End-to-End with Shape Up: A Real-World Case Study

Ryan Singer is one of the earliest employees and the former Head of Strategy at 37signals (the makers of Basecamp), where he spent nearly two decades refining a product development approach that helped the company build super-successful products with small teams. Based on these lessons, he wrote "Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters," and Ryan now works with companies of all sizes to help them escape the cycle of endless sprints, missed deadlines, and dragging projects. What you’ll learn: 1. Why traditional Agile and Scrum methods often lead teams into endless cycles of work without meaningful shipping milestones. 2. The “appetite-driven” approach to product development where teams set fixed timeboxes (usually six weeks maximum) and vary the scope instead of expanding timelines. 3. The exact process for running effective “shaping” sessions that collaboratively define projects before committing resources. 4. Why most teams struggle with too little detail in their planning, not too much. 5. Why a 30-to-50-person team size is the critical breaking point when growing startups need to adopt more structured processes. 6. Practical techniques for bridging the engineering-design divide by bringing technical and product perspectives together earlier in the process. 7. The powerful “breadboarding” and “fat marker sketching” techniques that help teams align on solutions without getting lost in high-fidelity details. 8. The clear warning signs that your current development process is failing before it’s too late to change course. 9. Proven strategies to implement Shape Up methods, whether you’re working in a startup or enterprise environment. 10. A step-by-step approach to transitioning from Scrum to Shape Up by piloting the methodology with a single team before broader implementation. 11. Why the PM role shifts upstream in Shape Up, focusing more on problem definition than project management. 12. How to adapt Shape Up principles to your company’s unique context, even if it’s nothing like Basecamp. — Brought to you by: • WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny • Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app: http://merge.dev/lenny • Airtable ProductCentral—Launch to new heights with a unified system for product development: https://www.airtable.com/lenny Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/shape-up-ryan-singer Where to find Ryan Singer: • X: https://x.com/rjs • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feltpresence/ • Website: https://www.ryansinger.co/ • Course: https://www.ryansinger.co/srl/ Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Ryan’s background (04:38) The origins of Shape Up (07:40) Implementing Shape Up in different companies (09:56) How Shape Up is different (19:02) The core elements of Shape Up (26:29) Shaping sessions and timeboxing (37:23) Flexible sprint planning (38:56) The output of a shaping session (46:57) Balancing detail and flexibility (53:50) A deep dive into shaping sessions (01:01:32) Fat marker sketches (01:02:48) Getting started using Shape Up (01:13:20) Signs it's time to try the Shape Up method (01:18:25) Feature factories (01:25:59) The role of the PM in Shape Up (01:28:26) What makes Basecamp unique (01:35:55) The second edition of the book (01:38:30) Linking product strategy and shaping (01:41:53) Conclusion and final thoughts Referenced: • Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/ • David Heinemeier Hansson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-heinemeier-hansson-374b18221/ • Jason Fried on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/ • Jason Fried challenges your thinking on fundraising, goals, growth, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jason-fried-challenges-your-thinking • Des Traynor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destraynor/ • Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/ ...References continued at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/shape-up-ryan-singer Recommended books: • Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work That Matters: https://basecamp.com/shapeup • Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress: https://www.amazon.com/Demand-Side-Sales-101-Customers-Progress/dp/1544509987/ • Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice: https://www.amazon.com/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer/dp/0062435612/ • Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career: https://www.amazon.com/Job-Moves-Making-Progress-Career/dp/0063283581 Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

This talk was recorded at Copenhagen Developers Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. #cphdevfest #ndcconferences #developer #softwaredeveloper Attend the next NDC conference near you: https://ndcconferences.com https://cphdevfest.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn every day: / @NDC Follow our Social Media! https://www.facebook.com/ndcconferences https://twitter.com/NDC_Conferences https://www.instagram.com/ndc_conferences/ #agile #softskills In this talk, we look at the Shape Up methodology, a project management approach, or more correctly, a risk management technique, developed by Basecamp. We'll be focusing on its application in a real-world startup environment, drawing from two years of experience in implementing Shape Up. You'll get an overview of how this method contrasts with traditional project management techniques, particularly in terms of team organization and project execution. We will talk about our transition away from the traditional backlog system to embracing six-week work cycles and a project 'betting table', which has brought notable changes in our approach to task prioritization and execution. Our journey with Shape Up has given us several advantages, especially in moving away from exhaustive and often overwhelming backlogs. Another key aspect of our experience has been the shift from using time estimates over to implementing time budgets. While the approach has helped with our focus and with managing the uncertainties inherent in product development, it has not been without trade-offs. The talk will provide attendees with real-life examples and actionable insights, aiming to show how the Shape Up methodology can be effectively adapted in various organizational contexts and what challenges you can face. Whether you are part of a startup or a larger company, the session will offer valuable perspectives on balancing structure with flexibility in project management.

