Day 38 / 100 · Backlog & requirements · Spikes

Buy knowledge, not code.

A spike is a short, timeboxed piece of work to answer a question, so the team can make a decision or estimate with confidence.

Frame the question

One specific question the spike will answer.

Timebox it

Usually one to three days. Stop when time's up.

Build to learn

A throwaway prototype, a test, a proof of concept.

Share the answer

A decision, and the follow-up stories it creates.

One question. A timebox. A decision.