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Cheatsheet

Project Sizing

How to break work down by size band, rules at each scale, what counts as tangible output, how to decompose large work into increments with off-ramps, and sizing anti-patterns.

Every sprint produces a tangible output that moves toward the goal and can be reviewed by someone outside the squad.

1–3 days
Tier 1 — Feature
○ No special sizing rules
○ No milestones needed
○ No PRD
✓ Ticket with acceptance criteria

Go/No-Go PM decides

1 sprint
Tier 1 or small Tier 2
○ No special sizing rules
○ No milestones needed
✓ PRD if Tier 2
✓ Delivers output at sprint end

Go/No-Go PM (+ Head of Product if Tier 2)

2–4 sprints
Tier 2 or small Tier 3
● Sprint-level milestones
● Tangible output every sprint
● Phases defined in PRD
✓ PRD required

Go/No-Go PM + Head of Product. CTO if 4 sprints.

4+ sprints
Tier 3 — Initiative
● Independently shippable increments
● Each increment 1–4 sprints
● Go/no-go at each increment
● Each can be paused or killed

Go/No-Go Head of Product + CTO + Exec. Board if capital.

What Counts as Tangible Output?

Every sprint must produce something concrete that can be reviewed. It doesn’t have to be a UI demo.

⚡
API endpointDemonstrated via Postman or tests
🔄
Data pipelineProcessing test data end-to-end
📐
Architecture + ADRFoundational decision documented
🔬
Spike reportTechnical approach proved/disproved
🗄️
Schema + migrationRunning against test data
☁️
InfrastructureProvisioned and documented
🖥️
UI flowWhen it naturally exists
📊
Integration test suiteProving system behaviour

Anti-pattern: the invisible sprint. “We wrote a lot of code but there’s nothing to show.” If the squad can’t point to a concrete output, the work wasn’t broken down well enough.

How to Decompose 4+ Sprint Work

1
Identify the core value
What’s the minimum that delivers the primary user value? This is increment 1.
↓
2
Define increments of 1–4 sprints
Each must be independently shippable. If it can’t function without the next increment, rethink the split.
↓
3
Set success criteria per increment
Specific, measurable. “Does this validate the hypothesis enough to continue?”
↓
4
Define sprint milestones within each increment
Tangible output every sprint. Phases go in the PRD.
↓
5
Go/no-go at each increment boundary
Review metrics, validate hypothesis, decide to proceed, adjust, or stop.

The point is off-ramps. If increment 1 ships and metrics don’t support the hypothesis, you can stop without wasting the full investment. This only works if increments are genuinely independent.

Sizing Anti-Patterns

✕Sprint with no reviewable output → Break down further
✕8-sprint monolith where everything depends on everything → Genuine increments with off-ramps
✕Artificial UI just to have a demo → Demonstrate real progress in any form
✕“Phase 1: backend, Phase 2: frontend” → Each increment delivers user value
✕Arbitrary split at 4-sprint mark → Split at natural value boundaries
✕Milestones defined after sprint starts → Milestones defined in PRD before build
✕Go/no-go is a rubber stamp → Real decision with metrics and evidence
✕Increment 2 already in progress before increment 1 reviewed → Sequential commitment

For the full sizing rules in context, see the Product Process guide (Project Sizing Rules section).