Understanding Shape-Up: Key Roles in Shaping, Betting, and Building Stages
An in-depth look at Shape-Up roles and responsibilities to optimize product development.
To solve common issues that arise during the process of product development, such as unclear project scopes, never-ending review cycles, and team lack of energy, the Shape Up framework was developed. It encourages strict planning, clear communication, and set deadlines.
At the core of this new model are two essential roles: Shapers and Builders, which are very similar to the typical stages of product discovery and delivery. Understanding these roles and how they contribute to product development is essential for anybody thinking about implementing Shape Up in their organization.
Petra Wille defines the processes as follows: “Product Discovery is about understanding customer needs and finding viable solutions, while Product Delivery ensures these solutions are efficiently built and launched to meet user expectations and business goals” (Wille, Strong Product People, 2020).
I explained what Shape Up is in my previous article simply. In this article, I’d like to delve a bit deeper into what I’ve explained and talk about the roles involved in Shape Up.
Shapers are the visionaries in the Shape Up framework. Their essential responsibility is to figure out what the team will work on during a development cycle.
We can describe the potential roles that need to participate in the shaping phase as follows:
Product Managers
- Responsible for identifying and defining problems to solve.
- Conduct research, gather insights, and outline potential solutions.
- Ensure that the project aligns with business goals and user needs.
Designers
- Work with product strategists to sketch and prototype possible solutions.
- Emphasize the user experience and interface design elements of the work.
- Ensure that the design is viable and consistent with the product vision.
Technical Leads/Engineers
- Provide technical input to ensure the proposed solutions are feasible within the given timeframe.
- Help identify potential technical challenges and constraints.
- Ensure that the shaped work is technically sound and can be built effectively.
Facilitators / Scrum Master / Project Manager
- Facilitates the process
- Ensures effective communication and collaboration among all participants.
Stakeholders (Optional, but recommended)
- Provide input and feedback throughout the shaping process to ensure alignment with the company’s objectives.
- Help prioritize and validate the proposed work’s importance.
Responsibilities of Shapers
- Ideation and Conceptualization: Shapers brainstorm and come up with potential project ideas. They assess the feasibility and relevance of these ideas to the company’s goals and user needs.
- Problem Definition: They clearly define the problem that the product or feature aims to solve. This involves understanding user pain points and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Scope and Boundaries: Shapers set the boundaries for what will be included in the project. This helps prevent scope creep and ensures the team can complete the project within the allotted time.
- Risk Assessment: They identify potential risks and challenges that might arise during the building phase and propose mitigation strategies.
- Pitch Writing: Shapers create detailed pitches that outline the project’s purpose, scope, and expected outcomes. These pitches serve as blueprints for the Builders to follow.
The shaping process is collaborative and iterative. Shapers often work closely with designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to refine ideas and ensure feasibility. This process is done outside the regular development cycles to avoid disrupting the Builders’ workflow. The goal is to present a well-defined, actionable pitch that Builders can execute without frequent interruptions or clarifications.
Meanwhile, after the betting stage, key roles review the shaped initiatives and select which ones to prioritize and pursue for the following development cycle.
The possible roles for the betting stage include:
Executive Stakeholders
- Senior leaders or executives who have a strategic understanding of the business goals and priorities.
- Provide a high-level perspective to ensure that the selected projects align with the company’s overall vision and objectives.
Product Leaders
- Product managers or heads of product who understand the product strategy and customer needs.
- Present the shaped projects and advocate for those that will deliver the most value to users and the business.
Technical Leaders
- Senior engineers or technical leads who provide insights into the feasibility and technical implications of the proposed projects.
- Ensure that the selected projects are realistic and can be completed within the designated timeframe.
Design Leaders
- Lead designers who can assess the user experience and design aspects of the shaped projects.
- Ensure that the selected projects are user-centered and feasible from a design perspective.
The betting table is a collaborative decision-making process that includes vital tasks in the company. Every participant brings an individual perspective and set of tasks, ensuring that the initiatives chosen are strategically aligned, realistic, and have an excellent chance of success.
Key stakeholders from different disciplines come together at the betting table to review and strategically plan projects, establishing the foundation for successful project execution during the building phase.
Finally, the primary focus of the six-week cycle changes to completing the chosen activities. The key roles involved in the building stage ensure that the work is carried out efficiently and meets the defined objectives.
The potential roles for the building stage include:
Development Team
- Composed of engineers and developers who are responsible for coding, testing, and delivering the functional product increment.
- Work collaboratively to implement the shaped project as defined during the shaping stage.
- Ensure quality and functionality through regular code reviews and testing.
Did you notice that we are dealing with Dev Team here not with individuals?
Designers
- Continue to refine and adjust the user interface and user experience aspects of the project.
- Collaborate closely with developers to ensure that design specifications are accurately implemented.
- Conduct usability testing and make iterative design adjustments based on feedback.
Product Manager/Owner
- Provides guidance and ensures that the project stays aligned with the initial vision and goals defined during the shaping stage.
- Acts as a point of contact for clarifying requirements and addressing any scope changes or issues that arise.
- Monitors progress and facilitates communication between team members and stakeholders.
Technical Lead
- Offers technical oversight and ensures that the development process adheres to best practices and standards.
- Helps resolve technical challenges and guides on complex implementation issues.
- Ensures that the project is on track to meet the timeline and quality requirements.
The building process is time-boxed, typically into six-week cycles with a two-week cooldown period afterward. This fixed timeline ensures that projects do not drag on indefinitely and that the team remains focused and productive. Builders use the detailed pitches created by Shapers as their roadmap, allowing them to work efficiently and with minimal distractions.
Finally, the Shape Up framework gives a disciplined approach to product development, with clear roles and responsibilities at each stage that guarantee project success.
It helps teams ship work that matters by promoting collaboration across domains and clear responsibility.
I hope you found this article useful. If you have any questions or additional points to add on the topic, please feel free to leave a comment.
