Feature Sizing
We know that a Feature should “fit” into a PI, but how exactly do we accomplish this? Feature sizing is a bit of an art (not an Agile Release Train) and a bit of a science. We want the Feature to be of value to the customer, but it also can’t be so big that it takes us a long time to deliver it.
The challenge that Product Management is up against is the same challenge that Goldilocks had with the three bears: finding the Feature that is “just right.” When we first launch an ART, the Features tend to be “too big.” We lack the knowledge and experience to know how much work the ART can deliver in a PI.
We often see this play out in the first stage of PI Planning. Product Management presents the top 10 Features, and at the end of Day 1, we realize that we will be lucky to complete 1 (or at best, 2) of the Features. To avoid this in the future, ARTs will often overcorrect, and we will see Features that are “too...