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# Pragmatic Planning


- **Event:** World Congress 2026 Europe - Virtual Stage

## Description

Pragmatic planning—the key to predictability in large-scale, complex software delivery.

Software development is predictably unpredictable. But that doesn’t stop us from being predictable in our deliveries, paradoxically. It is also not that difficult. It might be hard, but not difficult.

In my experience, I see three main problem areas for organizations:
1.Unrealistic Planning
2. Insufficient Collaboration
3. Fragmented Steering

The first one can be solved with simple solutions. The three things that I recommend that you do is:
A. Don't estimate - focus on flow.
B. Plan half - because you don't know what happens tomorrow.
C. Separate the roadmap from the releaseplan

In this talk I share a couple of stories from organizations I worked with. One complete failure that serves as a good example of establishing a powerful  metaphor of why flow is so important. 
Another where one of the departments went from 0% to 83% planned work delivered per quarter in only four quarters. 
Lastly, one organization where the key point was to differentiate between the roadmap and the release plan.


## Speaker

### [Joakim von Prónay](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@joakim-von-pronay)

Consultant at Friktion


## Related talks at this congress

- [Less Is More: How Lagom and Agile Can Create Harmonious Workflows](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1564-less-is-more-how) — Olha Pyvko
- [Thoughts on (Modern?) Software Development - Observations From a 21-Year Journey](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1627-thoughts-on-modern) — Alex Thurow
- [From Code to Culture: Why Leadership Determines Software Quality](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1540-from-code-to-culture) — Oskar Kruschitz
- [The Pragmatic Architect: Balancing Necessity vs. Sufficiency in React Systems](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1624-the-pragmatic) — Ana Gil Amor