lect05

lect05, Thu 04/09

Thursday Lecture: user stories and MVP, then next.js intro, OR user stories

Outline of today

Hwk for Monday https://ucsb-cs48.github.io/s20/hwk/h01/
A few remarks about Agile
A brief MVP (minimum viable product) case-study
A choice
- Lecture/Demo by Scott Chow on next.js based on https://nextjs.org/learn/basics/getting-started/setup
- Work in your teams on defining your MVP

Homework for Monday Midnight

https://ucsb-cs48.github.io/s20/hwk/h01/
It’s an intro to Agile
Note: on the “dates” question
- I am not usually one for memorizing dates
- I’m making an exception in this case because it’s important to know how long Agile has been around.
- Many folks act as if it’s either “brand new”, or “has been around for ever”
- The actual age of Agile is important to putting it into context

What is important about Agile?

Inspect and Adapt
- This is the most important Agile principle
- The idea is to be empirical, scientific, flexible
- Dogmatic adherence to process is the opposite of true agile
Inspect and Adapt what?
- What/Why: The product we are building, based on user/customer feedback
- How: The process by which we build it, based on periodic retrospectives

Where do user stories fit in?

They drive the process of development
They keep the focus on what the user needs and why they need it
In these projects: you are your own user
- Note that it’s a mantra of software development: You are not your user
- In most real world settings, that literally true
- That’s one way this course differs from real world Agile
Keep in mind what hat you are wearing
- The user hat or the developer hat

Pitfalls

Suggesting features that would be “fun to build”
Suggesting features that would be “a good learning experience”.
Suggesting building a feature “just because you can”

All of those are fine for

a “hackathon project” or a “side project”
in the real world: “10% time”, “Future Focused Friday”, “Hack Day”

BUT:

It is NOT how you should suggest features for a real product
Even though this is a university course and the main objective is learning…
… what we are trying to learn mostly is the process of developing real software.

Thus:

Learning the self-discipline of driving features from user needs, in this course, is more important than learning a paricular API, technology, etc.

Minimum Viable Product

See: https://ucsb-cs48.github.io/topics/minimum_viable_product/

Breakout work today

Two options:

Option 1:

A demonstration/lecture by Scott Chow about how to get started with next.js
Link: https://nextjs.org/learn/basics/getting-started/setup

Option 2:

Add an MVP column to your Kanban board.

We’ll put you all in breakout groups.

In your group discuss whether you want to hear the next.js lecture/demo or work on your teams on your MVP.
If you want to hear the next.js lecture, just return to the main group.
Otherwise, work in your teams.
If you have questions, click the “Ask for Help button”.