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Project Management

At Figuro, we understand the value of using agile project management methodologies to manage complex projects. While Linear.app and Shape Up are both popular approaches, we have found that a hybrid methodology that incorporates elements of both methodologies works best for us.

We use Linear.app to manage our project tasks and timelines, as it provides a clear and structured approach to project management. However, we also incorporate the principles of Shape Up, such as working in focused cycles and creating a strong feedback loop with our customers.

By using a hybrid approach, we are able to take advantage of the strengths of both methodologies and create a project management approach that is tailored to our specific needs. This allows us to work more efficiently and effectively, and ultimately deliver better results for our customers.

Linear.app Methodology​

Linear.app is a project management tool that uses a linear approach to project management. It is designed to help teams organize, prioritize, and track their work. The methodology is based on a linear timeline, with each task or project represented by a card that can be moved along the timeline.

One key feature of Linear.app is its ability to assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress. This allows teams to work collaboratively and stay on track with project goals. Additionally, Linear.app offers a range of features for task management, such as integrations with other tools and analytics to track team performance.

Shape Up Methodology​

Shape Up is a product development methodology created by the team at Basecamp. It focuses on a unique approach to project planning and prioritization, with the goal of delivering high-quality products that meet customer needs and expectations.

At the core of the Shape Up methodology is the idea of "shaping" a project, which involves defining the project's scope, goals, and constraints in collaboration with the project team. The shaping process takes place before any actual development work begins, and involves a series of meetings and discussions between the product manager, designers, and developers. The goal of shaping is to create a clear and well-defined project brief that outlines the goals, constraints, and assumptions of the project.

Once the project has been shaped, the development work begins in what is called a "cycle". A cycle is a fixed time period of 6 weeks that is divided into three distinct phases: upfront planning, development, and cool-down. The development team has complete autonomy to decide what features to work on during the cycle, encouraging creativity and innovation while also ensuring that the team is fully invested in the success of the project.

Benefits of Mixing Linear.app and Shape Up​

By combining the linear approach of Linear.app with the shaping and cycle approach of Shape Up, teams can benefit from the structure and predictability of Linear.app while also gaining the flexibility and creativity of Shape Up. This hybrid approach provides a balance between structure and flexibility, allowing teams to adjust the project plan as needed while still staying on track with the overall project goals.

Best Practices​

At Figuro, we understand that implementing the Linear.app and Shape Up hybrid approach requires several best practices to be considered:

  1. We should clearly define project goals, scope, and constraints during the shaping phase to ensure that the development team has a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished.
  2. We should use Linear.app to track progress and manage tasks, but allow for flexibility within each cycle to adjust the plan as needed.
  3. We should encourage open communication and collaboration among the project team to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.
  4. We should focus on delivering high-quality products that meet customer needs and expectations, rather than just completing tasks on time.

By understanding these methodologies and how they can be combined, our team can improve our project planning, execution, and overall success.

Tasks and Issues​

In Figuro, tasks and issues are used to manage the work required to complete a project. A task is a unit of work that needs to be completed as part of a project, and it is typically smaller in scope than an issue. An issue, on the other hand, represents a larger problem or challenge that needs to be resolved. Issues are often comprised of multiple tasks that need to be completed in order to address the larger problem. Both tasks and issues are tracked and managed using tools such as Linear.app, which allows teams to collaborate and stay organized throughout the project lifecycle.

The task scales outlined below are used in Figuro. These scales help to determine the expected duration of a task and are used to plan project cycles. Tasks are assigned a point value based on their expected duration, and project cycles are planned around completing a certain number of points each week.

Task Scales:

  • 1 point: Tasks expected to be completed within 2 hours.
  • 2 points: Tasks expected to be completed within 4 hours.
  • 4 points: Day-long tasks. A development task should not take longer than a day.
  • 8 points: Tasks that take two days to complete. Used only for operations with external blockers (i.e. DNS updates).

Task types:

  • ✨ New Feature: Used when new functionality is added to the project.
  • 💅 Enhancement: Used to improve existing functionality.
  • 🐞 Bugfix: Used to fix an open issue.
  • 🛠 Configuration: Used to update or create configuration files.
  • ⚙️ DevOps: Used to test or implement CI/CD operations.
  • 💾 DataOps: Used when a migration is performed or a database schema is modified.

To ensure legibility and facilitate automatic change log tracking, commit messages to git repos, descriptions in Linear among other tools should start with an emoji that represents the task. By doing so, it will be easier to understand the nature of the changes made in each commit.

Resources​