shapeupcyclework

name	shapeupCycleWork
description	Use when: executing or tracking Shape Up cycle work, managing in-cycle scope, using hill charts, applying scope hammering, or deciding whether to invoke the circuit breaker.
type	reference
version	1.0
license	MIT

Shape Up — Cycle Execution

Skill metadata: version "1.0"; tags [shapeup, cycle-work, hill-charts]; recommended tools [].

A Shape Up cycle is a fixed time box (typically 6 weeks) in which a team builds the pitched solution. The team owns how they get there; the key disciplines are scope management and progress visibility.

When to use

• Managing in-cycle scope during a Shape Up cycle
• Using hill charts, applying scope hammering, or deciding whether to invoke the circuit breaker

When NOT to use

• When writing a pitch — prefer shapeupPitching
• When running the betting table — prefer shapeupBetting

Hill Charts

Hill charts track tasks on two halves:

• Uphill (left): figuring out — the task still has unknowns.
• Downhill (right): executing — the approach is settled, the team is building.

Tasks move uphill as design and unknowns are resolved, then downhill as implementation proceeds. A task stuck on the uphill side is a risk signal.

Use hill charts to:

• Surface hidden unknowns early
• Identify tasks that are stalling before they become blockers
• Distinguish "we know what to do" from "we know how to do it"

Scoping During a Cycle

Scope is not fixed at the start of a cycle. The team scopes as they discover the real shape of the work:

1. Break the pitch into tasks at the start.
2. Expect the task list to change — that is normal.
3. When scope grows, apply scope hammering: ask "is this strictly necessary to ship?"
4. Move non-essential work to future pitches. Do not silently expand cycle scope.

Scope Hammering Questions

• Is this required for the core use case described in the pitch?
• Does removing this break anything the user explicitly needs?
• Can we ship without it and add it later without penalty?

If the answer to the last two is "yes", cut it.

Circuit Breaker

Shape Up uses a circuit breaker instead of deadlines: if work is not done at the end of the cycle, it does not automatically roll over. The team stops, the work is evaluated, and only a re-bet puts it back into a cycle.

Invoke the circuit breaker when:

• The cycle ends and the work is significantly incomplete
• New scope has expanded the work beyond the original appetite
• A rabbit hole was hit that would require a new bet to resolve

Cooldown

The two weeks between cycles are for slack, fixes, and exploration — not continuation of cycle work. Do not use cooldown to finish incomplete cycle work without a new bet.

Verify

• Hill chart updated; each task placed correctly (uphill = unknowns remain, downhill = approach settled)
• Scope hammering applied when timeline is at risk; no scope creep
• Circuit breaker invoked only if work cannot ship within the fixed time box