprints

DuringRunning effective Agile Sprints step by step

AfterNext steps

HOW AGILE42 43

1. BEFORETHE SPRINT.

GETMANAGEMENT/STAKEHOLDERCOMMITMENT.The Agile team needs full commitment from all top levelmanagement members. Why all?

The effect of unanimous management support of anAgile team cannot be overestimated. It gives the Agile teamconfidence in their work, a drive to really produce the bestresults and trust in the core business that they will actuallysee value in what they will spend their time on during theAgile project. Support is priceless, and can often mean thedifference between a successful Agile project anda disappointing one.

Commitment comes from truly understanding the benefitsof Agile, as well as the value that the core business canderive from doing an Agile project. One way could be toinvite management to join the Agile team in the introductorymeetings for understanding Agile.

They should also dedicate a budget as well as personal resources to the Agile team.

HOW AGILE44 45

FRAME THESPRINT CHALLENGE.

COMMISSIONAND EQUIP ADEDICATED ROOM.The Agile Sprint team needs a dedicated space. Not to hidethem away, but so they can easily separate themselvesfrom their traditional, day-to-day roles and really immersethemselves in the Agile way of working. Avoiding distractionsfrom the core business is another plus.

The main goal of Agile Sprints is to develop an MVPto test a sustainable business model within a defined areaor from a certain starting point.

Wherever you start sprinting from is something thatshould be discussed and decided on with management,just to be sure you’re all on the same page. It could comefrom an opportunity area the company has already identified,or if nobody is sure where to focus, the first Sprint can beused to hone in on and find that specific goal.

Depending on the challenge, it’s down to you and your team to decide on how many iterations of an Agile Sprint it will take to solve it.

More certain:Develop a relevant offer for “Better Internet Experience”

More general:Which customer painpoints can we removein order to drive loyalty?

WiFi setup

Laptops (one per

team member)

Beamer / TV

Printer

Conference speaker

Relevant cables

Keys and / or badge

(to enter office)

Team credit card

Checklist for devices & things potentially needed:

Checklist for other materials needed:

Flip-charts

Moderation boards

Sticky notes (differ-

ent colors)

Static notes (Stattys)

Pens & markers

Tape

Voting dots

Timer / phone

HOW AGILE46 47

HOW AGILE48 49

RECRUIT ACOMMITTEDAGILE TEAM.

We all like to be sure of things, especially when it comes tomaking decisions for our business. Given the nature ofAgile working, this surety is really challenged. Agile isall about adaption, reaction and learning, so the team needsto know that it’s okay not to know everything in preparationfrom day one.

Having a strong feeling of collaboration,support, curiosity and drive within theteam creates the best environment togo forth and conquer.

Facilitator Developers + Project Owner Management

Agile team Supporting roles

Sponsor

The team should be made up of 5 2 dedicated people, plus a Facilitator. Everyone on the team should want to be part of the team. This can be difficult without some introduction to what Agile working is, why the company wants to do it and a general understanding of the principles and values.

Ideally, every team member’s working time is agreed upon together with managers, and committed to fully by the entire Agile team. They need to be co-located for easy communica-tion and for trust in one-another to develop.

They should be self-organized and autonomous in their work-ing, sharing all responsibility and accountability for delivering the outcome. This can be tough, especially for those used to working within a traditional waterfall system. A little encour-agement and a lot of trust from those up top is often all they need.

Team member intro meeting

Agile deep dive workshop (with the whole team,

including management if possible)

Team building workshop

Suggested meetings / workshops for Agile team:

One has the added responsibility of making sure everyonehas what they need to fulfill their role. In other words,they should ensure the team has a fully-equipped kitchen,with everything they need to create the cupcake.

Supporting functionsThey are management and one sponsor. The ones lookingafter the business surrounding the kitchen where all thehands-on cupcake creation is happening. They have theresponsibility of budgeting, with possible client requests,specific business guidelines etc. They’re not part of theAgile team, though you will see them appearing for keymeetings to keep up-to-date on the cupcake progress.

