inception-pipe

The inception pipe manages the product & design work that happens prior to an issue enters the delivery pipe. Its goal is to streamline the processes that currently happen across different tools and increase the transparency and visibility of this work to the community.

It shall allow everyone to follow (and comment) the progress of issues while being in inception without the need to keep up with slack conversations across multiple channels.

V1: The Inception Pipe covers the inception process from AFTER issues have been prioritized in product curation.

V2: In the long run, the inception pipe is going to include the entire process from "Discovery Phase 1" until ready for the delivery pipe, i.e. is going to be a place where all issues with "Potential for Inception" - design projects, wishlist items etc. - will be collected, categorised and prioritised

About this pipe are here: https://www.notion.so/openfoodnetwork/Inception-Pipe-cc778fa5364a4f6f8e2dd81f8e33d19a

Inception Pipe

1. Process: Inception Pipe → Delivery Pipe

The Inception Pipe is connected with the Delivery Pipe so that issues that are ready incepted move automatically into the Delivery Pipe and allow the entire product development process to be synced and managed in one common place.

ZenHub Workflows allows teams to sync the pipeline state of an Issue in multiple Workspaces. By setting up a Workflow, you can automate the movement of Issues between different Workspaces. This ensures Boards are always up to date reflecting the most current picture of progress in every teams Workspace.

2. The Pipe: Columns & Labels

COLUMNS

• Needs Inception

  Where inception requests are parked that are not yet prioritized in product curation → Things (identified problems/feature candidates) can come from Product Circle, Product Curation, Research Insights, Papercuts, "All the things", Wishlist Items, Feature Requests...

• Ready for Inception

  Upcoming feature candidates (=problems or opportunities, that will turn into a feature) that have been prioritised from product curation. They can come from wishlist, papercuts, user research, instances, grant funding etc.

• In Inception

  Issues for which the inception process has been kicked-off. Additional clarification / research is still needed. Discussions with Tech and Design happen here already if needed.

• Ready for Design

  Where design input is needed post product inception. Issues have most information required for design work to be kicked off.

• In Design

  This is actively being designed and has all or most design requirements. A designer is assigned. This can mean UX research, design thinking or 'visual' design.

• Review

  Issues open to the team for review. If approved, Issue goes into the Dev Pipe, otherwise back to "In Inception" or "In Design"

• Done / Ready for Dev

  Issues that are reviewed and approved. They go at the same time into the Dev Pipe ("Dev Ready") → using the Zen Hub Feature to connect workspaces

  LABELS

  Issues / Inception Requests that are newly created could require input from Design, Product, Tech and might be parked until further inception is prioritized

  • Needs Design Work

  • Needs Product Work

  • Needs Tech Work

  • Parked

    Issues that cannot move forward in the pipe, until they get input from Design, Tech or Product

  • Blocked: Design Input needed

  • Blocked: Tech Input needed

  • Blocked: Product Input Needed

  Labels about where the issue/epic is coming from

  • Wishlist
  • Papercut
  • Feature request
  • etc.