Spikes and De-Risking the Unknown
A spike is a short, time-boxed piece of investigation we run when there is too much uncertainty to estimate or plan a feature properly. Rather than guess, we spend a defined amount of effort learning enough to proceed with confidence.
Spikes are one of the most cost-effective tools we have. A day spent reducing uncertainty often saves many days of building the wrong thing or hitting an unexpected wall.
When We Use a Spike
Spikes are reserved for genuine unknowns, not as a default for everything.
- A new technology or integration we have not used before.
- A feature whose complexity is hard to judge.
- A technical question that blocks an estimate.
- A risky assumption worth testing cheaply first.
How a Spike Is Run
We keep spikes tightly bounded so they answer a question without becoming open-ended research.
- We agree the specific question to answer.
- We set a strict time box for the investigation.
- We share what we learned and use it to plan the real work.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.