Presented at XConf Tech Manchester in 2014 - Video at http://thght.works/1xdSvqK This talk explores new ways of framing the work we do in order to create effective software products. A super-pragmatic model of thinking and doing that promises to bring together technologists, designers and business folks alike, across the entire software delivery lifecycle.

1. PRAGMATIC PRODUCT
STRATEGY
WAYS OF THINKING AND DOING THAT BRING TOGETHER TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS AND DESIGN
1
@jonnyschneider

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I am a Service Designer…

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…and a Product Strategist.

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½ business
½ design

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Technology

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Strategy is worthless unless you ship

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Execution benefits from strategy
good^

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Too much TALKING.
RESEARCHING.
MODELLING.
THINKING.
COMMON STRATEGY

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Too much TALKING.
RESEARCHING.
MODELLING.
THINKING.
COMMON STRATEGY
NOT ENOUGH doing.

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Idea
Target
release
research
business
strategy
funding
planning
design
delivery
test

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Idea
Target
release
research
business
strategy
funding
planning
design
delivery
test

16. 13
Idea
Target
release
research
business
strategy
funding
planning
design
delivery
test

17. 13
Idea
Target
release
research
business
strategy
funding
planning
design
delivery
test
…we can’t move the release date!
the media campaigns are booked!!!
Engineers, can you build less, and faster?

18. 13
Idea
Target
release
research
business
strategy
funding
planning
design
delivery
test
…we can’t move the release date!
the media campaigns are booked!!!
Engineers, can you build less, and faster?

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Better Strategy

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EXPLOREUNDERSTAND CREATEDEFINE
vision & plantrigger solution
LEARN BUILD
MEASURE
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
Adapted and extended from British Design Council.

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EXPLORE CREATEDEFINE
DIVERGENT EXPLORATION,
DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
Exploring opportunity is a search for disruptive questions.
Through observation and enquiry we reveal customer behaviour and business
drivers to identify opportunities to consider.
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
vision & plantrigger solution
UNDERSTAND

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EXPLORE CREATE
CONVERGE TO DEFINE A
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
We synthesise knowledge into insight and focus on the most compelling
opportunities to pursue as we define a vision. Converging on our strategic
direction, we now consider how success will be measured.
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
vision & plantrigger solution
UNDERSTAND DEFINE

23. 1813
ENTERPRISE INNOVATION
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL
DISCOVERY
!
Product + Process +Technology
STRATEGIC
WORKSHOP
!
Big Picture Approach
INTEGRATED
STRATEGIES
Agile
Delivery
Organisational
Transformation
Adoption
Design
UX Remediation
Continuous
Innovation
Continuous
Innovation
Legacy
Re-engineering
1–3 weeks 2–10 days
“Unlock your enterprise potential”
weeks, not months

24. 1913
ENTERPRISE INNOVATION
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL
DISCOVERY
!
Product + Process +Technology
STRATEGIC
WORKSHOP
!
Big Picture Approach
INTEGRATED
STRATEGIES
Agile
Delivery
Organisational
Transformation
Adoption
Design
UX Remediation
Continuous
Innovation
Continuous
Innovation
Legacy
Re-engineering
1–3 weeks 2–10 days
“Unlock your enterprise potential”

25. KNOW THE
ECOSYSTEM

26. EXAMPLE: ANALYSIS
• Business processes
• Centralised Services
• Manual Processing Centre
• Customer Service Centre
• Business Intelligence
• Marketing Services
• Information Technology
• Marketing Services
• Enterprise Technology Architecture
• Shop-floor observations
40+ 10+30+ 1000+
representatives
met
hours of staff
presentations,
meetings, and
interviews
hours of live
observation
pages of
documents
and reports

27. KNOW THE
CUSTOMER PAIN

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29. TELL A STORY

30. EXAMPLE CUSTOMER STORY - PRE TRIP
Web: Baidu experience PDF: Mafengwo
Triggers Inspiration Preparation Booking

31. EXAMPLE CUSTOMER STORY - TRANSIT
by Sean Savage by Karl Baronby Anaa Yoo by Hideyuki Kamon
Pre - travel Pre - flight In flight/transit
Map: Citymaps2go

32. EXAMPLE CUSTOMER STORY - AT DESTINATION
by Wayan Vota by Steven Erat
by Shaun
Dunmall
by Mike Chaput
Arrival In country In store

33. EXAMPLE CUSTOMER STORY - RETURNING HOME
Preparation Landside Airside

34. by Steven Conry
EXAMPLE CUSTOMER JOURNEY - BACK HOME
by Epsos.de
by AFS-USA
Intercultural Programs
Arrival Trip follow up Receive reward

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ENTERPRISE INNOVATION
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL
DISCOVERY
!
Product + Process +Technology
STRATEGIC
WORKSHOP
!
Big Picture Approach
INTEGRATED
STRATEGIES
Agile
Delivery
Organisational
Transformation
Adoption
Design
UX Remediation
Continuous
Innovation
Continuous
Innovation
Legacy
Re-engineering
1–3 weeks 2–10 days
“Unlock your enterprise potential”

36. Designer
Analyst Chief
Customer
Officer
Developer
Head of
Marketing
CEO
Service
Design
Architect
IT Director
Head of
Product

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PERSPECTIVE

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PERSPECTIVE

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PERSPECTIVE

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business design
PERCEPTIONS

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Customer
Experience
(usable/desirable)
Technology
(feasible)
Business
(viable)
Good Product

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HOW MIGHT WE…
begin to work better together,
for bigger impact?

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HOW MIGHT WE…
use how we see to
inform strategy?

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‘FEATURES TO BUILD’
COMMON EXECUTION
vs.
IMPACT TO DELVER

45. BACKLOG ESTIMATION
PLANPRIORITISE
useful tools…

46. …but delivery run rate isn’t everything -
features don’t always equal impact.

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Better Execution
http://www.slideshare.net/BenKappler

48. SEARCH
DAILY DEALS
INCREASE 17%
INCREASE 455%
CATEGORIES USAGE 41%
DOES NOT INCLUDE SEARCH
CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND VALIDATION

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Better Execution
http://barryoreilly.com/2013/10/21/

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EXAMPLE HYPOTHESIS

51. EXAMPLE HYPOTHESIS

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CREATE
EXPLORE OPTIONS,
VALIDATE SOLUTIONS
Guided by a clear vision, we begin to qualify the options. Through iterations, we
explore, validate and refine concepts as we create a blueprint for the solution.
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
vision & plantrigger solution
EXPLOREUNDERSTAND DEFINE

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EXPLOREUNDERSTAND DEFINE
CREATE
QUALITY OUTCOMES
Now the focus shifts to robust execution as we pay attention to experience and
build quality systems. As we measure success, working solutions are
iteratively refined to optimise effectiveness.
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
vision & plantrigger solution
CREATE

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HOW MIGHT WE…
use development activities to
define strategy?
EXPLOREUNDERSTAND CREATEDEFINE
vision & plantrigger solution

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EXPLOREUNDERSTAND CREATEDEFINE
DEFINE STRATEGY EXECUTE SOLUTION
Understand why & define how Create the outcome
vision & plantrigger solution
LEARN BUILD
MEASURE
Think big, start small, act quickly.

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Know the impact.
Own the impact.
Strategy is worthless without execution.
Execution benefits from {good} strategy.
Work better together for bigger impact.
PARTING THOUGHTS