
Shape Up v 1.7, 2019 edition
Stop Running in Circles and
Ship Work that Matters
Welcome to the online edition
If you made it here, you're part of the inner circle who heard about the book through friends, co-workers, or social media. This first version of the book is available for free to read online or download as a PDF.
Print, e-book, and audio versions will come next. Join the newsletter to hear when they're available.
Shape Up is for product development teams who struggle to shape, build, and ship. Written by the innovators behind Basecamp—one of the biggest and longest-running software as a service apps—the book gives teams language and specific techniques to address the risks and unknowns at each stage of the product development process. Full of eye-opening insights, Shape Up will help you break free of "best practices" that aren't really working, think deeper about the right problems, and start shipping meaningful projects your team can celebrate.
Start reading now or download the PDF version to read offline.
For an intro to the main ideas, here are some podcast interviews about the book: Bright & Early • Build with Maggie Crowley • The Changelog • The Product Experience • Product Hunt Radio • Rework
Introduction
Part 1: Shaping
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Chapter 2
Principles of Shaping
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Chapter 3
Set Boundaries
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Chapter 4
Find the Elements
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Chapter 5
Risks and Rabbit Holes
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Chapter 6
Write the Pitch
Part 2: Betting
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Chapter 7
Bets, Not Backlogs
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Chapter 8
Bet Six Weeks
- Six-week cycles
- Cool-down
- Team and project size
- The betting table
- The meaning of a bet
- Uninterrupted time
- The circuit breaker
- What about bugs?
- Keep the slate clean
- Questions to ask
- Does the problem matter?
- Is the appetite right?
- Is the solution attractive?
- Is this the right time?
- Are the right people available?
- Make the announcement
Part 3: Building
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Chapter 9
Hand Over Responsibility
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Chapter 10
Get One Piece Done
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Chapter 11
Map the Scopes
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Chapter 12
Show Progress
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Chapter 13
Decide When to Stop
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Chapter 14
Move On
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Conclusion