Learn to use Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK (formerly Claude Code SDK) for AI-powered development workflows! https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/overview https://x.com/trq212 **AI Summary** This workshop by Thariq Shihipar (Anthropic) details the architecture and implementation of the **Claude Agent SDK**. The session moves from high-level theory—defining "agents" as autonomous systems that manage their own context and trajectory—to a live-coding demonstration. Shihipar builds an agent "Harness" from scratch, implementing the core **Agent Loop** (Context Thought Action Observation), integrating the **Bash tool** for general computer use, and demonstrating **Context Engineering** via the file system to maintain state across long tasks. **Timestamps** 00:00 Introduction: Agenda and the "Agent" definition 05:15 The "Harness" concept: Tools, Prompts, and Skills 10:10 Live Coding Setup: Initializing the Agent class and environment 15:45 implementing the "Think" step: Getting the model to reason before acting 25:20 The Agent Loop: connecting `act`, `observe`, and `loop` 33:10 Tool Execution: Handling XML parsing and tool inputs 42:00 The "Bash" Tool: Giving the agent command line access 49:30 Safety & Permissions: "ReadOnly" vs "ReadWrite" file access 58:15 Context Engineering: Using `ls` and `cat` to build dynamic context 01:05:00 The "Monitor": Viewing the agent's thought process in real-time 01:12:45 Handling "Stuck" States: Feedback loops and error correction 01:21:20 Multi-turn Complex Tasks: Building a "Research Agent" demo 01:35:10 Refactoring patterns: "Hooks" and deterministic overrides 01:48:39 Q&A: Reproducibility, helper scripts, and non-determinism 01:50:31 Q&A: Strategies for massive codebases (50M+ lines) 01:52:00 Closing remarks and future SDK roadmap * **Evolution of AI Capabilities:** Shihipar argues we are shifting from **LLM Features** (categorization, single turn) to **Workflows** (structured, multi-step chains like RAG) to **Agents**. He defines agents as systems that *"build their own context, decide their own trajectories, and work very autonomously"* rather than following a rigid pipeline. * **The Claude Agent SDK Architecture:** The SDK is built directly on top of **Claude Code** because Anthropic found they were *"rebuilding the same parts over and over again"* for internal tools. * **The Harness:** A robust agent requires more than just a model; it needs a "Harness" containing Tools, Prompts, a **File System**, Skills, Sub-agents, and Memory. * **Opinionated Design:** The SDK bakes in lessons from deploying Claude Code, specifically the "opinion" that general computer use (Bash) is often superior to bespoke tools. * **The Power of the Bash Tool:** A key technical insight is that the **Bash tool** is often the most powerful tool for an agent. Instead of building custom tools for every action (e.g., a specific API wrapper for a file conversion), giving the agent access to the shell allows it to use existing software (like `ffmpeg`, `grep`, or `git`) to solve problems flexibly, similar to how a human developer works. * **Context Engineering:** Shihipar introduces the concept of **Context Engineering** via the file system. Instead of just "Prompt Engineering," the agent uses the file system to manage its state and context. * **Files as Memory:** The agent can write to files to "remember" things or create its own documentation (e.g., `CLAUDE.md`) to ground future actions. * **Verification:** The file system serves as a ground truth for the agent to verify its work (e.g., checking if a file was actually created). * **The Agent Loop & Intuition:** Building a successful agent loop is described as *"kind of an art or intuition"*. The loop generally follows a **Gather Context Take Action Verify Work** cycle. Shihipar emphasizes that this loop allows the agent to self-correct, a capability missing from rigid workflows. * **Strategies for Determinism (Hooks):** During the Q&A, a technique for controlling agent behavior is discussed: **Hooks**. * If an agent hallucinates or skips a step (e.g., guessing a Pokemon stat instead of checking a script), a hook can intercept the response and inject feedback: *"Please make sure you write a script, please make sure you read this data."* * This enforces rules like "read before you write" without retraining the model. * **Scaling to Large Codebases:** For massive codebases (50M+ lines), standard tools like `grep` or basic context window stuffing fail. * **Semantic Search Limitations:** Shihipar notes that while semantic search is a common solution, it is *"brittle"* because the model isn't trained on the specific semantic index. * **Solution:** He recommends good **"Claude MD"** files (context files) and starting the agent in a specific subdirectory to limit scope, rather than trying to index the entire 50M lines at once.

