SDD Catalog
Definition Workflow Shape Up

shapeup

Basecamp's Shape Up methodology. Fixed time, variable scope. Appetite-based planning with betting table and hill charts.

Inspired by Shape Up (Ryan Singer (Basecamp)). The methodology is its originators’ own published work, drawn from their public writing and talks. ProductBuildersHQ has implemented it as a machine-readable workflow in VisionSpec so it can be automated — spec synthesis and LLM-as-a-Judge evaluation, built in. This encoding is an independent interpretation, not affiliated with or endorsed by its originators. Source →

Methodology reference →

Specs in This Workflow

Pitch Required source Shaped pitch ready for betting
SPEC Required output
TPD Required technical Test plan document
BMC Optional gtm Business Model Canvas extracted from MRD for stakeholder review
FAQ Optional gtm
IRD Optional technical Infrastructure requirements
MRD Optional source
1-Pager Optional gtm
6-Pager Optional gtm
PRD Optional source
Press Optional gtm
shapeup-scope Optional execution Hill chart and scope tracking
TRD Optional technical
UXD Optional source

Synthesis Rules

How downstream specs are generated from upstream ones.

MRD BMC

Extract Business Model Canvas blocks from MRD sections 2-11. Format as standalone canvas for visual review.

MRD +Press FAQ

Address customer questions based on segments, internal questions based on risks and assumptions.

MRD +Press +FAQ PRD

Derive product requirements from market requirements. Map to customer segments.

MRD Press

Write from customer perspective based on value propositions and customer segments in MRD.

MRD +PRD +UXD +TRD +TPD SPEC

Unified specification consolidating all approved specs.

PRD +TRD TPD

Test plan covering all PRD requirements with traceability.

PRD +UXD TRD

Technical design to support PRD requirements.

Methodology Principles

Fixed Time Variable Scope Appetite sets the time; scope flexes to fit
Shaping Define problems and solutions at the right level of abstraction
Betting Not Planning Bet on pitches, don't manage backlogs
Small Teams One designer, one or two programmers
Full Responsibility Teams have full autonomy during the cycle
Circuit Breaker If it's not working, stop and reassess
Cool Down Two-week break between cycles for recovery
No Backlogs If it's important, it will come back
Appetite Not Estimates How much time is this worth, not how long will it take
Hill Charts Track uncertainty, not completion

Included Assets

17 document templates · 15 LLM-as-a-Judge rubrics  — embedded in visionspec.