Popcorn Popping

I learned this technique at an early Agile Universe conference.

To use time effectively and minimize bike-shedding, listen for a slowdown in the flow of ideas or constructive discussion - like popcorn that’s done popping.

When the popcorn stops, it’s a good time to end the activity, or at least take a break. You can switch topics and return later, but many discussions linger well past their productive phase.

A common occurrence: meetings consume exactly the time they were allotted. In those cases, you’re usually burning the popcorn and then eating it out of habit.

This also applies to individual work flow. Don’t push past the point of diminishing returns - that’s how you get burnt popcorn and burnt-out people.

Similar to Time Boxing, but without the built-in time constraint.