Spotify Rhythm
How we create focus

Consultant
www.crisp.se

Agile Sverige, 2016-06-01

Henrik Kniberg

Dadhenrik.kniberg@crisp.se@HenrikKniberg

Organizational
RefactoristAuthor

2000# of employees
1500

1000500

2006

Henrik Kniberg

2007

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2016

Fall 2014 research: “What’s slowing us down?”

Misalignment!

Henrik Kniberg

WIPoverflow!

This doesn’t scale

WTF!

Huh?
?!?!

Hey!!

Henrik Kniberg#@%&?!

Misalignment

WIP overflow
WTF! You guys arebuilding a TUNNEL?
WTF! You guys arebuilding a BRIDGE?

Henrik Kniberg

Goal: Clear priorities, Data-driven decisions, Learning loop

We’re working on X.
Because Sam said it’s
important.

We’re done when Sam
is OK with it.

Henrik Kniberg

We’re working on X.
Because we think it’sgoing to give impact Y,
which matters toSpotify because of Z
We’re done when themetrics have moved

OKR

P&A

Objectives & Key Results

Priorities & Achievements

Henrik Kniberg

SpotifyRhythm

Henrik Kniberg

Visualize the Big Bets
Launch inCountry A

Henrik Kniberg

Build newproductcapability B

Innovate onCBuild
infrastructurefor DHigh-Medium-Low = a broken way of prioritizing
Launch in
Country A

HIGHprio

MEDIUM
prio
LOW
prio
Henrik Kniberg

Build newproduct
capability B

Innovate on
C

Buildinfrastructure
for DStack rank
Only ONE thing getsto be priority one!

If we only can do
one of these twothings, which one
would we do?
Why?

North Star goals
Launch in
Country A

1

Innovate on
C

2

Build
infrastructure
for D

3

Build newproduct
capability B

4
5
6
7

Henrik Kniberg

8Company
Beliefs

X
activeusers

Worldclassemployer

Don’t do it all at once
NowNext

Launch inCountry A

1Innovate on
C
Buildinfrastructure
for D

Build newproductcapability B

Later
11222334

Henrik Kniberg

The Bets Board is a Google Spreadsheet
Open to everyone at the Spotify

Henrik Kniberg

Now

Each bet needs a 2-page brief

Launch inCountryA(google doc)

Next
1

Build newproduct
capability
B

Later
1

12

Innovate on
C22

Build
infrastructure
for D

334

Lead team sponsor

Road Manager

Key stakeholders

Success metrics

Related bets.........

Henrik Kniberg

DIBB
Data

Insights BeliefBetDIBB – an argument framework
Example:(Something like this happened a few years ago)

Data

How people listen to music
Desktop users

Insight
Mobile is overtaking
desktop as primarymusic gadget!

rsMobile use

Time

How we’re staffed
Mobile devs

We have very few
mobile devs
compared todesktop

BeliefBet

WTF we’reoptimized for thewrong thing!

Hire a bunch ofmobile devs

For long term
survival, we need
to becomemobile-first

Feedback loop
Desktop devs

Henrik Kniberg

Train a bunch ofour desktop devs
into mobile devs
Buildinfrastructure for
iterating fast onmobileMore Bet Boards started popping up
Tribe X Bet Board

TPD Bets Board

Now(Tech-Product-Design)Company Bets Board
Now
Launch inCountryA

Next
1

Build newproductcapability
B

111222Later
11322213

Innovate onC22

Build
infrastructure
for D

3324Tribe Y Bet Board
Now

4Henrik Kniberg

Next

Later

13

Later
1

Now

Next

Content,Revenue,Marketing,
etc

Next

Later

1

122341

Bet = alignment point#1 BetSony
Playstation
Integration

Henrik Kniberg

Stack-ranked bets enable cross-company alignment#1 BetSony
Playstation
Integration#2 Bet
Innovateon CHenrik Kniberg

Spotify Rhythm = cadence for deciding what to focus on
Strategy team – every quarter
Company Bets

Now

NextCompany Bets

Now

Later

Next

Later

1111112222223333

TPD prioritization group – every 6 weeks

Now

TPD Bets
Next

Now

Later

TPD Bets
Next

Now

Later

TPD Bets
Next

Now

Later

TPD Bets
Next

Later

11111111111122222222222233333333Henrik Kniberg

Now

Tempo markers= Moving as fast as it could= Moving slower than it could

Launch inCountry A

1Innovate onC2

Buildinfrastructurefor D34= Blocked567Henrik Kniberg

What does Spotify Rhythm mean for squad autonomy?

Henrik Kniberg

Squads are (still) responsible for figuring
out how to make best use of their time
- Bet Boards & DIBBs provide context

Now

Now

North star goals
Now

Company Bets
Next

1
TPD Bets

Tribe Bets
1Next

Next

2

LaterLater1122

1
Later 313212121232323

3Hey, we need
your help

Hey, you need to upgrade
to the new build server

User data

Henrik Kniberg

Backlog

IOTake-aways
Current Challenges:• Agile techniques can be used to lead acompany• How does innovation• Autonomy only scales if leaders provide
fit in?
high-level context• How do we minimize• Simple tools = fast evolution
waste / process
overhead?
• Use different time scales at differentlevels• Keep experimenting
VISIONbut don’t forget to follow up!

Henrik Kniberg