Who still cares? Well: I still care! But only for teams who don't have bigger problems. Velocity doesn't solve problems. Measuring it usually doesn't either. Once you've got the biggest problems outta the way, teams can (and should) focus on improving predictability on a bigger scale. That's what velocity and story points are for. Here's my take on the topic:
Who still cares? Well: I still care! But only for teams who don't have bigger problems. Velocity doesn't solve problems. Measuring it usually doesn't either. Once you've got the biggest problems outta the way, teams can (and should) focus on improving predictability on a bigger scale. That's what velocity and story points are for. Here's my take on the topic:
https://robertkalweit.com/en/2021/07/05/how-to-not-get-burnt-an-abbreviated-story-about-agile-estimation/
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Robert. Aye, used correctly, these can help teams for sure.
Though, It ain't easy to find teams who don't have bigger problems. I've been looking for a while now. Ha!
Haha, very true. Thought about that over breakfast this morning: In 17 years I've had this with 3 teams and 4y total:
- 1st: 3y problem solving, 2y predictable high performance incl. SP+velocity forecasting
- 2nd: one off project with no legacy and a small agency team for a 1y project (delivery of key achievements within +-1w)
- 3rd: 1y problem solving with great mgmt support, then 1y of predictable high performance
Feels great to remember those times, but still: Only 25% of the time working in+with high performing teams.
This is cool! You've had better experiences than I have. And, I am sure you were part of the success for these teams.