Release Wednesdays and the Agile Release Train
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Release Wednesdays and the Agile Release
Train
Why talk about this?
•Successful approach on current projects•Putting releases at the heart of how we develop and deliver software•Allowing us to plan better and make better decisions•Encourage other teams to try this approach
We release frequently
Because agile
Because…
•Give users valuable stuff quickly•Get timely feedback•Reduce risk by reducing delta between releases •Get better at releasing•Get a kick out of it
‘Deliberate’ or ‘Opportunist’ cadence
Why releases at a ‘deliberate’ cadence?
•Gives us a regular, sustainable rhythm•Keeps us honest; we need to keep build continually ready•Don’t have to think about it•Don’t overdo it
Release Wednesdays
The benefits we have seen
•Users get functionality and bug-fixes quickly•No release ‘crunch’•We don’t worry about ‘when’•We are better at releasing•Work in progress is small•Our processes are healthy•The team are motivated by it
How we release every Wednesday
•Streamlined, automated releases•Small, incrementally valuable user stories•‘Master’ branch is continually releasable•Team focusses on the release cadence•Team owns release process
Dude, where’s my track?
Choo-choose the ‘Agile Release Train’
The what?
•Trains (releases) go out on fixed timetable•The train delivers cargo to customers•The train will not wait for you•If cargo (work) is not ready the train goes without it•Cargo waits for the next train
The Release Train to synchronize work
streams
The Release Train to help plan…
for the short term
The Release Train to help plan…
for the longer term
Why is this better than a Gantt Chart?
“Plans are useless,
but planning is indispensable”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Why is this better than a Gantt Chart?
The Release Train is not a formal schedule to be obeyed, but a prediction that helps us make
decisions. It encourages the team to ask the right questions in order to control scope and understand timescales
throughout the project
The benefits we have seen
Team-driven planning:•Clear planning horizon•Clear current focus•Clear immediate plan• Important marketing activities/deadlines are
visible •Changes to plan are explicitly discussed•Team-driven scope management•Understand real progress towards goals
The benefits we have seen
Embeds good practice:•Keeps weekly releases•Keeps us to small user stories•#NoEstimates
It can be hard
For example:•Breaking work up into small, valuable stories is hard (but not impossible)•Watching cargo fall off the end of a train can be painful•*Just* missing a release with some cargo is frustrating•Releasing is REALLY motivational (we need to watch for burnout)
When it worked: SQL Lighthouse Beta in
six weeks
When this worked: DLM Dashboard ‘Retention’ theme
Timeboxing work on retention features
How to plan with the Agile Release
Train
Plan in (kinda) timeboxed themes
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Theme 3
Theme 2
Theme 1
~8 weeks Get 800 users
Invest 6-8 weeks
Break into epics and stories
Theme 1
Story A1
Epic/Feature A
Story A2
Story A3
Story B1
Epic/Feature B
Story B2
Story C1
Epic/Feature C
Story C2
Story C3
Story C4
Utilize weekly release cadence
Jan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Throw stories at the plan
Jan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Story A1
Story A2
Story A3
Story B1
Story B2
Story C1
Story C2
Story C3
Story C4
Story B3
Story B4
Story C5
Story C6
PrioritizeJan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Story A1
Story A2
Story A3
Story B1
Story B2
Story C1
Story C2
Story C3
Story C4
Story B3
Story B4
Story C5
Story C6
Redgate Update newsletter
Update the plan every sprint
Jan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Story A1
Story A2
Story B1
Story C1
Story B2
Story B3
Story B4
Story C3
Story C4
Story C2
Story A3
Released
Released
Update the plan every sprint
Jan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Story A1
Story A2
Story B1
Story C1
Story B3
Story B4
Story C3
Story C4
Story C2
Story A3
Released
Released
Story B2
Released
ReleasedReleased
Think about the end of the train
Jan Feb
Release7-Jan-15
Release14-Jan-15
Release21-Jan-15
Release28-Jan-15
Release4-Feb-15
Release11-Feb-15
Release18-Feb-15
Story A1
Story A2
Story B1
Story C1
Story C2
Story C3
Story B3
Story B4
Released
Released
Story B2
Released
ReleasedReleased
Release25-Feb-15
Story C4
ReleasedReleased
ReleasedReleased
Released
Next theme…
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Theme 3
Theme 2
Theme 1 ✓Done
Questions?
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