FacilitatorThe only chef who has experience in the cake-making process.Perhaps not specifically the type of cake being created intheir team’s chosen project, but of the process in general.As we’ve mentioned, Agile working is all about ongoing learn-ing, and each team’s end product can be very different depending on these learnings.

Therefore, the Facilitator’s job is not to instruct or makedecisions for the team, but more to keep them runningto schedule, encourage them to ask the right questions, to motivate them and ensure they are indeed working Agile.

The majority of Agile team members are dubbed the“Developers” (of the project, not to be confused withIT developers!), and it’s helpful to have someone representingeach department of the main organization actingas Developers.

One of the Developers has a second role as the Project Owner.

So how are the roles acted out in the cupcake analogy?

Agile teamThey are in the kitchen creating the cake, each a chef specializing in various foods. It’s unlikely any are too familiar with making cakes (this is a world where chefs are very particular — just go with us on this one).

Therefore, they all have something they can learn from one-an-other, and are all prepared to jump into any stage of the cake-making process and learn as they go to get the job done.

This brings four key benefits:

1. Expertise from all fields2. Different ways of looking at the same problem3. Insight into different departments whomay not usually converse and4. A view of each crucial step in the end-to-endcustomer experience.

HOW AGILE50 51

FACILITATOR.

Experienced and ideally trained in Design Thinking,Agile Sprints, Agile and Scrum first (over other approaches)Experienced and confident in leading workshops orproject teams and synthesizing discussions spontaneouslyHigh organizational skills ability in managing differentworking streams simultaneouslyHigh motivation to work with an interdisciplinary teamand take part in building up an Agile companyA challenger with a curious mindset to questionestablished processes, structures and ways of workingHigh degree of self-motivationReadiness to take responsibilitySupportive of the innovation teams with the hands-ondevelopment of new solutions

Qualification profile

Helping employees and stakeholders to understandagility and how to bring it into their rolesManaging time, conversations and overall Sprint process Helping the development team to create high-value products Facilitating meetings as requested or neededCoaching the development team in self-organization and cross-functionalityMaking change happen that will increase the productivity of the teamCoaching the development team in organizational environ-ments in which agility is not yet fully adopted and understood Removing obstacles impeding on the developmentteam’s progress

Responsibilities

Role in more detailThe Facilitator supports the Agile team and stakeholders ofthe core business, ensuring effective communication betweenthem. He or she is responsible for making the whole systemwork smoothly and to promote the Agile way of working.

Main goalTo ensure and maximize the productivity of the team. For that he or she adapts existing processes and eliminates potential obstacles.

Role:Facilitator

Also known as:“Agile Coach” or “Change Agent”

Primary role:Guides the Agile team, moderates and literally facilitates all stages of the Sprint, including meetings.

HOW AGILE52 53

High degree of self-motivationReadiness to take on responsibilityEntrepreneurial spirit & hands-on mindsetDrive for discovering new opportunity areas forthe company, away from the core businessAbility to think outside of the box and to alwayshave the bigger picture in perspective

Qualification profile

The team is structured and empowered by thecompany to organize and manage their own workTeam members need to do all the work deemed necessary to deliver a potentially releasable increment of a “Done” product at the end of each Sprint The team as a whole is responsible and accountable for the delivery of the product incrementsAll team members are equally responsible for alltasks that need to be done regardless of specializedskills or areas of focus

Responsibilities

The members are ideally dedicated full-time in the team and their daily activities need to be covered by a selected colleague.

DEVELOPERS.

Role:Developers

Individuals with cross-functional skills suited to the challenge.

Members:5 2 dedicated people who want to be part ofthe team — regardless of whether they were chosen or actively applied.

HOW AGILE54 55

PROJECT OWNER.

High degree of self-motivationReadiness to take responsibilityHigh organizational skills abilityEntrepreneurial spirit & hands-on mindsetDrive for discovering new opportunity areas for thecompany, away from the core businessAbility to think outside of the box and to always have thebigger picture in perspective

Qualification profile

Managing the goalsManaging the budgetStakeholder management together with Sponsor Ensuring the team has all the necessary tools to deliver their work, e.g. WiFi connection, laptops etc. Guarding the Agile team from external requests and disruptions

Additional responsibilities

Main goalEnsuring the Developer team stays focussed on achievingthe goal by making sure all necessary equipment is provided, distractions from the core business are minimized and the budget is managed.

