Beyond MoSCoW, ROI, or Cost of Delay product prioritization tools, will talk another day, one fun technique is buy-a-Feature. When planning a product, the Buy-a-Feature prioritization technique can help teams align on the most valuable. This method assigns a virtual “budget” to stakeholders, who then “buy” the most important features. Imagine organizing a birthday party! …
Category: Agile
Oct 02
The Panic Zone
14 years ago, I received an unexpected call: “We need a Project Manager in London.” Without hesitation, I said yes, and within minutes, I found myself jumping from my comfort zone into the panic zone. In just two days, I became the Infrastructure Project Manager at Burberry’s headquarters, the iconic fashion brand. The catch? I …
Sep 30
Prioritizing product features with RICE
When managing multiple tasks, the RICE scoring model helps prioritize based on four key factors: The formula is simple:(Reach x Impact x Confidence) / Effort = RICE Score This allows teams to focus on high-impact, low-effort tasks that maximize value and efficiency. It’s a great tool for balancing workloads and making smart decisions on what …
Sep 25
Sustainable Pace in Projects
In March 2014, I ran my first marathon. I followed a structured training plan for four months, and by the end, I felt nervous but ready. Three weeks before race day, I completed 30K at a pace of 5:20/Km, feeling great. But on marathon day, we had an unexpectedly strong heat in mid-March in Barcelona. …
Sep 23
Daily Scrum common mistakes
The daily scrum is part of the empirical control process in Scrum. Some of the common mistakes that avoid inspection and adaption. 1. Status Meeting vs. Goal-Oriented Focus:Teams often fall into reporting completed tasks (e.g., “I finished tasks A, B, and C”). The daily meeting should be more goal-driven. Instead of focusing on tasks, try …
Sep 19
Mixing roles in Scrum
Mixing roles in Scrum, like having one person act as both Product Owner and Scrum Master, can lead to challenges. It’s like a two-headed dragon—one role focuses on driving the team’s direction (Product Owner), while the other ensures the team’s well-being and process (Scrum Master). When these roles conflict, especially under pressure from stakeholders, there’s …
Sep 17
How to Measure Project Success: Lessons from NASA’s Space Shuttle Program (1981–2011)
The Space Shuttle Program was one of NASA’s most ambitious projects, designed to create a reusable spacecraft for low Earth orbit missions. From 1981 to 2011, the program achieved impressive feats, but it also highlighted critical lessons on how to define and measure project success. Early Wins, Long-Term Challenges When the Space Shuttle Columbia launched …
Sep 13
Project Management and “The Emperor’s New Clothes”
Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes (1837) teaches a lesson that is still relevant today, especially in project management. In the story, an emperor who loves his clothes hires two scammers pretending to be tailors. They promise to make him a special, invisible outfit to anyone “stupid.” Of course, no one wants to …