Project template
Feature build
One feature from spec to release: design, build, code review, QA and the release note.
Week 1
Write the spec
Day 3 · High priority
The problem, who has it, what done looks like, and what's out of scope.
Design
Day 3 to Day 6 · Medium priority
The flows and the screens, the empty and error states included.
Week 2
Build
Day 6 to Day 13 · High priority
Built to the spec, behind a flag if it's risky, and working end to end on a staging server.
Tests
Day 13 · Medium priority
The cases from the spec, and the bug you'd be embarrassed to ship.
Code review
Day 14 · Medium priority
Someone who didn't write it reads it, runs it and approves it. What they find is fixed before QA.
Week 3
QA pass
Day 15 · High priority
Move tasks to QA as they're ready. Test it as the person in the spec would use it.
Release
Day 16 · High priority
Shipped, with someone watching the errors and the first people using it for an hour after.
Write the release note
Day 16 · Low priority
What changed and who it helps, in a sentence or two.