Agile Planning

Agile planning happens at several levels. Teams plan the big picture first, then break that plan into smaller and smaller pieces.

The Planning Levels

Vision      (overall goal, lasts the whole project)
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Roadmap     (major milestones, lasts several months)
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Release     (group of features, lasts a few months)
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Iteration   (small chunk of work, lasts one to four weeks)
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Daily       (today's specific tasks)

Vision Planning

Vision planning sets the overall purpose of the product. A team building a fitness app might set a vision like "help busy people exercise in fifteen minutes a day."

Release Planning

Release planning groups related features into a deliverable package. A fitness app release might bundle workout videos, a progress tracker, and reminder notifications together.

Iteration Planning

Iteration planning, often called sprint planning in Scrum, selects specific tasks for the next short work period. The team picks items from a prioritized list and commits to finishing them within the iteration.

The Product Backlog

A product backlog holds every feature, fix, and idea that the product might need. The product owner ranks these items by priority. Teams pull items from the top of this list during planning sessions.

Layman's Example

Planning a wedding follows a similar pattern. The couple sets an overall vision, such as a small outdoor ceremony. They then plan major milestones like booking a venue. Closer to the date, they plan weekly tasks like sending invitations. On the wedding day itself, they follow an hour-by-hour schedule.

Key Takeaway

Agile planning moves from broad vision down to daily tasks. Each level breaks the previous level into smaller, more concrete pieces.