singleweek

Singleweek is a term used in project management and product development to describe an approach in which a complete planning, development, testing, and delivery cycle is confined to a single calendar week. In practice, teams adopt a fixed cadence, typically Monday through Sunday, with a clearly defined scope for the week and a commitment to delivering a usable increment by week’s end.

Core features of singleweek include timeboxing, a tightly scoped backlog, and rapid feedback loops from stakeholders. The workflow often begins with a planning session at the start of the week, followed by daily standups, midweek integration checks, and a formal demonstration and retrospective at the end of the week. Roles commonly resemble those in agile methodologies, with a product owner, a cross‑functional development team, and a facilitator or agile coach helping maintain cadence and focus.

History and usage: the concept has emerged from agile and lean startup practices as teams sought to shorten cycle times and increase responsiveness. It is most common in small teams or startups where resources permit high‑velocity delivery and frequent stakeholder engagement.

Advantages and challenges: proponents argue that singleweek can reduce batch size, improve predictability, and align stakeholder expectations through a tight weekly rhythm. Critics note that the approach can strain planning and testing processes, increase burnout risk, and be unsuitable for complex features, regulated environments, or teams with significant external dependencies. Successful adoption often relies on automation, clear acceptance criteria, and disciplined scope management.

See also: agile, Scrum, sprint, Kanban, weekly planning.