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QUAD Terminology
QUAD uses new terms instead of Scrum jargon - cleaner, clearer, AI-native
Quick Reference Card
CYCLE
4-week period of continuous work
PULSE
Optional weekly sync (5-15 min)
TRAJECTORY
Setting priorities for the cycle
CHECKPOINT
Monthly demo + release decision
CALIBRATION
Monthly reflection + improvement
HORIZON
Work backlog (what's ahead)
REFINEMENT
Breaking down and clarifying work
CYCLE QUEUE
Work selected for current cycle
FLOW RATE
Speed of work through pipeline
PROGRESSION
Visual of work remaining
OPERATORS
Human specialists who execute circle functions
CIRCLES
4 functional teams (Mgmt, Dev, QA, Infra)
AGENTS
AI helpers assigned to each circle
ENABLING TEAMS
Optional support groups (Arch, Security, etc.)
Terminology Mapping
| Old Term (Scrum) | QUAD Term | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | Cycle | 4-week period of continuous work |
| Daily Standup | Pulse | Optional weekly sync (5-15 min) |
| Sprint Planning | Trajectory | Setting priorities for the cycle |
| Sprint Review | Checkpoint | Monthly demo + release decision |
| Retrospective | Calibration | Monthly reflection + improvement |
| Backlog | Horizon | Work ahead, prioritized queue |
| Backlog Grooming | Refinement | Breaking down and clarifying work |
| Sprint Backlog | Cycle Queue | Work selected for current cycle |
| Story Points | Complexity | Estimation using chosen method |
| Velocity | Flow Rate | Speed of work through pipeline |
| Burndown | Progression | Visual of work remaining |
| Definition of Done | Completion Criteria | When work is truly done |
| Scrum Master | Scheduling Agent | AI handles coordination |
| Product Owner | Circle Lead | BA/PM/TL in Management Circle |
The 4 Circles
1
MANAGEMENT Circle
B80% / T20%
Dedicated
BA, PM, Tech Lead
2
DEVELOPMENT Circle
B30% / T70%
Mostly Dedicated
Full Stack, Backend, UI, Mobile
3
QA Circle
B30% / T70%
Mostly Shared
QA Engineer, Automation, Perf, Security
4
INFRASTRUCTURE Circle
B20% / T80%
Always Shared
DevOps, SRE, Cloud, DBA
B = Business Focus | T = Technical Focus
Cycle Events
Pulse
Quick sync, blockers, AI dashboard review
Weekly (optional)
5-15 min
Checkpoint
Demo to stakeholders, release decision
Monthly
1 hour
Calibration
Retrospective, agent learning review
Monthly
30-60 min
Trajectory
Planning priorities for next cycle
Monthly
1-2 hours
Estimation Methods
QUAD offers multiple estimation methods. Teams choose in settings:
Platonic Solids (Default)
- Tetrahedron (4) = Trivial
- Cube (6) = Moderate
- Octahedron (8) = Medium
- Dodecahedron (12) = Complex
- Icosahedron (20) = Very Complex
Dimensions
- Point (0D) = Trivial
- Line (1D) = Simple
- Triangle (2D) = Moderate
- Cube (3D) = Complex
- Tesseract (4D) = Very Complex
Powers
- 2^0 = 1 (Trivial)
- 2^1 = 2 (Simple)
- 2^2 = 4 (Moderate)
- 2^3 = 8 (Complex)
- 2^4 = 16 (Very Complex)
Classic Fibonacci
- 1 = Trivial
- 2 = Simple
- 3 = Moderate
- 5 = Medium
- 8 = Complex
- 13 = Very Complex