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Agile Project Management for Developers
Agile project management should help developers, not hinder them. Too often, agile becomes a bureaucratic overhead that interrupts deep work. GitScrum implements agile principles with a developer-first approach, minimizing ceremony while maximizing delivery.
Developer-Friendly Agile Principles
| Principle | Traditional Implementation | Developer-Friendly Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Iterative delivery | Strict 2-week sprints | Flexible iterations, continuous flow |
| Daily standups | 15-min meetings every day | Async updates when needed |
| Sprint planning | Hours of estimation | Quick prioritization, refine as you go |
| Retrospectives | Formal post-mortems | Lightweight async feedback |
| Backlog grooming | Separate meetings | Integrated into planning |
| Documentation | Extensive specs | Just enough, living docs |
GitScrum Agile Workflow
Kanban for Flow
DEVELOPER KANBAN BOARD
══════════════════════
┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│ BACKLOG │ READY │ IN PROG │ REVIEW │ DONE │
│ │ (WIP:5) │ (WIP:3) │ (WIP:3) │ │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ [Task] │ [Task] │ [Task] │ [PR] │ [Done] │
│ [Task] │ [Task] │ [Task] │ [PR] │ [Done] │
│ [Task] │ [Task] │ │ │ [Done] │
│ [Task] │ │ │ │ │
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘
WIP Limits prevent overload
Pull-based system maintains flow
Sprint Overlay (Optional)
SPRINT + KANBAN HYBRID
══════════════════════
Sprint 12: Jan 15-29
────────────────────
Sprint Goal: User authentication complete
Tasks flow through Kanban columns
Sprint provides time-box and focus
Uncommitted work stays in Backlog
Minimal Ceremony Practices
Async Daily Updates
TEAM STANDUP (ASYNC)
════════════════════
Instead of 15-min meeting:
├── Post update in Team Standup
├── Include: Done, Doing, Blockers
├── Review others' updates
└── Comment if you can help
Time saved: 15 min × 5 people × 20 days = 25 hours/month
Quick Sprint Planning
30-MINUTE SPRINT PLANNING
═════════════════════════
1. REVIEW (5 min)
└── What's the sprint goal?
2. SELECT (15 min)
└── Pull from prioritized backlog
└── Rough capacity check
3. CLARIFY (10 min)
└── Questions on unclear items
└── Identify dependencies
Done. Start coding.
Git Integration
Automatic Status Updates
GIT → GITSCRUM AUTOMATION
═════════════════════════
Branch created with task ID
└── Task moves to "In Progress"
Pull request opened
└── Task moves to "Review"
PR merged to main
└── Task moves to "Done"
No manual status updates needed
Estimation Approach
Developer-Friendly Estimation
SIMPLE ESTIMATION
═════════════════
Instead of hours or complex points:
T-SHIRT SIZES:
├── S: Few hours, straightforward
├── M: A day or two, some complexity
├── L: Multiple days, significant work
└── XL: Break this down further
Or just: Small / Not Small
Focus on relative complexity, not precision
Best Practices
For Developer Productivity
- Protect focus time — Batch meetings, respect deep work
- Automate status — Git integration updates tasks
- Async first — Default to async, meet when necessary
- Just-in-time detail — Don't over-specify upfront
- Continuous improvement — Small tweaks, not big process changes
Anti-Patterns
AVOID THESE:
✗ Meetings that could be async
✗ Detailed estimation of uncertain work
✗ Process for process sake
✗ Treating velocity as a performance metric
✗ Rigid sprints that don't allow learning
✗ Documentation nobody reads