Role:Project Owner plus an equal part of the Developer team.

Primary role:Being an integrated member of the Developer team, while ensuring they have all the tools they need to deliver their work.

HOW AGILE56 57

MANAGEMENT. SPONSOR.

Top-level support is key for the success of the Agile team.It’s important that the whole Management team staysinvolved during the entire Sprint process. How exactly?Well, they should:

Participate once every Sprint for 1–2 hoursat the Sprint Review Meeting

Receive constant updates and give feedback

Decide on future development of Agile team projects

Project Sponsors are generally senior figures in mostcompanies, called on to champion the project’s visionand then to back words with funding and political capital.

Provides motivation and exposure for the team at a higher level

Resolves issues and blockages with the core business and other stakeholders

HOW AGILE58 59

2. DURINGTHE SPRINT.

2. Research

3. Ideate

5. Validate

4. Prototype

We already covered the ambiguity of a Sprint project.To reiterate, Agile is all about adaption, reaction and learning. Any one challenge may only need one Sprint to developa desired solution. Some might need several, and others could reach the stage of developing that tasty MVP, and subsequent Sprints can be designed to continually add new and improved features or functionalities, forming a concept ofcontinuous releases.

Each situation is unique and each team will have to decide how many Sprints a solution will take as they move through the project. They will also decide on whether the concept of continuous improvement will simply become a way of working.

The team is also free to define the length of each Sprint —from five days to two weeks.

However the team chooses to tackle a challenge,each Sprint consists of five basic steps:

1. Understand

HOW AGILE60 61

TYPICAL SPRINTSCHEDULE.

THE DAILYSTAND-UP.

Meeting: Daily Stand-Up

An important meeting that kicks off each and every day of the Sprint is the Daily Scrum, also known as the Daily Stand-Up, to discuss how the team is progressing and what the team wants to tackle that day.

Questions to guide the Stand-Ups:

• What will I do today to help the team meet the Sprint goal?• What did I do yesterday that helped the team

meet the Sprint goal?• Do I see any obstacle that prevents me or the team

from meeting the Sprint goal?

Ideally, the Daily Stand-Up should be 15 minutes in length.We usually give each person a 1-minute slot to catcheveryone up on their progress and focus of the day,keeping it short and sweet.

Repeat for next Sprint

Key: Meeting

SprintPlanning

Understand

Research Ideate Prototype

Validate

DailyStand-Up

DailyStand-Up

DailyStand-Up

DailyStand-Up

Phase 2Phase 1 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

SprintReview

SprintRetrospective

Focus of the phase

In the subsequent pages we refer to a ‘product’.This is a universal term that applies to anything that needs to be designed and delivered within the context of the challenge that has been agreed on. This could be a physical product, a digital product, a service, a process or even a feature of an existing product.

62 HOW AGILE 63

PHASE 1SPRINT PLANNING.Sprint PlanningThe Sprint Planning opens each Sprint and is time boxed. The team discusses the Sprint goal with the Facilitator. They then collaborate to reach a mutual understanding of the Sprint goal and the work required to achieve it.

The Sprint Planning answers the following:

• What can we achieve during the upcoming Sprint?• How will the work needed to deliver the

increment be achieved?

Input:Product Backlog

Capacity / Velocity

Current Product

Status

Constraints

Sprint planning:1. What?

2. How?

Sprint BacklogA list of productbacklog items that theAgile team believesit can complete duringthe coming Sprint.Items are orderedby priority and shouldbe visualized for thewhole team in theAgile team space.Basically, stick themsomewhere the teamcan’t help but lookat everyday.

Product BacklogA list of everythingthat might be includedin the final product.A continuously evolvinglist of requirements.

