1-2-4-All
wuhn-too-fohr-awl
a facilitation technique: Reflect individually, share in pairs, discuss in groups, share with everyone.
Demystify Agile Terminology
and Learn Something New
In the fast-paced world of Agile, navigating through a sea of jargon and approaches can be bewildering. That's why it's crucial to demystify Agile terminology. This glossary aims to provide clarity, ensuring that when we use common terms, we're all on the same page. By delving into this resource, you'll not only unravel the complexities but also embark on a learning journey, gaining a solid grasp of Agile concepts and approaches. Let's bridge the communication gap and empower our teams with a shared language for success.
Agile Terminology & Glossary
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16th Minute
sik-stenth min-it
the minute after Daily Scrum where teams handle impediments or collaboration not requiring everyone.
3 Amigos Meeting
THREE uh-MEE-gohs MEE-ting
a collaborative meeting with a product owner, developer, and tester to align on user story understanding.
3 Cs
THREE-seez
an agile acronym representing the card, conversation, and confirmation elements needed for good stories.
5 whys
fahyv WAHZ
a problem-solving technique that involves asking "Why?" five times to identify the root cause of an issue,
A
Agile Approach
aj-uhl uh-prohch
a way of managing work aligning with the Agile Manifesto's values and principles.
Agile Framework
aj-uhl fraym-wurk
a process outline that aligns with the Agile Manifesto but leaves room for customization.
Agile Principles
aj-uhl prin-suh-puhls
twelve guiding statements outlined in the Agile Manifesto aimed at improving software development.
Agile Triangle
A-jyle TRY-an-guhl
a graphical representation of the interplay between scope, time, and cost in agile approaches.
Agile Methodology
aj-uhl muh-thod-ol-uh-jee
an approach to software development fulfilling the agile principles and values in the Agile Manifesto.
Asynchronous Daily Scrum
ey-sing-kruh-nuhs DEY-lee skruhm
a Daily Scrum ran through adhoc messaging that does not require the team to be available simultaneously
B
Backlog Grooming
bak-lawg groo-ming
a now outdated term (see Backlog Refinement) for activities that keep the Product Backlog maintained.
Backlog Refinement
bak-lawg ri-fahyn-muhnt
a recurring activity that keeps the Product Backlog maintained and gets PBIs ready for Sprint Planning.
Bonus Fries
BOH-nuhs FRYZ
unseen surplus fries hidden at the fast-food bag's bottom, surprising nutrition after the meal seems done.
Bottleneck
BOT-l-nek
a point in a process where work items accumulate or slow down, causing a backlog.
Bug
buhg
an unexpected behavior identified after a user story has been complted and accepted by the Product Owner.
Business Stakeholders
BIZ-niss STAYK-hohl-durz
internal, usually non-technical individuals with an interest in a project or product.
Business Value
BIZ-ness VAL-yoo
an indicator of the benefits expected to be gained by a proposed change.
C
Cadence
KAY-dens
a structured rhythm that guides event scheduling to ensure consistent delivery and progress.
Capacity-Driven Planning
kuh-PAS-i-tee-DRIV-en PLAN-ing
a method of planning a Sprint based on the available capacity of the team.
Co-Located
koh-loh-kay-ted
teams sharing the same physical workspace for seamless collaboration and communication.
Continuous Delivery
kən-TIN-yoo-us dih-LIV-uh-ree
the ability to get changes of all types into the hands of users, safely and quickly in a sustainable way.
D
Daily Scrum
DAY-lee SKRUHM
a 15-minute event for the Developers to communicate, identify impediments, and make quick decisions.
Defect
DEE-fekt
a problem occurring in a Sprint and preventing a user story from meeting it's definition of done.
Definition of Done
dee-fuh-NISH-uhn uhv duhn
an agreement clearly stating what is required for a piece of work to be categorically classified as ‘done’
Definition of Ready
DEF-i-NISH-un uhv RED-ee
a commonly used technique to determine when a user story or task is considered ready for implementation.
Development Team
dih-VEL-op-muhnt teem
an empowered, self-managing team that delivers working software in increments.
Done Increment
DUHN IN-kruh-muhnt
an increment that meets the team's predefined Definition of Done (DoD).
E
Empirical Process Control
em-PEER-i-kuhl PRO-ses kuhn-TROHL
an approach in which decision-making is based on real-time feedback and empirical evidence.
Empiricism
ehm-PEER-uh-siz-uhm
a manner of working that values experience and bases decisions on factual evidence.
Epic
EH-pik
a large, significant body of work that can be broken down into smaller work items for implementation.
eXtreme Programming
iks-TREEM PROH-gram-ing
an agile software development approach emphasizing collaboration, adaptability, and frequent releases.
F
Feature Complete
FEE-chur kuhm-PLEET
all planned features implemented; product ready for testing and quality assurance.
Fitness Criteria
FIT-ness KRY-teer-ee-uh
metrics that measure how well a product or service meets the expectations of a customer
Flow Metrics
FLOH MEH-triks
metrics tracking work flow and efficiency, revealing insights into productivity and bottlenecks.
Forecast
FOR-kast
an estimate of achievable work based on past performance and factors, without commitment.
Functional Spike
FUHNK-shuh-nl SPYK
research task focused on understanding the customer's need or usability.
G
Given-When-Then
GIV-uhn WEN THEN
a structured format for expressing scenarios in behavior-driven development (BDD).
Gold-Plating
GOHLD-PLAY-ting
adding unnecessary features beyond requirements, causing complexity and wasted effort.
Growth Mindset
GROHTH MIN-set
the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, learning, and resilience.
H
Hardening Sprint
HARD-ning SPRINT
a short development phase focusing on stabilizing and preparing software for release.
High-Performing Team
HIGH per-FORM-ing TEEM
a team with diverse skills and shared commitment that achieves superior results through collaboration.
