Sprint
A sprint is a timeframe within the Scrum framework where a predefined set of user stories is planned, reviewed and developed. A sprint usually has a duration of 1-4 weeks. We split our capstone phase into 4 sprints of equal length.
The primary goal is to break down the larger development process into manageable chunks, ensuring rapid iterations and more frequent feedback.
Backlog Grooming
The Backlog Grooming is an essential activity that takes place between sprints to ensure that the product backlog remains updated, prioritized, and detailed. It ensures that the upcoming Sprint Planning is more focused and efficient.
- Feature Discussions: Engage in dialogues about potential features.
- User stories are added to the GitHub Project Board Product Backlog and the priority is reviewed and updated.
- Detailing User Stories: The team takes on the task of detailing the user stories, including Wireframes and Acceptance Criteria
Backlog Grooming is conducted once a week with coaches/Product Owners
Sprint Planning
At the beginning of the sprint, the team holds a sprint planning meeting where you decide on the user stories you believe you can commit to completing by the end of the sprint.
Select User Stories for the Upcoming Sprint
- Begin with a discussion on all available user stories in the product backlog as a team.
- As a collective, decide which user stories should be selected for the upcoming sprint.
Remember to include unfinished user stories from the previous sprint if they remain a priority.
Delve into Implementation
- For every chosen user story, ensure every team member is on the same page regarding requirements and details.
- Discuss the best strategies and approaches for its implementation.
- Highlight any potential roadblocks or challenges and ways to navigate them.
The acceptance criteria for a user story are ideally discussed and written when the user story is created, after the Backlog Grooming with the Coaches, but can be further refined during Sprint Planning.
Define and Specify Tasks
- Decompose each user story into specific tasks.
- Ensure tasks are clear, concise, and actionable.
- If a task seems overly complex, consider further breaking it down for clarity and manageability.
Development
- Throughout the sprint, the team works on implementing the chosen user stories.
- Make regular, small commits to save your progress
- Complete the
Tasksfrom the user story - Ensure that all
Acceptance Criteriafrom the user story are met
Consider the approach of breaking the team into sub-teams for pair programming. This method pairs two developers together on one workstation. One "drives" by writing code while the other "navigates" by reviewing and suggesting improvements.
Daily Stand-ups
- Each morning the team has a short meeting (max. 15 minutes) with a coach.
- In this meeting, each member reports what they did the previous day, what they plan to do today, and identify any blockers or challenges. – This is usually done with the help of the Sprint Board to show the progress of the sprint.
Public Sprint Review
- At the end of the sprint, the team demonstrates the work they have completed.
- Each team is allocated approximately 5 minutes for their presentation.
- Questions your team should address during the presentation:
Who are you?
Briefly introduce yourselves as a team.
What is your Capstone Project?
Give a concise description in 2-3 sentences.
Showcase the Current State
Display the progress and achievements of your project.
Learnings of the Week
Share any insights or notable experiences you've encountered over the week.
Upcoming Sprint Planning
Discuss the milestones and objectives you're setting for the next sprint.
Streamlined Presentation: Organize everything in advance so that during the presentation, you're primarily switching between a few key tabs such as:
- Your app showcased in a browser.
- Your GitHub Sprint Board.
Optimal Visibility: For screen sharing, it's advisable to use your MacBook to ensure that all participants can view your presentation clearly.
Sprint Retrospective
- At the end of the sprint, the team holds a retrospective together with the coaches to discuss what went well, what could be improved, and how to make the next sprint better.