Software is one of those unique activities that combine design, construction, art, and science all rolled up into one. Teams face thousands of decisions and trade-offs every day. And without the right context or big-picture understanding, it’s impossible to make the right trade-offs in an informed or balanced way. The agile inception deck is a lightweight project chartering tool that gives teams the **why** behind what they are doing. More than that it defines a common vision of success upfront, and makes sure everyone is aligned before the project begins.
http://submit2012.agilealliance.org/files/session_pdfs/99-inception-deck.pdf