Presented by Robert Chatley and Willem van den Ende

Abstract:

In this hands-on workshop we aim to simulate product teams building software and delivering it into a market. Attendees form teams and compete to build the best product. Through the session you can continue to refine and upgrade your software, releasing new versions and testing their performance in the market. Once your software is live it will begin to accrue points, as simulated users use the software and score it against how well it fits their needs. The earlier you release your software, the sooner you will start accruing points, and the earlier you can learn something about the market, which should inform your next iteration. We ran this workshop at XP2011, it went well there, but we have some improvements we think could make it even better.

Format and length:

120 mins hands-on simulation/workshop involving programming.

Intended audience and prerequisites:

Each team needs at least one developer, but product managers can also actively take part in the simulation.

Objective(s) of the session:

The aim of the workshop is to simulate product development in a quickly changing environment, where agile techniques should excel. How quickly can we iterate? What are the bottlenecks? Which techniques are most valuable? Do any fall by the wayside?

Benefits for participants and presenter(s):

As a practical session, this is a great chance to have some fun showing off your coding skills as well as your project management strategies, and hopefully think about the above questions.