What are some best practices for estimating release scope and velocity?

3 Use historical data and trends

Estimating release scope and velocity is not a guessing game. You can use historical data and trends to inform your estimates and adjust them accordingly. For example, you can look at your past releases and see how many story points you completed, how long it took, and what challenges you faced. You can also look at your current release and see how your velocity is tracking, what issues are impacting your progress, and what feedback you are receiving. By using historical data and trends, you can improve your accuracy, reliability, and learning in your product road mapping.

4 Apply the MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique that helps you categorize your user stories into four groups: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have. These groups represent the importance and urgency of each feature for your release. By applying the MoSCoW method, you can focus on the essential features that deliver the most value and impact, and defer or discard the less critical or feasible ones. This way, you can manage your scope and avoid scope creep in your product road mapping.

5 Review and refine your estimates

Estimating release scope and velocity is not a one-time activity. It is an ongoing process that requires regular review and refinement. As your product evolves, so do your user stories, story points, and velocity. You need to monitor your performance, track your progress, and collect feedback from your team and stakeholders. You also need to account for changes, risks, and uncertainties that may affect your estimates. By reviewing and refining your estimates, you can adapt to changing conditions, address gaps and issues, and communicate updates in your product road mapping.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?