A task follows a series of life cycle stages: Not Ready Yet, Next Up, In-Progress, and Completed.
When shaping a task, its creators estimate and assign to it a time scope. Our longest running tasks shouldn't exceed the current cycle length we're experimenting with. Smaller tasks can be batched together. One or more tasks make up a cycle.
Cycles are followed by an optional cool-down week.
Cycles are just blocks of time spent working on tasks. They're made up of many small-scope task items, or one large one. As we experiment, grow, and get better at scoping and estimating work, we'll adjust our cycle length.
Cycles aren't meant to impose stress or deadlines, but instead help task creators and task executors collaborate to define and produce work. It is the job of the task creator to tightly define the work to be done and provide ideas with sufficient substance to be executed upon. It is the job of the task executor to evaluate the defined task, provide feedback if the scope is too big or small or vague, and then produce that work.
Tasks start as raw ideas. Ideas that may take some time to define or that need input from multiple team members can be added to the ‣ in Not Ready Yet status.
If you are choosing work for your next cycle and you want to do some scoping, you can choose one of these items and help shape and develop the task.
Estimation is not an exact science and in small teams with people wearing many hats, estimates become even less accurate. The aim of assigning an estimate to a task is to give others a general idea about the perceived size of the work so that they can more efficiently take that task to completion.
Estimates on tasks will be in the form of Large, Small, or Micro. This should give you sufficient context when deciding what to work on and how much you can fit into your next cycle. Large tasks are estimated to fill a cycle.
Tasks that are fully formed and have been scoped with a time estimate are found on the ‣in Next Up status. If you are choosing work for your next cycle, this is generally where you will start.
These are tasks you have put on your plate for the current cycle. You should change the status of these in the ‣to In Progress and add yourself to the People field of the task.
As you work, you may discover rabbit holes or unknowns that weren't properly identified and scoped. Document these in the task page and work with the task creator to reduce task scope or adjust wherever necessary. Any new task items that result should be put on the ‣as Not Ready Yet so they can be completed in a future cycle.