Passing

If you are tearing out your hair trying to complete a story… PASS!

If life attacks, and you know you won’t have time between now and the end of iteration… PASS!

If you and your partner just can’t find a time to pair… PASS!

If you need some infrastructure, techology, or knowledge to work on your story and can’t get it lined up in time… PASS!

Passing isn’t admitting defeat, it’s a tactical retreat.

Things get better when you pass on a story instead of beating your head against it.

How to pass

 * Talk it over with your pair, if they’re available.
 * Contact your iteration coaches and let them know you need to pass on your story.
 * Done! No drama, no trouble.

(Optionally: if you have time/energy for something else, talk to the coaches about what other story you might work on.)

What to do with a story that someone’s passed on

 * If it’s early in the iteration, post to the mailing list, and ask if anyone else wants a shot at it straight away.
 * If it’s late in the iteration, put it in the next iteration.
 * No matter what, do some serious thinking about whether the story is too hard to do in its current state, and whether it should be changed to make it more doable.