💻 Source Code: https://cwa.run/nodebase 🎨 Free Assets: https://cwa.run/node-assets 🎥 Part 2: https://youtu.be/S-4DrLHtL1s?si=n4a7jM4FUWf9NN32 📚 Resources: Try Inngest: https://cwa.run/node-inngest Try Polar: https://cwa.run/node-polar Try Better Auth: https://cwa.run/node-auth Try Sentry: https://cwa.run/sentry Try CodeRabbit: https://cwa.run/node-rabbit Try Neon: https://cwa.run/node-neon In this tutorial, we're building Nodebase, a complete workflow automation platform from scratch. You'll learn how to create a visual drag-and-drop canvas for building workflows, integrate multiple triggers and AI providers, handle background job execution, and build a full SaaS business layer with authentication, subscriptions, and paywalls. We'll also cover error tracking with AI monitoring and a professional Git workflow with AI-powered code reviews. Key features: 🔄 Visual workflow builder 🎯 Trigger nodes (Webhook, Google Form, Stripe, Manual) 🤖 AI integrations (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) 💬 Messaging nodes (Discord, Slack) 🌐 HTTP request node ⚡ Background job execution with Inngest 💳 Polar payments & subscriptions 🔐 Better Auth authentication 🎨 React Flow canvas 🗄️ Prisma ORM + Neon Postgres 🔒 Type safety with TypeScript + tRPC 🐛 Sentry error tracking + AI monitoring 🧑‍💻 CodeRabbit PR reviews 🌐 Next.js 15 App Router 📱 Production-ready SaaS Timestamps 00:00 Intro 06:05 01 Setup 29:33 02 Database 56:15 03 tRPC Setup 01:35:21 04 Authentication 02:37:24 05 Theme & Styling 02:55:05 06 Background Jobs 03:28:09 07 AI Providers 04:01:53 08 Error Tracking 04:27:54 09 Sidebar Layout 05:06:26 10 Payments Setup 05:44:04 11 Workflows Crud 06:45:20 12 Workflows Pagination 07:34:34 13 Workflows UI 08:23:40 14 Workflow Page 08:59:36 15 Editor Setup 09:50:42 16 Node Selector 10:40:32 17 Editor State 11:59:20 End of Part 1

Claude Code Tutorial: Beginner to Advanced in 20 Minutes. Join our FREE community with free prompts & guides: https://www.skool.com/ai-launchpad/about Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:10 - What is Claude & Setup 3:54 - Plan mode & prompting 6:18 - First results & Iteration 8:18 - Claude.md & MCP 12:12 - Context management & extended thinking 16:10 - Deploy your builds 17:07 - Skills & Hooks & Routines 18:39 - Outro For business inquiries including sponsorships and collaborations, please email: business@zinhomedia.com

Learn DevOps fast in this crash course covering Git & GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, IaC, and API deployment. Everything you need to automate dev and deployment. ⭐ Join JS Mastery Pro: https://jsm.dev/dops25-jsm 💎 Become a Top 1% Next.js Developer: https://jsm.dev/dops25-nextjs Use your promo code JAVA to get the Warp Pro plan for only $1, available for a limited time thanks to my friends at Warp! Warp: https://jsm.dev/dops25-warp Arcjet: https://jsm.dev/dops25-arcjet Neon: https://jsm.dev/dops25-neon 📁 FREE Video Kit (Code, Figma, Assets, Etc.): https://jsm.dev/dops25-kit 📙 Git & GitHub Course: https://jsm.dev/dops25-git 📘 Docker Course: https://jsm.dev/dops25-docker 👉 Next.js Testing Pro Course Waitlist: https://jsm.dev/dops25-testpro 👉 Backend Pro Course Waitlist: https://jsm.dev/dops25-backpro 👉 Tailwind Pro Course Waitlist: https://jsm.dev/dops25-twpro 👉 React.js Pro Course Waitlist: https://jsm.dev/dops25-reactpro 👉 React Native Pro Course Waitlist: https://jsm.dev/dops25-rnpro Rate us on TrustPilot: https://jsm.dev/trustpilot https://discord.com/invite/n6EdbFJ https://twitter.com/jsmasterypro https://instagram.com/javascriptmastery https://linkedin.com/company/javascriptmastery Business Inquiries: contact@jsmastery.pro Time Stamps: 00:00:00 — Introduction 00:06:04 — Introduction to DevOps 00:09:45 — What is DevOps 00:20:41 — What You Need to Learn in DevOps 00:25:42 — Version Control (Git & GitHub) 00:50:33 — CI/CD Pipelines 00:55:06 — Build Your First Pipeline 01:03:21 — Docker 01:55:39 — Kubernetes 02:03:35 — Kubernetes Demo 02:26:34 — Infrastructure as Code (IaC) 02:29:37 — More on DevOps Build & Deploy an API 02:30:49 — Setup 02:41:44 — ESLint Prettier 02:46:09 — Database Setup 02:54:18 — Logger & Middleware 03:05:15 — Authentication I 03:35:56 — Warp Setup 03:47:53 — Security Middleware 04:03:11 — Dockerization 04:21:49 — User CRUD 04:38:50 — Testing 04:48:35 — Next Steps