There are instances where individuals or groups make a choice to address a problem, where that choice proves to be ineffective at best, and does more harm than good, at worst. The term anti-pattern is a general way to call out that sort of situation, where a choice has largely negative consequences. In software development,...Read More

It is common to make an assertion, based on an assumption that is believed to be true, and where we do not have enough evidence to know for sure whether the assertion is true. And, to be considered a valid scientific hypothesis, it must also be possible to test the assertion. In agile product development,...Read More

There is a mathematical formula which stipulates that it is possible to predict how much time it will take from start to finish to deliver a product, based on the production rate and how much simultaneous Work-In-Progress (WIP) exist in the system. The formula is named after an MIT professor named John Little, and it...Read More

Humans have a general cognitive bias to be overly optimistic when they have low ability or experience with completing a task, and overly pessimistic when they have high ability or experience with completing a task. This phenomenon is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, and it was named after the psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger,...Read More

It has been shown that when humans are aware that they are being observed, they change their behavior. This phenomenon, which is known as the the Hawthorne Effect, is named after an early-20th-century study that was conducted by Western Electric at their Hawthorne Works location in Cicero, Illinois. During the study, various changes were made...Read More

When it comes to human behavior, whenever we baseline success against a particular measure, the efficacy of that measure tends to decline. This idea, known as Goodhart’s Law, is named after Charles Goodhart, an economist and former advisor to the Bank of England. Thus if we are working within a system of rewards and punishments,...Read More

The smallest set of functionality customers need in order to perceive value in a feature. Key attributes of a Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF) include addressing a specific need, solving a particular customer problem, and having a high level of quality and usability. By focusing on releasing value in smaller increments, it’s possible to reduce both...Read More

A group of predefined features that provide end-to-end value. A Minimum Business Increment (MBI) is informed by business initiatives that focus on predetermined end results. While often confused with a Minimal Viable Product (MVP), an MBI devotes more attention to what has been learned from previous MBIs, while an MVP is characteristic of a Lean...Read More

The smallest number of features needed to get the attention of at least a subset of customers and gain acceptance from early adopters who will provide feedback or provide enough learning to prove or disprove a hypothesis. A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is most effective when it serves as a learning point, with the understanding...Read More

A way of expressing a reasonably small unit of work that needs to be done to meet a particular customer or user need and thereby provide business value. User stories are articulated in such a way that they are understandable for both business people and technical people. It is a common practice to include a...Read More