Agile Estimation

Andrew Rusling

Agile Coach

@andrewrusling

Contents

1. Agile Estimation

2. Story Points

3. Planning Poker

4. Fast Estimation

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Competencies

At the end of this session, I expect you will be able to:

• Summarise Agile Estimation

• Explain what Story Point’s are

• Explain what a Reference Story is.

• Participate in Planning Poker

• Participate in Fast Estimation

3

An estimation exercise 4

Agile Estimation – key points 5

Relative over Absolute

• Innate ability

• Speed

Group over individuals

• Individuals

• Learning

• Id issues early

• Consensus

• Speed

Speed over accuracy

• Just enough to

• Prioritise

• Plan

Story Points, represent SIZE of a story 6

Effort

Complexity

Doubt

Story Points are relative to each other 7

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8

Story Points the maths holds 8

1 2+=3

Story Point Scale 9

00.5

1 2 3 5 8 13 20 …

My head tells me 12

0 0.5 1 2 3 5 8 13 20 40 100 ∞

Story Points do not equate to time 10

1

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Two graduates: Two seniors:5 days 5 days

Two graduates:Two seniors: 1 day 30 days

Planning Poker

Preparation

At start of project/team select a Reference User Story, (2 Story Points).

1. Each team member holds one set of cards

2. Product Owner explains User Story

3. Team discusses

4. Each team member selects a card and places face down on table

5. Reveal together

6. Discuss outliers, searching for Effort, Complexity & Doubt

7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 until consensus is reached at step 5.

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Estimating eating fruit

2 Story Points

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Fast Estimation

Preparation

• Lay out one set of Planning Poker cards

• Print/write out all stories on cards/paper

• Lay down one or more reference user stories

1. Split up stories between team members.

2. Check for stories that make no sense, and discuss very briefly.

3. Time 60 seconds, in silence to place stories as a first est.

4. Time 60 seconds, in silence to move stories.

5. Go through all stories, checking consensus with team and quick votes.

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Full explanation online

Prepared, with five reference stories 14

End of Fast Estimation 15

Estimating Cooking Meals

• Eggs Benedict

• Tin Baked Beans

• Fruit Salad

• B.L.T.

• Crispy skinned Salmon

• Poached Eggs

• Soufflé

• Cheese Burger

• 64 Cup Cakes

• Pineapple upside down cake

• Burrito’s

• Mashed Potato

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• Garden Salad

• À la carte, 3 courses for two people

• Cheese Cake

• 12 Fancy cup cakes

• Duck Ala orange

• Caesar Salad

• À la carte, 3 courses for ten people

• Lasagne

• Beef Korma

• Banoffee Pie

• Fish & Chips

Competencies

I hope you will now be able to:

• Summarise Agile Estimation

• Explain what Story Point’s are

• Explain what a Reference Story is.

• Participate in Planning Poker

• Participate in Fast Estimation

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Additional Information

• Story Points are only one third of the reason for estimating

• Story Points do not equate to time

• Top Tips for Planning Poker

• ThoughtWorks How do you estimate on an agile project?

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