My XP Journey

So - we're starting with "true" XP. By true I mean we aren't just going to take some concepts that we've heard of, like TDD, and try and apply them in our current process, but we are actually going to "try this XP thing" out. How did we get here?

We are starting a new implementation. It has to be done "quickly" and we want to get a minimal amount of functionality out and then build upon that. This is the perfect XP kind of thing. Let the customer pick what they want first, build it, and then let them pick some more. Quick development, quick feedback.

So - building on what I wrote in "Purpose" - we went and talked to the customer last week. They have many features they'd like us to do - eventually; but only one they have to have now. I talked to them about doing iterations and short releases, and they totally got it and are all for it. Unlike many of our current customers, where they pretty much know what they want, in the two day talk we had with our new customers, the features changed back and forth. This perfect for XP's "Embrace change" philosophy. So - we're going to "try this XP thing".

Because I'm totally engergized about this, my approach is "we should just do this". My old manager had a different (more XP philosophy) thought. He asked to borrow XPE2e on the plane ride out. He said, "You should let the senior manager read it on the way back", which I did and he read it. So when we got back together on Monday, 3 of us had now read the book and had some common ground in understanding and terminology. We then put together the team, and my old manager (very wise guy that he is) said, "I know you are rearing to go - but I think we should buy a few more books, let everyone on the team read them, and then we'll all have a common understanding." Excellent point. I want to start NOW - but a day or two isn't going to kill us.

So, that is what we are doing. Monday night I bought 2 more books, Tuesday and Tuesday night folks read them, and today on Wed we are getting together to discuss which practices we are going to follow and how we will do it. As has been suggested, if you are in an organization that is used to a process, don't just scrap it all and follow every XP practice. Maybe pick some of the principle ones, then do the collary, etc.

Following my "purpose" - here is a summary of how we got to our current state, and what our next steps will be:

1. I did some XP reading on the mailing list, went to some cosAgile meetings, and then read XPE2e and the pink book
   
2. My management read XPE2e
   
3. Team members read XPE2e
   
4. We are going to meet (just "the team" - no management) and discuss what practices we'd like to use in this first release
   
5. After we decide that we'll meet with management and discuss issues, concerns, get buy-off
   
6. Then we'll start doing it
   

And reasons I believe this will work great for the current system we are trying to build:

• User has "stories" in mind, but may change priority and doesn't have all the "requirements" worked out yet. We can expand those with "conversation" as we work the "stories"
  
• We have a great customer proxy on-site
  
• Managment has agreed that we can take a "Whole Team" approach and has oked the team
  
• The first "release" is very small in scope, so we don't have to take a BDUF approach, but can a few features out quickly that are small in scope and valuable to hte user
  

Again - the main keys at this stage:

• Everyone has read the book and has a common understanding, and is energized about trying this
  
• The customer is willing to take an iterative approach to their problem, where we do frequent releases and get them something now, rather than more things in a "big bang" approach
  

I'll report back within the next few days with what practices we've decided on, and how things are going!