A pattern illustrating how work items evolve from ideas to initiatives, epics, features, and releases.
Work doesn't stay the same shape as it travels. Your board should reflect that.
An idea becomes an initiative, an initiative becomes an epic, an epic becomes features. This pattern makes the transformation of work items visible as they move through the FL2 system.
The Problem
An idea becomes an initiative. An initiative becomes an epic. An epic becomes features. Features become a release. Most boards only show one slice of this journey — the implementation part. Everything before and after stays invisible. Stakeholders argue because they're looking at different things.
How It Works
Board columns represent not just workflow steps, but also the transformation of work items as they move through the system. The relationships are rarely 1:1 — one idea typically becomes several epics, one epic becomes several features, and multiple features bundle into one release. The board captures this full transformation: from discovery through economic framing to implementation and bundling.
When to Use It
- Work passes through multiple phases, each with a different "shape"
- Different stakeholders need different views (strategic vs. operational)
- You need traceability from a release back to the original idea
Related Patterns
- Multiple Parallel Flight Item Types — when multiple types coexist on the same board
- Slicing — the mechanism for breaking large items into smaller ones as they transform
Your play!
Get the cards and maps — all 18 FL2 Flow Patterns plus the new "Identify your Flow" companion map (A3 + A2 in EN, A3 in DE), ready to use in your next FL2 workshop or board design session.