Hi Maarten! Great article. I have direct experience with Scrum (our company standard) and Shape Up (what I use for my team). I’ve seen major differences between a six-week cycle and three two-week sprints, because I actually started using Shape Up in two-week sprints … and wound up hating it.

In a six-week cycle, while you’re encouraged to deliver something early on, there is no arbitrary time commitment. I can ship the first increment in a day, a week or three weeks. I have the freedom to make those choices in a cycle, and it can be different for every cycle.

You don’t have this level of flexibility in two-week sprints. Committing to three arbitrary delivery dates is more stressful than committing to one date. That’s been my experience anyway.

Over time, I’ve grown to love that freedom and flexibility that Shape Up offers. I no longer have that the constant pressure to “ship something in two weeks or else” mentality I’ve felt on a Scrum team.