Output:Product Backlog

Sprint Backlog

In progress

Done

HOW AGILE64 65

PHASE 1UNDERSTAND.

Focus of the Understand phase

The focus of the first step of each Sprint is about identifyingand understanding the underlying issues as well asopportunity spaces for the challenge at stake. This stageoffers the chance to dive deep into the challenge,widening the scope for idea generation during the laterstages of the Sprint.

In this step it is important to understand which constraintsare important and to establish the framework accordingly forevaluating those constraints. This preparation will help thenext phase to run smoothly, with everyone on the same page.The team also needs to define a set of objectives, like:price point, available technology, market segment, and so on.

Qualification profile

Sweets

HOW AGILE66 67

• Stakeholder map• Mind mapping• 360 degree lightning talks on the challenge• Competitive overview• Lightning talks on business goals• Lightning talks on technology capacities today

and over time

HOW AGILE68 69

Focus of the Understand phase

The research is carried out to understand the currentchallenge from the perspective of all stakeholders, includingthe team as well as the customers for whom the solutionis being designed. The research approach (i.e. questions,observations) will all be based on the agreed challenge.

Second, third or fourth Sprint at the Research phase?Each time the focus may shift or become more targeted,and so new, illuminating research can always be uncoveredas you learn more and more about your shareholders.

While carrying out research, team members need to havecertain constraints in mind, which can be categorized intocriteria such as feasibility (what is functionally possible in theforeseeable future); viability (what is likely to become part ofa sustainable business model); and desirability (what makessense to people and for people).

PHASE 2RESEARCH.

• Expert interviews• Field interviews with users• Observing users in their real environment• Gaining empathy by standing in shoes of

• Analogous inspiration

Tools & techniques

others (immersion)

HOW AGILE70 71

PHASE 3IDEATE.

Focus of the Ideate phase

The objective of this step is to explore a wide range of optionsin order to create choices. Divergent thinking plays animportant role here.

Initially, the team should create as many ideas as possible andgo through a process of internal team evaluation and voting.The next step will then be to bring together and combinethe possible solutions into just a couple of ideas that the teamagree to develop further and bring to the prototype phase.

Ideate mindset: Defer judgement — encourage wild ideas —build on the ideas of others — stay focused on the topic —one conversation at a time — be visual — go for quantity(source: see Appendix).

• 8 ideas in 5 minutes• 6-3-5 BrainWriting technique• 1 big idea in 5 minutes• 1 storyboard in 5 minutes

Tools & techniques

HOW AGILE72 73

Focus of the Prototype phase

Prototypes should command only as much time, effort,and investment as is needed to generate useful feedbackand drive an idea forward.

The purpose of early prototypes might be to understandwhether an idea has functional value. Anything tangiblethat lets us explore an idea, evaluate it and push it forwardis a prototype.

The prototype should be built to generate feedback.The longer you are working on a solution, the more attachedyou get to it, and you become less and less open for feedbackto change major things. We’ve all been there.

Sometimes it could take longer to build a more perfectprototype, but doing so would only slow down the learningprocess. That might not matter if you’re on the right path,but let’s face it — not every idea is a winner. Better to find outearly than to feel your time and effort was wasted later on.

Prototype mindset: You can prototype everything —prototypes are disposable — build just enough to learn,and not more — the prototype must appear real.

PHASE 4PROTOTYPE.

• Mock-up (e.g. mobile app, website landing page etc.)• Demos• Videos• Physical prototype

Tools & techniques

HOW AGILE74 75

Focus of the Validate phase

The main objective of this step is to test the prototypecreated in the previous step within a small sample of guestusers (e.g. potential clients and users).

One-on-one interviews are often the best way to observetheir reactions. Asking them questions about an aspect ofthe prototype can gather surprising insights, perhaps onesyou hadn’t even considered as important. The most crucialtask for the team during this step is to remain neutral andobjective to generate more reliable, unbiased feedback.

PHASE 5VALIDATE.

