Product Vision as a Toolin everyday Agile work

Vision is a powerful thing...

IntroductionWho am I?

What is my Vision?

PO/PMs are overwhelmed with details

Need = strategic AND practical

Make vision a widespread iterative tool

Lots of Examples...one constraint

Problem for Agile is customer proxies that lack vision

OverviewDeveloping a product vision

Communicating your ideas and plans

Using vision everyday

When vision meets reality

Markets are Conversations

So what do you have to

say?

Social Media ascendent - SXSW - extreme interest

Markets are conversations - Cluetrain (1999) - Do not “target”, interact instead

What to convey? - This is my product?? - This is ME. This is what I think.

Developing a Product Vision

A vision should be an opinion.

Should be expressible on an elevator ride

If it is unique it separates you from the pack

“Leading Provider...”

“Increase ROI”

“Be a market leader”

“To be recognized”

= “I want to win”

= “... more money”

= “... be successful”

= “...be important”

Typical Visions

How do you see the world?

Who else sees things the way I do?

Worldview : What do you believe?

What does the future look like?

Given your worldview, what is needed and most important?

“Earthrise” Apollo 8 - Christmas Eve 1968 - A new view of the world! A new type of environmentalism begins

Your view of the “world” has a tremendous effect on your customers! What are the issues of importance?! What things are going to change?! What do you think are the real problems?! Where are you going?!

Who sees things the way you do? That is your market.

!

Thinking DifferentNot enough to have an opinion, it needs to stand out.

Sometimes be a contrarian!

What makes you capable/interesting?

Partners rather than competitors?

Cluetrain

Companies attempting to position themselves should take a position.

Optimally it should relate to something the market actually cares about.

Bombastic boasts do not = a position

Examples:

Activerse - users in complete control of “Presence” - Release 1.0 story

ParcPlace/Oracle/Java - Portability is key - Story = Hardware swiftly changing, avoid lock-in, move as needed

What are you doing about what you believe?

Building the product that is needed

Your Worldview builds the case

What product or services SUPPORT your opinions?

Prioritize vs ignore vs outsource

Examples

Envisions a handgun that emphasizes reliability and light weight over looks

Solution: Polymer Glock 17 with 50% fewer parts than competitors

Changed perceptions

- A Gun is a Tool

Examples

Envisions a connected world with people having many devices

Solution: Seamless and effortless syncing and backup across devices

Demonstrated Cloud utility

- Simple Sync

Communicating

Who and How

Many kinds of people: customers, supporters, investors, partners

Drawing your Worldview

Statements, Papers, Talks, Screencasts, Demos

Thought leaders, Communities, Reviews

Vision ExamplesDataHero Brings Analytics to Everyone

Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. - ??

Our values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility. - ??

A place where incredibly talented individuals are empowered to put their best work into the hands of millions of people, with very little in their way. - ??

DataheroGooglePatagoniaValve

Vision as a Tool

Motivation - Eyes on the prize

Prioritization and evaluation

Integration and Testing

DevOps & Continuous Delivery

MotivationVision needs to be reinforced!

Every planning meeting

Start with big picture -> current sprint

Other reminders - flags, posters, talks

Prioritization

If this process is mysterious you have a problem <- smell

Break priority apart - Offense, Defense, Cost,...

Does it support your Worldview? - upgrade

Be creative about focusing on your vision!

Minimizing effort on everything else

Scientific Method for Development

Customer Development

Validated Learning

Integration and TestQ: Do your tests PROVE your vision?

Example: “The future of education is a custom learning plan for every child.”

Tests (focus of testing your core assumptions)

Practical for one teacher to create 20-30 plans?

Assign and track?

Schools managing hundreds of plans?

Parent communication? Support?

DevOps, Continuous Delivery

Presents its own vision of software development without complex and risky releases

Small incremental features delivered as they are built - always integrating and testing

Build your vision in small steps rather than all at once

This is win since your vision is likely to evolve

Minimize Up front investment

When Vision meets Reality

Market ReactionsYour own Sales force - help them tell the tale

Customers, Partners, Upper Mgmt

Press, Analysts

They want a “story”, give them yours

Wild-eyed supporters and trolls

Productive use of feedback

Dealing with “Events”

You won’t always be the freshest idea out there

Others will always make claims that they have it all “figured out”

Easy to panic...

Go back to your Worldview

Are your assumptions still valid?

Do you still believe in your story?

Ok to change and evolve - pivot

Thanks!

BTW Valtech is just starting to work in Hawaii...

kelly.looney@valtech.com