If you’re reading about Featureban for the first time, be aware that there have been updates since this page was first published in 2016. For all Featureban-related posts, click here, and for the Featureban landing page, here. See also Changeban, a new Lean-Startup flavoured variant, with posts here, and landing page here. Enjoy!
As mentioned in the May roundup, I’ve released a new 2.0 version of the Featureban simulation game, the simple, fun, and highly customisable kanban simulation game. We use Featureban in our own training workshops, and it has been used by trainers and coaches in Lean, Agile, and Kanban-related events the world over.
This version consolidates a number of incremental improvements I’ve made and tested in training over the months, plus a complete change to the game scenario. The rules are basically unchanged, though there’s an optional rule change slide to be introduced at the facilitator’s discretion.
The PDF of the slide deck is freely downloadable and I’m happy to give out the source files on request. Featureban is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License and customisation is encouraged!
Do read Featureban facilitation information and downloads if you are planning to try it.
Changes:
- New scenario – No longer car-related (too reminiscent of manufacturing), it’s now based on a supermarket website, still with a few quirky feature ideas thrown in. Some of the example features are just product lines, so it should still be very easy for people to come up with feature ideas.
- Nicer visuals, much easier to edit in Powerpoint
- Two coin-related slides:
- What does the coin represent? (See blog post)
- No coin? justflipacoin.com (Welcome to our cashless society!)
- The slide on blocked work items now follows the coin slide
- Two “Setup” slides
- Clearer rules slides
- An optional intervention with a rule change – stop play and introduce during iteration 1 if you wish. See Frustrated with throwing too many tails in Featureban?
- Easier, more subjective debriefs
- Consolidated the Kanban Method slides after the iteration 2 debrief. Previously, the transparency-related practices were described after iteration 1; now it should be apparent to participants that visual management is not enough on its own.
- Incorporated some improvements to the metrics slides from Vicy Wenzelmann at Leanovate
- Reference to Kanban from the Inside under my CFD (taken from my case study)
- A slide encouraging participants to do an Agendashift values-based delivery assessment on the game scenario (and for themselves if they so wish)
- A minor layout change to the board, grouping the two in-progress columns together (credit to Susanne and Andreas Bartel for that I think)
Enjoy!
What if we put agreement on outcomes ahead of solutions?
Agendashift™: Serving the transforming organisation
Agendashift Academy: Leading with Outcomes | Home | Store
Links: Home | Subscribe | Become an Agendashift partner | Events | Contact | Mike
Resources: Tools & Materials | Media | Books | Assessments
Blog: Monthly roundups | Classic posts
Community: Slack | LinkedIn group | Twitter
Agendashift 