Shape Up
Shape appetite-bounded pitches, place bets, and build in focused cycles.
Shape Up replaces backlogs and sprint estimates with shaped pitches and betting tables. Before any work starts, someone in a shaping role defines the problem, sketches a rough solution, names the appetite (a fixed time budget), and identifies rabbit holes. Management then places bets — choosing which pitches receive a build cycle. Teams own the solution inside the appetite; scope is cut before the cycle is extended.
What it's for
Shape Up works well for product teams that want fixed time, variable scope, and fewer backlogs — teams that are comfortable with appetite-driven investment decisions rather than upfront estimates, and where shapers and builders can work in separate phases.
Work item types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Raw idea | An unshaped problem or opportunity |
| Pitch | Shaped work ready for a betting decision |
| Bet | A committed cycle investment |
| Scope | A meaningful part of a shaped project |
| Task | A team-owned implementation detail |
Raw ideas shape into pitches. Pitches become bets at the Betting Table. Bets are broken into scopes during the build cycle, and scopes into tasks.
Workflow
The Bets Board uses five columns:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shaping | Work being shaped, not yet ready for a bet |
| Pitched | Pitches ready for the Betting Table |
| Building | Active cycle work (WIP limit: 3) |
| Cooldown | Cycle has ended; team is fixing, exploring, and shaping |
| Shipped | Delivered cycle work |
The Pitches view (portfolio) shows all pitches and bets across cycles.
Rituals
Skopo tracks these under Cycles in the sidebar.
| Ritual | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Shaping review | As needed | Review appetite, solution, rabbit holes, and no-gos |
| Betting Table | Each cycle | Choose which pitches receive a cycle |
| Cycle kickoff | Each cycle | Hand the shaped project to the team |
| Hill-chart check-in | Weekly in cycle | Inspect uphill uncertainty and downhill execution progress |
| Cooldown review | Each cycle | Reflect, fix, and shape future options |
Artifacts
- Pitch — the full shaped document: problem, appetite, solution sketch, rabbit holes, and no-gos.
- Appetite — the time budget a pitch is worth, set before the Betting Table.
- Hill Chart — a visual showing how much of a scope is uphill (still uncertain) versus downhill (executing toward done).
Metrics
| Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Hill progress | Movement of scopes from uncertainty to confident execution |
| Appetite usage | Proportion of the cycle budget consumed by an active bet |