How To Handle Scope Creep
Every product release our goals are the same: we want to show customers we care about meeting their needs and we want to stay ahead of our competition! So how do we get it all done? We cram as many features and bugs as we can think of. Cutting back is for complainers!
Is it really?
Or… is it hard to estimate how long a feature is going to take to build and a bug to fix? And by not cutting back are we jeopardizing the quality of the product we release and sacrificing the sanity of the team?
We get that this is an age old struggle. It’s hard to challenge business goals, and start a conversation within your team about why you aren’t going to do something without being seen as a slacker.
If you or your team has struggled to figure out what will produce quick wins, what to ignore because there is no value, and what may be too complex to pursue in a single release then you’ll want to watch today’s episode!
In today’s Build Tip you’ll learn:
- Why people choose to cram versus cut back
- Why it’s hard to estimate how long it will take to build a feature or fix a bug
- Why it’s important to cut back on features and bugs for each release
- What happens when you and your team commit to building and fixing everything
- How to evaluate what to work on and commit to using a simple 2x2 matrix
- Why it’s OK to have a debate around the product’s strategy and roadmap
Be sure to share the episode with your teammates to help them understand the importance of cutting back!
Listen to the episode on iTunes!
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Check out these additional posts on scope creep:
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