Planning and executing a focused Sprint that actually addresses a blocking area and helps move an Open Source Project forward

Core Conversations

YesCT

Cathy Theys

@YesCT

drupal.org/u/yesct

BlackMesh

pwolanin

Peter Wolanin

drupal.org/u/pwolanin

Acquia

Planning and executing a focused Sprint that actually addresses a blocking area and helps move an Open Source Project forward

We will discuss this in general, using getting Drupal 8 released as an example

Background: Drupal 8 release plans
Examples of successful sprints: Ghent, New Jersey
Planning the sprint
What should happen at the sprint
D8 Accelerate Program

structure of the talk:
30 minutes presentation,
30 mintues discussion.
please write down your thoughts and questions during,
so you will remember them.

audience

decision makers in organizations that want to do something to help release happen faster, want to host or sponsor a sprint
local organizers that want to do something to help release happen faster, want to know if them holding a sprint would help, and how it might be different than organizing their typical events. or thinking about adding a focused sprint to a camp.
contributors want to know what happens at this kind of sprint, want to know if attending is something they should try and do, and what it would be like
contributors to other free software projects who want insight into what the Drupal is doing and how it works
organizers of past focused sprints who want to add their knowledge
contrib maintainers who are thinking about D8 upgrade or feature sprints
project managers who think their skills are not needed, but who could contribute to getting release to happen faster

If you fit this audience think you will get something valuable out of the talk.

Not the audience

not-yet contributors, have heard of sprints, want to know what the big deal is about sprints
business, sales, and marketing people who are not making the money decisions

... are welcome but not might be getting what they thought they would get out of attending the talk
Totally ok to get up and move to another talk.

Goals for This Talk

Helping speople planning sprints this summer, hoping to help get D8 released or a module upgraded will know the things that will help them with their goal
provoke conversation
give some opinions about what makes a successful sprints that other people rarely say out loud
collectively learn more things about what makes sprints effective from the conversation part
Improbe the longer advancement

contrib
8.1.x

Moving an open source project forward

Sprint

DrupalCon

Focused sprint

Background: Drupal 8 release plans

Release cycle diagram from https://www.drupal.org/core/release-cycle

Things we can agree on

Convenience and quality matters

Community building

continuity of group between sprints
make it fun: organize things in physical space. papers. posters. stickers.
outings around the sprint -- dinners together, local tours, etc.
t-shirts or more lighthearted identifiers (we've had electrical tape, aprons, leis, and even bunny ears recently) for sprint leads and participants
chocolate or specialties from the country people are from
build some local color into the schedule for the out of town people