Shaping Up: Rethinking Product Development with Basecamp's Shape Up Methodology
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Sebastian Gierlinger
Storyblok
VP of Engineering
Delivering impactful product increments in a fast-scaling SaaS company like HERO Software is tough, something Milton Leon Rodriguez, Head of Engineering at HERO, knows firsthand. For his team, Scrum felt rigid, Shape Up too radical. So, he and his engineering team built ShapeShift: a pragmatic blend of both, tailored for focus, efficiency, and flexibility. With 6-week Milestones (inspired by Shape Up) and lightweight Scrum elements, HERO now
drives structured execution without the overhead. No unnecessary meetings, just on-demand refinements, 10-minute dailies, and built-in cool-down cycles—all while keeping teams stable for consistency. ShapeShift isn’t a one-size-fits-all framework. It’s a work in progress, shaped by HERO’s real dev team challenges. In his talk, Leon will provide an inside look at this evolving methodology, sharing key learnings, practical insights, and how ShapeShift is helping HERO scale smarter.
World Congress 2025
Sebastian Gierlinger
Storyblok
VP of Engineering
Tobias Mende
Tech Unicorn Builders
CTO & Co-Founder
Réka Leisztner
Zühlke
Senior Consulting Manager
Hendrik Lösch
ZEISS Digital Solution
Management Consultant