technical spike

Definition

A time-boxed investigation into a technical approach or solution, usually because nobody knows if something will actually work. It's sanctioned time to experiment instead of pretending you know what you're doing.

Example Usage

Let's do a two-day technical spike to see if we can actually integrate this third-party API before committing to it in the roadmap.

Origin

Originated in Extreme Programming (XP) methodology in the late 1990s, popularized by Kent Beck

Fun Fact

The term 'spike' comes from rock climbing—a piton (spike) hammered into rock to support climbers exploring difficult routes, just as technical spikes support teams exploring difficult solutions.

Source: Agile software development methodologies

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