This chapter covers:
- Focusing on preparation at the start of engagement
- Getting all the required accesses and permissions
- De-risking the project
- Verifying the development environment and putting mitigations in place if needed
The idea of sprint 0 (introduced in chapter 3) is to get everything set up and ready so that the project team can walk in on day 1 and get started. In an ideal world, this phase acts as a buffer between a project that’s yet to start and a project that’s running and burning lots of money. It’s an opportunity to discover dire problems before large amounts of cash are wasted, and it’s also the time when effort can be spent on enabling the productivity of the delivery team.
During sprint 0, you will be officially working on the project for the client. This means that you will be “in the tent” and allowed access and information that you did not have during the pre-project process. Because of this difference, sprint 0 allows for some time to make requests for access, information, and accounts, and then resolving those issues without the project team sitting idly by, twiddling their thumbs, and waiting. It also gives you, as project lead, some time to agree and communicate the project’s working processes and to deepen your understanding of the risks and challenges ahead. Finally, sprint 0 allows you to further check that the project is feasible and that your estimates are still valid.