# Shape Up Framework (Basecamp Style)

> **Category**: Product & Engineering | **Badge**: Fixed Time / Variable Scope

## Overview
Created by Basecamp, Shape Up trades granular estimations for "appetite". Work is shaped at the pitch stage with clear boundaries, then autonomous teams get 6 weeks of dedicated, uninterrupted time to ship.

### Best Suited For
Mature product startups, product-led companies frustrated with endless two-week sprint tickets and micro-management.

### Not Recommended For
Agencies with billable hourly clients or teams lacking senior autonomous engineers.

## Key Roles & Responsibilities
- **Shaping Team (Leadership / Architects)**: Shapes pitches, defines boundaries, and resolves architectural rabbit holes before betting.
- **Betting Table (Decision Makers)**: Commits 6-week cycles to selected shaped pitches. No interruptions permitted.
- **Autonomous Delivery Pod (2 Devs + 1 Designer)**: Owns scope hammer, tasks discovery, and shipping the feature.

## Core Ceremonies & Rhythms
### Betting Table (1 Hour before cycle start)
Review shaped pitches and place bets on what to build next cycle.

### Cooldown Period (2 Weeks between cycles)
No scheduled work. Developers fix bugs, explore new libraries, or pitch ideas.

## Phases & Execution Stepper
1. **Shaping the Work** (01): Define Problem, Appetite (Small Batch: 2 wks vs Big Batch: 6 wks), Solution sketches, Rabbit holes to avoid.
1. **Betting Table Selection** (02): If a project is bet on, it gets full commitment. If not, it is discarded (no endless backlog clutter).
1. **Autonomous Building** (03): Team integrates early, defines tasks on the fly, and uses Hill Charts to track unknowns vs knowns.
1. **Circuit Breaker & Ship** (04): If the project cannot ship in 6 weeks, it does not get automatic extension—it gets killed to reassess.

## Default Board Workflow Blueprint
Columns: Shaped Pitches ➔ Cycle Active (Building) ➔ Over the Hill (Executing) ➔ QA & Polish ➔ Shipped in Cycle