Mastering Distributed PI Planning

“If you do it right, if you have the right people, and if you have some nerds and lots of engineering DNA, it really works on the tool side" - Stephan Neck

If you’ve ever believed that failing once in remote PI Planning means catastrophe, this episode of SPCs Unleashed proves otherwise. Mark Richards, Ali Hajou, Stephan Neck, and Nikolaos Kaintantzis discuss how their early horror stories—teams flying to the wrong city, frantic breakout links—led them to design stronger approaches for future PI events.

Key Highlights

• Fail Forward: Mark shares why the first distributed attempt bombed—and how reflection turned it into a gold mine of learning.
• Engineering the Experience: Ali’s meticulous tip sheets and distribution-list tactics show how to orchestrate a seamless remote event.
• Trust Before Tools: Stephan and Niko emphasize that real alignment arises from respect, empathy, and creative team rituals.
• Agenda as a Design Task: Spreading sessions over multiple days, blending synchronous and asynchronous touchpoints, and scheduling “handover time” across time zones.
• Leader Visibility: Dispersed teams need more leadership presence—Gemba time is crucial, even if it’s virtual.

Actionable Insights

• Customize Your Toolkit: Match your collaboration tools to your security constraints, culture, and level of remote maturity.
• Establish a “Summon” Method: Instantly ping relevant players with at-mentions, shared boards, or specialized scripts.
• Prototype Your Flow: Small-scale tests of your agenda can reveal hidden friction points before the big day.

Conclusion
Distributed PI Planning isn’t a fallback option; it can be a fresh opportunity for stronger collaboration. By preparing deeply and focusing on human connections, you’ll discover remote sessions can be surprisingly powerful—even under pressure.