Using Monoscope with Shape Up
Shape Up gives teams a clear rhythm for shaping and building meaningful product initiatives. Monoscope adds the analytical and strategic layer — connecting those initiatives to data, metrics, and learning loops.
Together they form a closed system: Shape → Initiative → Build → Measure → Decide → Learn.
Why Combine Shape Up and Monoscope
Shape Up focuses on how to choose and deliver work; Monoscope focuses on why that work matters and what it changes.
| Shape Up Focus | Monoscope Addition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Six-week cycles with clear appetite | Cycle Loops to track impact and learning | A measurable feedback rhythm |
| Pitches and betting table | Structured Initiatives linked to metrics | Strategic traceability |
| Hill charts and qualitative progress | Metrics, forecasts, and Signal Loops | Quantitative insight |
| Cool-down reviews | Recorded decisions and learning events | Organisational memory |
Shape Up keeps work disciplined; Monoscope makes it data-informed. You keep the rhythm — you gain visibility, evidence, and learning.
How It Works
1. Shape with Data
During the shaping phase, use a Monoscope Canvas to explore where leverage exists.
- Analyse drivers and bottlenecks using Driver or Initiative Impact analyses.
- Identify the key metric or relationship you aim to move.
- Translate insights into pitches — which become Monoscope Initiatives.
The Monoscope Canvas becomes the analytical workspace that informs the Shape Up betting table.
2. Record Initiatives
Each approved pitch is created as a Initiative in Monoscope.
- Add hypotheses, expected impact, and linked metrics.
- Define appetite (timebox) and confidence level.
- Connect the Initiative to goals or outcomes in the strategy graph.
This keeps each Shape Up project connected to measurable outcomes.
3. Start the Cycle
When a cycle begins, open a Cycle Loop in Monoscope for that plan.
- The Cycle Loop documents which initiatives were chosen and why.
- Inputs include key metrics, forecasts, and relevant insights from shaping.
- This loop runs for the duration of the six-week cycle.
Cycle Loops are the Monoscope equivalent of Shape Up’s “cycle boundary.”
4. Monitor Signals During the Cycle
As teams build, Monoscope tracks real metrics.
- If a metric drifts from its forecast, open a Signal Loop.
- Discuss possible causes and document tactical decisions (pause, adjust, investigate).
- Signal Loops stay lightweight — they keep feedback alive without interrupting delivery.
This adds evidence-based learning without micromanagement.
5. Review & Learn in Cool-Down
At the end of the cycle:
- Close the Cycle Loop with results and learnings.
- Record which metrics moved, what initiatives succeeded or failed, and what surprised you.
- Update the strategy graph so future shaping sessions start from real evidence.
The cool-down review becomes a data-anchored retrospective, feeding the next shaping round.
6. Feed the Next Shape Up Round
Insights from completed loops guide new shaping:
- Use metric variance and learnings to identify leverage points.
- Re-run analyses on updated Monoscope Canvases.
- Shape new pitches grounded in what was learned last cycle.
Example Flow
| Phase | Shape Up Concept | Monoscope Feature | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaping | Pitch definition | Monoscope Canvas analysis | Data-informed pitches |
| Betting | Selection | Cycle Loop creation | Documented rationale |
| Build | 6-week execution | Active Initiatives & Signal Loops | Live feedback |
| Cool-down | Review | Cycle Loop resolution | Measured outcomes |
| Next Cycle | New shaping | Updated Graph & Metrics | Learning continuity |
Best Practices
- Keep Shape Up rituals intact. Monoscope adds context; it doesn’t add process overhead.
- One Cycle Loop per Shape Up cycle. Use it as the single record for decisions and learnings.
- Open Signal Loops sparingly. Focus on material changes in key metrics.
- Tag Initiatives clearly. Use the same pitch names from Shape Up for traceability.
- Use metrics as feedback, not scorecards. Numbers start conversations — they don’t end them.
Avoid turning Shape Up into a reporting process. Monoscope should enrich the cycle with insight — not add extra layers of approval.
Summary
By pairing Shape Up’s clarity of delivery with Monoscope’s clarity of impact, teams get both speed and learning.
- Monoscope Canvases guide shaping with real data.
- Initiatives tie work to measurable outcomes.
- Cycle Loops record decisions and learning across cycles.
- Signal Loops catch live deviations in performance.
Monoscope turns Shape Up from a rhythm of work into a rhythm of strategic learning — where every six-week cycle makes the next one smarter.