Spike
In the Scaled-Agile-Framework, a Spike is a specialized type of Exploration-Story designed to reduce uncertainty and gain the knowledge necessary to estimate or implement a User-Story or Feature. As outlined in the official SAFe documentation, spikes are essential for Agile-Teams to perform research, design, and prototyping activities that cannot be easily estimated otherwise.
Types of Spikes
The framework identifies two primary types of spikes used in Agile-Development:
- Technical-Spike: Used to research various technical approaches, evaluate the viability of a solution, or conduct performance benchmarking.
- Functional-Spike: Focused on understanding user behavior, exploring user interface designs, or clarifying business requirements and workflows.
Execution and Estimation
Unlike standard stories, a Spike is always Timeboxing-limited. While they are estimated in Story-Points, their output is typically a demonstration, documentation, or a prototype rather than production-ready code. This helps maintain the Architectural-Runway and ensures the Product-Owner can make informed decisions during Backlog-Refinement.