Developing and Delivering Products Professionally [P2]: Managing Technical Risk - Technical Debt vs. Not "Done" Work

Question 1

Should you take on Not “Done” Work is there is too much risk?

Answer 1

No, don’t take on

Question 2

When is TD okay?

Answer 2

if you are aware of the risk and are prepared to deal with consequences later and have a clear plan for removing TD

Question 3

When is TD dangerous?

Answer 3

you are unaware of is dangerous but can’t do anything about it until it arises

Question 4

What is TD?

Answer 4

• making conscious or unconscious decisions
• where the team is doing work that is not at the level of quality that they would like
• “the quick you get today, the dirty you have to live with forever”
• e.g. hard code values instead of using a config file —> allows to deliver to market sooner BUT cost time in the long time

Question 5

What should you encourage teams to do with TD?

Answer 5

put TD work in PB

Question 6

What is the challenge with TD?

Answer 6

paying TD back is an unknown, especially as the product grows

Question 7

What is the trade off with dealing with TD immediately?

Answer 7

value today and delay some work (risk) OR delay value until tomorrow

Question 8

What is not “done” work

Answer 8

• decision of:
  
  • here is what we can deliver
  • but before than can go into production, there is this other work that we need to do
  • however, we can’t fit that inside the sprint
• e.g. get official third party license for legal reasons before starting
• Can keep doing sprint after sprint BUT nothing can go into production until that blocker is done
• stopping you from going to production - BIG RISK

Question 9

Compare the ability to deliver value when it comes to TD and Not “Done” Work

Answer 9

• With TD, you can still deliver some value each sprint
• With Not “Done” Work, you get no value until blocker is done to make everything else “Done” → future sprints and existing work/past sprints in jeopardy

Question 10

What is a risk with proceeding when there is Not “Done” Work?

Answer 10

Can invalidate the entire codebase

e.g.:

If we find out sprints later that there is issue with the not Done work e.g. code that we wrote using the license is invalidated (i.e. can’t use that code anymore), then all the code we wrote building on it is invalidates as well!