HiPPO
HIH-poh
the Highest Paid Person's Opinion, referring to decisions based on those opinions rather than evidence.
Hyperactive Hive Mind
HY-per-AK-tiv HYV MYND
a state in which constant digital communication and collaboration lead to decision fatigue within a group.
Hypothesis-driven Development
HY-poth-uh-sis DRIV-uhn dih-VEL-uhp-muhnt
A development approach where features are treated as hypotheses, aiming to validate assumptions.
I
Ideal Days
ahy-DEEL deyz
a unit for estimating work based on uninterrupted completion time and immediate resource availability.
Impediment
im-PED-uh-munt
an obstacle that hinders developers from working to their forecasted progress.
Increment
IN-kruh-muhnt
a small, functional addition to a product, typically developed during a single iteration or Sprint.
Intraspective
in-truh-SPEK-tiv
a mid-sprint retrospective aimed at learning from critical issues, fostering prompt improvements.
Incremental Development
in-kruh-men-tl dih-vel-up-muhnt
improving the product through small, independent, mostly polished pieces.
Iterative Development
ih-tuh-reh-tiv dih-vel-up-muhnt
improving the product through repeated cycles of testing and refinement.
J
Job Rotation
JOB roh-TEY-shun
a practice where employees move between roles, fostering skill development and business understanding.
Journey Mapping
JUR-nee MAP-ing
a visualization technique that illustrates the experience of a user across a product, service, or brand.
Just-In-Time
JUST in TIME
a strategy emphasizing producing items or completing tasks precisely when needed, reducing waste.
K
L
Last Responsible Moment
LAST rih-SPON-suh-buhl MOH-muhnt
the point in time where a decision must be made to retain options while having adequate information.
Little's Law
LI-tuhlz LAW
a description of the Mathematical relationship between work in progress, lead time, and throughput.
Local Optimization
LOH-kuhl op-tuh-my-ZAY-shuhn
improving a specific part without considering the whole system's impact.
M
N
O
P
Philosophical Razor
fuh-LAH-suh-fuh-kul REY-zuhr
a principle suggesting favoring the simplest explanation
Post-Mortem
post-MOR-tuhm
a retrospective analysis or review conducted after a project or event to assess outcomes.
Potentially Releasable
puh-TEN-shuh-lee ri-LEE-zuh-buhl
a product increment meeting release criteria that might be strategically held by the Product Owner.
Potentially Shippable
puh-TEN-shuh-lee SHIP-uh-buhl
a product increment meeting release criteria that might be strategically held by the Product Owner.
Product Backlog
proh-duhkt bak-lawg
an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product.
Product Backlog Item
proh-dukt bak-lawg ahy-tuhm
a single item in the product backlog representing work to be performed (i.e., user story, bug, task).
Product Owner
proh-duhkt oh-ner
a single Scrum Team member accountable for effective Product Backlog management and value maximization.
Psychological Safety
sy-KAH-loh-jih-kuhl SAYF-tee
a team environment where members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable.
Pull System
PULL SIS-tem
a method where work is pulled only when there is capacity, avoiding overburdening.
Push System
PUSH SIS-tem
a method where work is pushed irrespective of capacity, leading to potential overburdening.
Q
Quality Code
KWOL-uh-tee KODE
the degree to which software code conforms to best practices, readability, and performance standards.
R
Release Sprint
ree-LEES SPRINT
an anti-pattern where a Sprint is dedicated to releasing previously built but unreleased value.
ROAM Risk Management
ROHM Risk MAN-ij-muhnt
a collaborative, lightweight risk management technique built on a visual, pull-based model.
S
Scrum
SKRUHM
a framework that helps people generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
Scrum Team
SKRUHM teem
a small, autonomous team that works together to achieve sprint goals using Scrum framework.
Service Level Expectation
SER-vis LEH-vuhl eks-pek-TAY-shun
a forecast for the number of days it will take to complete a work item once it has started.
Sprint Backlog
sprint BAK-lawg
a plan by and for the Developers that covers the why, what, and how of delivering the next increment.
Sprint End
sprint end
the culmination of a sprint, involves reviewing completed work and seeking of process improvements.
Sprint Planning
sprint PLAN-ing
an event where the Scrum Team plans the work to be done in the upcoming Sprint.
Sprint Review
sprint ree-vyoo
a Scrum event aiming to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations.
Sustainable Pace
suh-STAY-nuh-buhl payss
working at a pace that can be maintained long-term without causing burnout.
T
Team Ability
teem uh-BIL-i-tee
the collective skill, competency, and effectiveness of a team in achieving goals.
Test-Driven Development
test-drih-vuhn dih-vel-up-muhnt
a development practice focused on quality and comprehension that requires writing tests before code.
U
V
Value-Driven
VAL-yoo DRIV-en
guided by the pursuit and delivery of value, often in terms of customer needs or business objectives.
Velocity
vuh-LOS-uh-tee
a sum of story points (ordinal values estimating the relative size of user stories) completed in a Sprint.
W
Walking Skeleton
waw-king SKEL-uh-tun
a minimal implementation of a system to validate the architecture and framework.
Waterfall
WAW-ter-fawl
a linear and sequential approach to project management, with distinct phases progressing in a cascade.
Whole Team
hohl teem
a team-based approach where every member shares equal responsibility for project quality and success.
WIP Limit
WIP LIM-it
the maximum number of work items allowed in a specific context of a process to optimize flow.
X
Y
YAGNI
YAG-nee
an accronym for You Aren't Gonna Need It; a principle emphasizing avoiding unnecessary features.
Z
Zombie Scrum
ZOM-bee skruhm
a state where Scrum ceremonies are conducted mechanically without enthusiasm or genuine collaboration.
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