🍽️ Forget estimates, start with appetite →
June 13, 2025 • #In the latest issue of Building Blocks, I dove into Shape Up and its idea of setting the appetite for a project.
Fundamentally, appetite inverts the question we begin with when planning a project.
Instead of starting with “Here’s a spec. How long will it take?”, we start with a time window we’re comfortable spending on the problem and ask “What can we get done inside this box?”
Rather than define a richly-detailed design of what we want, appetite requires us to start with a problem definition, and refine that first. If we narrow the problem down, we also narrow the solution space. Solutions are allowed to be smaller and more focused.
The appetite starts with time boundary and works backward to a design that fits inside.
Appetites define sound and acceptable constraints up front. And constraints are wonderful tools for generating creativity.
Related Posts
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- Framing and Shape Up — Using 'framing' to define problems and convey why they're worth solving.
- Don’t Let the Backlog Drive Your Product — On the danger of backlogs.