How It Works

With Shape Up, you'll be working in Cycles, delivering Pitches consisting of one or more Scopes, which themselves are made up of one or more Tasks.

1. Create a Cycle

A Cycle is a fixed time period during which focused and uninterrupted work is done on several packaged pitches. Usually 6 weeks with a 2 week cool down. Create a cycle from the home page as follows:

1

Click "New Cycle"

Create a new cycle from the home page

2

Enter Name and Dates

Choose a name and set the start and end dates.

3

You Created a Cycle!

Active and upcoming pitches on the home page.

2. Framing and Shaping

Pitches are the way we package up our ideas and communicate across teams the problems and solutions we're provding in each Cycle. A Pitch starts out as a "Raw Idea", just the very basics, then we "Frame" the context and outcome we want to deliver and "Shape" the pitch so we can finally decide on the Betting Table if we have the appetite for this pitch in a Cycle.

In "Framing and Shaping" we create our pitches and drag them through each stage as we iterate and refine the details until they're "Ready for Betting". In every cycle we can visit the Betting Table where we bet on the Pitches we want the teams to build in this Cycle by moving them to the "Building" column. All Pitches in the Building column for a cycle will activate a Hill Chart.

1

Click "New Pitch"

Give the pitch a title, set the appetite and write the details.

2

Cycle Kanban

After saving, a new pitch will be in the Raw Idea column.

3

Manage Pitches

Drag the pitches as they move through the framing and shaping process until Ready for Betting.

3. Betting Table

Each cycle consists of one or more Pitches. All Pitches for all Cycles that are "Ready for Betting" will be shown on the betting table for all cycles. These are the pitches that have been fully shaped and are ready for consideration.

Move any Pitch from "Ready for Betting" to "Building" in a Cycle and the Hill Chart will be activated for this Pitch and work can begin.

1

Click "Betting Table"

You'll see any Pitches that are "Ready for Betting" or already selected for "Building" this Cycle

2

Make Your Bets

At the Betting Table meeting, drag any pitches you decide to work on this Cycle to the "Building" column

3

Hill Charts Activated

Click the "Hill Charts" tab and you will see a Hill Chart for every Pitch that was bet on

4. Hill Charts

Any pitch you bet on my moving to the Building column of the kanban board for this cycle will be shown on the home page as a Hill Chart preview. Click on a Hill Chart to interact with it and build out the Scopes.

1

Hill Chart Previews

All pitches that are bets will be shown in the cycle

2

Hill Chart

Click on the preview to see the Hill Chart detail

3

Pitch

Click "View Pitch" to see the Pitch detail

5. Scopes and Tasks

Scopes reflect the meaningful chunks of a pitch that can be completed independently and in a short period of time — a few days or less. Drag the scopes around the hill chart to mark your progress.

Each scope constists of one or more Tasks. Click the Scope title to add tasks. You can comment on scopes and tasks as needed to discuss.

1

Scopes

Add scopes to the hill chart and drag them on the slope to communicate status.

2

Tasks

Click on a Scope title or add/edit tasks to manage the tasks in that scope.

3

Task Details

Click on a Task title to see the details and add/read comments.

6. The Task Mapper

Breaking your pitch into scopes can be a challenge. You can optionally use the Task Mapper linked on the hill chart to braindump all of the tasks you can think of then organise them into groups of related tasks. These groups will become scopes in the hill chart.

1

Dump Tasks

Add all the individual tasks that spring to mind when you discuss the pitch.