1. Team Estimation Game Workshop BayXP – October 2007 Estimating User Stories Without Numbers (Well, almost.)

2. What is Complexity? Which item is more complex? ● A 50-piece jigsaw puzzle ● A 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle

3. What is Complexity? Which task is more complex? ● I want to drive to San Francisco. ● I want to fly to the Moon.

4. What is Complexity? Which User Story is more complex? ● As a user I want the system to remember my login information, so that I can log in faster. ● As a user I want the system to learn my preferences, so that I can work faster.

5. What is Complexity? Working definition: The more complex thing is the thing with more parts. Something to remember: It often takes about the same number of words to describe a simple thing as it does to describe a complex thing.

6. Estimation Problems ● Excessive detail ● Estimation turns into design ● Attempting to achieve precision ● Reluctance to commit Estimates are really just best guesses based on current information. You'll have more information later.

7. Estimation Without Numbers ● Estimates are based on relative story complexity. ● Relative estimates are easier than absolute estimates.

8. Game Play 1) Place Story Cards in pile on table. 2) First player places top card on playing surface. 3) Next player places top card on playing surface relative to first card. 4) Next player can either: Play top card from pile, or Move a card on the playing surface, or Pass 5) Repeat Step 4 until a) no more cards remain in pile, and b) no player wishes to move a card

9. The Project Develop Website TeamEstimationGame.com User Story format: As a I want, so that. Types of Users: 1) Customer 2) Developer

10. Game Play “Let the games begin.”

11. Quantifying Complexity (This is the “almost” part) Saying how much more simple or complex than other Stories a particular Story is.

12. Estimation Units Time- Hours or days Ideal Time- Ideal hours or ideal days Story Points- No units Other- ____________________

13. Estimation Values Consecutive- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Exponential- 1, 2, 4, 8, 16... Fibonacci- 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... Other- ____________________

14. Game Play 6) As a team, choose estimation units and values. 7) Place an estimate at the top of each column. 8) Change estimates until all team members agree.

15. Discovery 1) How many columns did you end up with? 2) What estimation units did you choose? 3) What estimation values did you use? 4) How would you modify Game Play? 5) Q & A