Planning Poker

Planning Poker is a collaborative estimation technique used by Agile teams to assess the effort or complexity of work items, such as user stories or Product Backlog Items. It's not about producing perfect numbers---it's about creating shared understanding through discussion.

The technique was introduced by James Grenning in 2002 and later popularized by Mike Cohn. It supports better decisions by helping teams uncover assumptions, align on scope, and spot risks early.

How it works

1. The Product Owner presents a work item and answers clarifying questions.

2. Each team member privately selects an estimate (typically from a modified Fibonacci sequence: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...).

3. All cards are revealed at once to avoid anchoring.

4. If there's disagreement, especially with wide gaps, the team discusses different perspectives.

5. Estimation is repeated until the team reaches a consensus.

Why it's useful

• Builds common understanding of what's being estimated

• Encourages team discussion and shared accountability

• Surfaces risks and assumptions early

• Prevents bias by avoiding early anchoring

Planning Poker works best when teams focus less on the number itself, and more on the conversation behind the number. That's where real clarity and alignment happen.

If two estimates are close (e.g., 5 and 8), a practical tip from Jan's experience is:

"Just take the higher one and move on. Estimates are not precise by nature, and spending more time won't improve them---it just delays the real work."