WHAT IS FRACTAL DEVELOPMENT?

What is Fractal Development?

In short; Fractal Development is an agile method designed to consistently enhance team performance. At its core, it's incredibly simple, yet profoundly powerful, relying on the repeated asking of two transformative questions… 

The method Fractal Development is created by Viktor Ansund (that’s me) and Fanny Norlin. I first coined the term Fractal Development in 2021. I had just learned about “First Principle Thinking”, and I wanted to apply this reasoning to Project Management. When reasoning from first principles you’re supposed to boil things down to their fundamental truths and reason up from there, as opposed to reasoning by analogy. I asked myself: “What are the fundamental processes and principles needed in a collaborative setting, in order to maximize productivity and wellbeing?”

To find this I asked myself "What are we doing right now that works really well?”, and I found a quite long list of processes and principles that worked really well (I’ll share that some other time). The problem with this list was that it is just another “Scrum-ish” method, and not really a core or fundamental truth. Some of the principals on this list had not worked really well before, and some principles that didn’t make the list had worked really well previously.

So I tried to boil it down even further, and what I was left with was nothing. No process, or principal. Nothing was evergreen and worked everywhere. But at the same time, there was things that worked really well in (almost) every team, some more common than others, but there was always a process that worked really well. I started to think “What is the process, that finds the process?”

(This by the way is where I start to see a Fractal appear in my head)

What process finds the best process?

Well, in nature we have evolution, and it's a pretty good process I think. Tried and true to say the least.

Evolution is great for iterative improvements, but the problem is that it is slow and violent, it involves both death, and literally a lifetime, so we have to find a way to make it faster (and less violent). 

In product development we have versions. And to determine what lives and what dies in the next version we have to ask ourself; “What went well?” and “What could be improved?”. 

From asking these simple, yet incredibly powerful, questions, we find what needs to be done next. Do this repeatedly and we have reinvented evolution. 

This process in itself is incredibly powerful. And versions of these questions is used in many different project management methods, including Scrum and Lean Startup Cycle. 

I found that repeatedly asking the two questions: "What went well?" and "What could be improved?” is a fundamental process, and it is how evolution works. 

This is was the seed that became Fractal Development. How it went from Evolution to Fractal is a story for another time, I want to publish this now and I have to get the baby from Pre-school. 

Thanks for reading. Use if useful. 

EDIT: But wait... WTF is Fractal Development?

Here’s the pitch: 

Fractal Development is an agile method designed to consistently enhance team performance. At its core, it's incredibly simple, yet very powerful, relying on the repeated asking of two transformative questions: "What went well last period?" and "What can we do better next period?"

These questions serve as the compass guiding the team's journey, spotlighting their crucial achievements while uncovering significant challenges. The insights gained from these reflections pave the way towards clarity, aiding the team in identifying the optimal path forward.

But the magic of Fractal Development doesn't stop at these questions. It's fortified by a set of foundational principles that shape its distinctive character.

Principles:

• Work Out Loud: Encourage transparency and openness, making every team member's efforts visible and appreciated.

• Celebrate Learning: Embrace every opportunity to learn, whether it stems from success or failure. Each lesson is a step forward.

• Start Simple and Be Consistent: Begin with straightforward processes and consistently stick to them. Complexity can often be the enemy of progress.

• Adopt a Learning Mindset: Cultivate a culture where continuous learning is the norm, and curiosity is a virtue.

• Only Solve Existing Problems: Focus on addressing current challenges instead of anticipating hypothetical ones. This keeps the team grounded in reality and effective in their responses.

• Let the Team Own the Development: Empower the team to take charge of their development, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment.

Fractal Development isn't merely an agile method; it's a journey of continuous growth. It's about celebrating triumphs, learning from hurdles, and always striving for better. 

plz join the cult. 

with love,

Viktor