methodatlas
Delivery

Shape Up

Structures product work around shaped pitches, bets, fixed cycles, hill charts, and scope hammering.

Core question
Which shaped pitches do we bet on for the next 6-week cycle, and how does the team deliver them autonomously in fixed time with negotiable scope?
MediumWorkshop + async6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down
Open runsheetPlan adoptionStart comparison
Purpose

Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts.

How it works

The team prepares pitches with problem, appetite, solution shape, and no-gos, selects bets for the next cycle, runs a six-week cycle with autonomous teams, tracks progress with hill charts, hammers scope instead of extending time, and uses cooldown for cleanup and new pitches.

Visual orientation

Method sketch for a quick mental model.

Shape Up · Pitches, Bets, and CyclesPrepare problem, appetite, and solution shape, make deliberate bets, and deliver autonomously within fixed cycles
Raw Idea -> Shape -> Betting Table -> CyclePitches werden geshaped, gesetzt und in begrenzten Zyklen autonom umgesetzt.Raw Idea bis Hill ChartPitches werden geshaped, gesetzt und in begrenzten Zyklen autonom umgesetzt.Grenzen setzenCommitmentkein Backlog-SogRaw IdeaProblem und AppetiteShapeLösung grob genug machenBetting TableBets bewusst auswählenCycle6 Wochen bauenHill ChartUnbekanntes klären, dann Umsetzung abschließen

Flow

  1. 1Prepare pitches with problem, appetite, and solution shape
  2. 2Select bets for the next cycle
  3. 3Start a six-week cycle with autonomous teams
  4. 4Use hill charts instead of burndowns
  5. 5Hammer scope instead of allowing scope creep
  6. 6Use cooldown for cleanup and new pitches

The runsheet guides execution with 6 phases, timeboxes, 6 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.

Open runsheet

Ideal for

  • Small to medium product teams
  • Replacing continuous sprint churn
  • Autonomous product work
  • Clearly shaped initiatives

Not good for

  • Ticket-driven support backlogs
  • Highly regulated or externally fixed delivery dates
  • Very small short tasks

Deep dive

In detail

Shape Up was developed by Ryan Singer at Basecamp. Before delivery, a shaping step creates a pitch that describes the problem, appetite, solution shape, risks, and boundaries. A bet table selects which pitches enter the next six-week cycle. During the cycle, teams work autonomously and track progress with hill charts rather than hour burndowns. After the cycle, a cooldown period is used for cleanup, follow-up, and preparing future pitches.

Facilitation

Invest in shaping before every cycle so bets are realistic. Keep the cycle length firm, reduce scope instead of extending time, and protect cooldown instead of filling it with overflow work.

Output artifacts
PitchesBet-table decisionsHill chartsCooldown outcomes
Tags
cyclesbasecamppitchesdeliveryautonomy

Sources

Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Mattersbasecamp.com
Artifact templates
Shape Up Working TemplateCompact working template for Shape Up with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
markdown

shape-up-working-template.md

Compact working template for Shape Up with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.

Shape Up Working Template

Goal

Six-week cycles with cool-down, shaped pitches, and bet tables instead of Sprints and backlogs.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

  • Pitches:
  • Bet table decisions:
  • Hill charts:
  • Cool-down results:

Assumptions and open questions

  • ...

Decision / next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

When to choose differently

Short decision aid for existing alternatives.

Scrum

Statt Shape Up, wenn ihr ein festes Sprintgerüst mit klaren Rollen und Ereignissen braucht und Discovery und Delivery bewusst parallel führen wollt.

Similar methods

All methods
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Value Stream Mapping

Turns scope, sequence, and delivery flow into a tangible result through selecting a value stream, mapping current state, and designing a future state.

Delivery
Communication Plan

Turns scope, sequencing, and delivery flow into a tangible result by listing stakeholders and audiences, clarifying information needs, and planning review and adaptation.

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Cost of Delay

Moves scope, order, and delivery flow toward a concrete result through "adopt the initiative list", "clarify value types for each initiative, such as revenue, efficiency, or risk", and "derive a sorted sequence".

Delivery
Monte Carlo Forecasting

Moves scope, sequence, and delivery flow toward a concrete result through "formulate the forecast question", "choose historical flow data", and "update the forecast regularly".

Agile
Scrum

Product Backlog, Sprint Goal, Increment, and retrospective loops create a repeatable cadence for complex product work.

Statt Shape Up, wenn ihr ein festes Sprintgerüst mit klaren Rollen und Ereignissen braucht und Discovery und Delivery bewusst parallel führen wollt.

Product Discovery
Dual-Track Agile

Verbindet kontinuierliche Product Discovery mit laufender Delivery, damit Teams lernen und liefern, ohne beides zu vermischen.