In my team I like to have a "technical kickoff meeting".
But before that, the person that will implement the story will goes through a checklist that I started and we improved during retros. The engineer sits down with another engineer and they go over again together. If they did their homework it is usually pretty quick.
Sample for web dev:
-Does this feature heavily relay on or modify code that someone else wrote? Should we talk with her? Should we HAVE THEM in this MEETING? In particular for BE work who should we talk?
- What names are we going to use for Components, Pages, Folders, etc?
- Is the visual design/flow clear and complete?
- Do we have every assets from design? Do we need to ask for more?
- Do we have dependencies on other work being done now on a branch or in the near future ?
- Do we have overlap with other pieces of code (possible conflicts)?
- Will we reuse some other components or any other relevant utility functions?
- What code can be reused?
- Do we want to make some of the code for this feature reusable?
- (Redux) What reducers will we use (if any)? In particular do we need new ones?
- What are the most important tests to write ?
- Are we going to phase the feature?
- Do we have to compromise and create some tech debt? If yes, what, why and when do we plan to pay it?
I found that this meeting makes most of the code reviews fast as well.
But before that, the person that will implement the story will goes through a checklist that I started and we improved during retros. The engineer sits down with another engineer and they go over again together. If they did their homework it is usually pretty quick.
Sample for web dev:
-Does this feature heavily relay on or modify code that someone else wrote? Should we talk with her? Should we HAVE THEM in this MEETING? In particular for BE work who should we talk?
- What names are we going to use for Components, Pages, Folders, etc?
- Is the visual design/flow clear and complete? - Do we have every assets from design? Do we need to ask for more? - Do we have dependencies on other work being done now on a branch or in the near future ? - Do we have overlap with other pieces of code (possible conflicts)?
- Will we reuse some other components or any other relevant utility functions?
- What code can be reused?
- Do we want to make some of the code for this feature reusable?
- (Redux) What reducers will we use (if any)? In particular do we need new ones?
- What are the most important tests to write ?
- Are we going to phase the feature?
- Do we have to compromise and create some tech debt? If yes, what, why and when do we plan to pay it?
I found that this meeting makes most of the code reviews fast as well.