Spike

Definition of a Spike:

Spike is the name for a timeboxed user story or Task that is created in order to research a question or resolve a problem. Spikes focus on gathering information and finding answers to a questions, rather than producing a shippable product.

Synonyms for a Spike:

Proof of Concept, PoC, Research Spike

Use of Spikes:

A Spike is created when a user story or task cannot be estimated well enough until the team has done further research or investigation. The result of a spike is an estimate for the original user story so that the sprint can move forward.

Benefits of Spikes:

  • Enable the team to make more accurate and reliable user stories.
  • Increase the team’s understanding of a user story or PBI requirement.
  • Reduce waste.

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Author

Photo of Sohrab Salimi

Sohrab Salimi

Scrum Academy GmbH

Sohrab is a long-standing Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and CEO of the Scrum Academy GmbH based in Cologne. He is a trained medical doctor and worked for Bain & Company as a consultant and as a CIO at SE-Consulting, among others, before founding the Scrum Academy. As a consultant and trainer, he has been supporting companies from a wide range of industries for over a decade on topics related to agile transformation, innovation and organizational development.

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