Iterations, Kanban and Flow

Sprints are fixed time boxes with a set of work chosen at the start. The value is the rhythm: a regular point to demonstrate something and to reconsider.

Kanban has no time box. Work flows across a board and you limit how many things are in progress at once. The value is the limit, which is what actually stops five half-finished things.

For one person, kanban with a strict work-in-progress limit is usually the better fit, plus a weekly point to review and plan. You get the flow benefit without inventing a ceremony for an audience of one.

Velocity is a measurement, not a target. How much you complete per iteration, used to decide what to attempt next time.

The moment it becomes a goal, points inflate and the number stops meaning anything. It is the same failure as coverage as a target, and the same in a team of one as a team of fifty.