1. Agile Requirements Workshop: From Idea to Minimum Viable Product
Introduction to the Process
Hello, my name
We’re going to do a requirements workshop tonight
A few slides first to give you some context
Rusty Divine
@Cornerposts | CornerpostSoftware.com

2. I have only been doing agile development for the last few years
How many of you don’t do any agile?

3. How It Used to Be Entire project estimated at the start
Change control contract documents during
Disagreements about being done in the end

4. Requirements Process Overview
- What is this agile workshop?

5. Requirements Process Overview
Get everyone in a room
Define the project vision
Brainstorm feature list
Uncover constraints & assumptions
Limit to minimum viable product

6. Requirements Process Outcome
Trust
Prioritized Backlog
Small Scope
Group Consensus
Shared Vision
Shared Context

7. 5 6 4 2 1 3 Other Benefits Reduce thrashing stage
Limited scope means more accurate estimates
Get the right people involved from the start
Identify red flags early
Customer won’t pay nominal fee
Technology or personality mismatch 5 6 4 2 1 3

8. When Not to Use This Process

9. Don't Use This Process When a Project Is…
Straightforward
Porting without improvements
Already out for bid
With uncooperative customer

10. How Do I Convince My Customer to Use This Process?

11. Convincing Your Customer
Yours to Keep
Fixed Price / Duration
Improved Estimate Accuracy
Efficient
All Aboard
Fail Fast

12. Requirements Meeting
- Let me tell you the case study we’ll be using tonight

13. Meeting Agenda Introductions Ground Rules Objective User Roles
5 minutes
Ground Rules
Objective
20 minutes
User Roles
10 minutes
Features
150 minutes
Assumptions & Constraints
Prioritization
Core Feature Set for Minimum Viable Product
Meeting Agenda
~ 4 Hours
Typical meeting agenda for a project like a new website
6:45 here, 7:30 done with MVP

14. Objective – The Goal What does it look like in the end?
What is the highest-level synopsis?
What problem does it solve?
What does it have to do?
What is a reasonable timeline?
Toughest, but most important
Brainstorm; input from all
Guide for CFS and project
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

15. Roles Product Owner Administrator Anonymous User Registered User
Power User
Product owner for business, look-and-feel stories
Ask who are the users, what types: example, web- with network admins, casual users, power users, api, advertisers
Roles become checklist in feature capture
API User
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

16. Features Power User: Add new fruit STORY TITLE
As a {user role}
I want to
so that
COA: 1. 2.
Admin: Manage featured fruit
As an administrator, I want to feature fruit on the app so that users can be introduced to new fruit.
COA:
Admin tool to manage featured fruit that would appear on the home screen.
Would need to be location aware so that suggested fruit is available to target user.
Have links to information about fruit, its season, trivia, and recipes.
Power User: Add new fruit
As a power user, I want to be able to add fruit to the site that doesn't yet exist so that I can add a review.
COA:
Be able to enter a new fruit that doesn't appear in the database.
Restricted by reputation threshold.
Registered User: Map tool for location
As a registered user, I want to be able to choose from my previously reviewed locations or use a map to select a new location so that it is easy to locate my fruit review
COA:
Be able to select a previously used location on a review, or use a map that lets user search by name and location, then mark where the fruit was purchased.
User story format; so that diff by stakeholder
Write the As A, I Want To, So That, COA, Title up on the whiteboard
Write titles on a sticky for later
COA is critical for scope management, can be done in follow-up w/product owner
Keep it valuable, don’t dive deep
Make sure you get some for each role
Do some sketches and workflows
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

17. Constraints Assumptions
Mobile First
C# .Net
Schedule – 3 months
Budget - $50K
Hosting in Azure will allow us to scale as needed
Google or Open Street Map will meet the app’s needs
Constraints put boundaries around what you can do
Assumptions are things that could change the scope; they are the risks
Listen for these during the meeting; try to ask questions that will ferret these out
Finding these can make or break a budget: story about offline app
Limitations
Risks
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

18. Meeting Break Objective 20m Roles 10m Features 150m Constraints
Switch from brainstorming to critical thinking now; good time to take 5
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

19. Prioritize and Identify CFS
Fruit selection auto-complete
Map tool for location
Algorithm fruit quality decay
Add new fruit
User up vote a review
Add link to recipe
User submits fruit review
Favorite a recipe
Admin disable user accounts
Admin reports
Manage fruit in database
Admin set thresholds for user access levels
Stakeholders put the sticky notes in priority order on the wall
Explain priority: simplest, between two stories, if you could only have one, which would it be. Site must still be functional.
Stakeholders take turns, can move each other’s notes; you facilitate as needed
After prioritized, find the first story that is not absolutely required. Push back on “all” hard – priorities will change during the project; we can do all eventually.
Not CFS
Objective
20m
Roles
10m
Features
150m
Constraints
Prioritize
CFS

20. Meeting Notes
- The meeting is over, and now what?

21. Compiling the Meeting Notes
Objective, roles, core features, pictures, etc.
Demonstrates your understanding
Valuable reference

22. Additional Documentation

23. Missing Stories
Supporting Stories
Research Stories
Proof of Concept

24. Design Documentation Workflows, swim lanes, etc.
Limited preliminary mockups
High-level data design

25. Off-the-shelf Research
Build trust
Use, integrate, or customize
Limited competitive research

26. Let’s Do It! Two- or three-week sprints
Daily stand-up with product owner
Demo & retro with stakeholders
Review burn down
Prioritize
Manage scope
Plan next sprint
Keep the customer at the wheel for scope changes; lets them make constant course adjustments

27. 2 hour Pluralsight course:
Thanks for coming!
Slides:
2 hour Pluralsight course:
Design Sprint:
Rusty Divine
CornerPostSoftware.com