scope-cutting

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps teams reduce project scope effectively by applying the "appetite-first" approach from Shape Up, ensuring that work fits within defined time constraints and delivers maximum value.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Appetite Setting: Define fixed time budgets (e.g., 1-2 weeks for small batches, 6 weeks max for big batches) before considering scope.
• Scope Hammering: Systematically question each feature's necessity using a series of prioritized questions (must-have vs. nice-to-have, shippable without, edge case vs. core path, baseline comparison).
• Shaping Down: Strategies for reducing scope by cutting breadth over quality, removing entire user surfaces, or time-bounding edge cases.
• Circuit Breaker: Implements the Shape Up principle that unfinished work is canceled by default if not shipped within a cycle, preventing zombie projects.
• Use Case: When a product team realizes a feature set is too large to complete in the allocated two-week cycle, they use this skill to identify and remove non-essential components, ensuring a valuable, albeit smaller, increment is shipped on time.

Quick Start

Use the scope-cutting skill to reduce the scope of the current project to fit a two-week appetite.