• Field testing with users• Stakeholder validation• Technical feasibility validation

Tools & techniques

HOW AGILE76 77

Meeting: Sprint Review

The Sprint Review does exactly what it says. It takes placeat the end of the Sprint and is designed to gather actionablefeedback on what the team has completed. It’s an opportunityto showcase work to the Sponsor as well as the Managementteam, and to inspect the overall roadmap for the product(Pilot Backlog).

Meeting: Sprint Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective, the last ceremony in the Sprint,takes place after the Sprint Review and before the nextSprint Planning. It’s a chance to review the process andidentify opportunities to improve the next Sprints.You’ll find the best way to Sprint with the team you have,and continuously evolve and improve.

PHASE 5SPRINT REVIEW& SPRINTRETROSPECTIVE.

After each successful Sprint or series of Sprints,there are two possible outcomes:

1. Ready?The MVP is ready for market release (nice!).

Actions:Develop a go-to-market plan. Consider getting bigger(in value) and better (in usability) by continuing in Sprints to constantly deliver ‘new and improved’ features and functionalities for subsequent ‘upgrade’ releases.

2. Or not?The MVP is not yet ready for market release due to the complexity and scale of the identified solution (no problem!).

Actions:Start another Sprint following the same guidelines outlined in this playbook until the team has an MVP ready for release.

3. AFTERTHE SPRINT.

HOW AGILE78 79

HOW AGILE80 81

Whether the MVP is released or is taken to the next Sprint,the process and the outcomes should be documented ina well structured way. This helps teams later on to build onthe existing knowledge that is applicable for the team andto update others in a clear way. Whatever you do, don’t getdragged down by toppling admin chores! Keep it regularand routine for quicker, more supported results.

DOCUMENTATIONOF OUTCOMES.

The Retrospectives which are done after each Agile Sprinthave to be well documented and easy to access.Retrospectives are used by the Agile team to review theprocess and identify opportunities to improvefollowing Sprints.

This information, including the identified key learnings shouldalso be accessible for future Agile teams. Succeed together.

DOCUMENTATIONOF THERETROSPECTIVES.

HOW AGILE82 83

Think of a go-to-market plan and identify what the nextrelease of your Sprint outcome could or might be.These challenges should and would be best solved in the formof a series of Agile Sprints as well. So versatile.

PLAN GO-TO-MARKET & NEXTPRODUCT RELEASE.

Depending on the next challenge, plan another series of Agile Sprints and undergo the process shown in this guide again.

PLAN THENEXT SPRINT.

Understand

ResearchValidate

Prototype Ideate

Understand

ResearchValidate

Prototype Ideate

Sprint 1 Sprint 2

84 HOW AGILE 85

APPENDIX. In the Appendix you will find links with further readingsthat give you the possibility to learn more about Agile andto go deeper into certain topics. The second part consists oftools that can be helpful for the work within the Agile teamand for building great Minimum Viable Products.

www.lhbs.com/agile-appendix

www.lhbs.com/resources

Access our free intelligence.Discover insights, reports & case studies.

Copyright © 2018 by LHBSAll rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced — mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying — without written permission of the publisher.

Publisher:LHBS Consulting Berlin GmbHKpenicker Straße 15410997 BerlinGermany

The thoughts and proposals documented in this guide are intel-lectual property of LHBS Consulting Berlin GmbH and protected by copyright laws as they stand. The unauthorized usage, copying as a whole or in parts, and passing on to third parties is not permitted.

Place of publication: Berlin, Germany.Printed in Austria.Second edition, 2018

IMPRINT

“I understand the benefits,I see the potential —but how do I actually get started?”

In reply, we set out to put together a short, informative and action-packed playbook for the popular Agile practice — the Sprint.

Why Sprints? Together with top clients, we’ve proven time and time again that Sprints really can achieve the impossible through facilitating collaboration, understanding customers and delivering value. They’re also great to begin with when starting out in Agile and easy to implement on a proj-ect-by-project basis. Perfect.

Businesses of any size, age and industry can adopt and adapt this playbook to begin working Agile — starting today.

This is your definitive guide to running successful Agile Sprints through breaking down the process into actionable, fully achievable steps.

Now, there’s nothing stopping you.