Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work That Matters

I used ShapeUp in one of my previous jobs and tried to pitch it many times before. It rarely sticks. It requires a fundamental shift in the valuation of what matters to do, so drastic that most people were afraid to try. Fixed time variable scope? No, we want it on time, scope, and budget!™ I think that the majority of people out there are not willing or capable of taking on the ownership that is needed to work in ShapeUp effectively.

Still, I employ many aspects of it, also in typical “pretend to be agile, kinda waterfall” organizations. There are many elements and techniques in the book for many use cases.

I hope to find (or maybe build) a company willing to work differently — one that looks to get the best out of people, not the most.