Stop Gathering Requirements - Start Defining Success

What’s wrong with the traditional approach to requirements definition and how a more proactive, collaborative, prototype and visualization driven approach generates better results.

Transcript

1. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto S TO P G AT H E R I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S S TA R T D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S
2. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto R E Q U I R E M E N T S A R E N E V E R “ G AT H E R E D ” https://twitter.com/jeckman/status/719852834947248129
3. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
4. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
5. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
6. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
7. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
8. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV7u1VBhWCE
9. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto R E Q U I R E M E N T S A R E N ’ T G AT H E R E D • They don’t exist yet • People don’t know what they want until they see it • Some don’t know what they want until they see enough of “not it” • Your job is to help them understand what could be, not take orders http://bizarro.com/comics/february-7-2015/
10. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto “ B U Y E R S A R E L I A R S ”
11. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto “ B U Y E R S A R E L I A R S ”
12. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto “Scope definition is a full-contact sport” - J O H N E C K M A N https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/05/13/toronto_maple_leafs_defenceman_jake_gardiner_goes_from_healthy_scratch_to_difference_maker_vs_boston_bruins_cox.html
13. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto http://www.productmanagerclub.com/2016/04/27/show-dont-ask/#prettyPhoto
14. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast
15. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast We have no evidence that Ford ever said those words.
16. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast We have no evidence that Ford ever said those words. “his tone-deafness to customers’ needs . . . had a very costly and negative impact”
17. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto I N S T E A D, D E F I N E S U C C E S S
18. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S What? For Whom? Why?
19. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S
20. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S
21. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S
22. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto S H OW D O N ’ T T E L L • Sketch, Prototype, Iterate • Test - with real users • Measure and define baselines against which to track improvement
23. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
24. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
25. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
26. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto http://www.tamingdata.com/2010/07/08/the-project-management-tree-swing-cartoon-past-and-present/
27. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto K E E P O P T I O N S O P E N • Don’t get locked in to “over-specified” requirements • Differentiate between goals and tactics, make sure requests are aligned • Requirements will change (they should!) • Plan far enough in advance, (but no farther)
28. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto C O N T R AC T S • How can you do contracts in the absence of detailed requirements? • Discovery as a paid effort, based on high level definition • Scope to budget • BRD as a fetish object - gives us the impression of control (not the reality)
29. john@10up.com @jeckman johneckman.com openparenthesis.org goatless.org