UX14 - THE MVPOC ( Minimum Viable Proof of Concept) (Ray Delapena)

Sometimes you need some proof before you release your first product into the market. In enterprise organizations you may need to secure permission, funding, and resources. If your product is a very large and complex system even the minimum viable product (MVP) could require significant effort (and risk) to produce. In either of these cases, there's not a lot of runway once you put out that first real release, you need a proof of concept (POC) before you start. You need a thoroughly considered opening move.

There is a way to enter into the iterative methodology of thinking, making, and learning in small batches championed by proponents of Lean, even when you simply don't have the ability to release a live product yet.

In this talk we will cover a process that will help you figure out what needs to go into your initial MVP and gives you the confidence that, once you do release it, it will provide real value to your customers and you will continue to learn how to improve it via:
1. Discovery
2. Assumptions and hypotheses
3. Initial concepts
4. Experimentation
5. Synthesis

Transcript

1. 1 09 OCT - 11 OCT 2014 Bangalore, Karnataka, India Ray DeLaPena @rayraydel Catalyst Group www.catalystnyc.com
2. 2 Hi. I’m Ray Ray DeLaPena Director of Strategy, Catalyst Group catalystnyc.com Introduction
3. 3 About this talk Introduction How can we introduce lean a methodology in large (enterprise) organizations?
4. 4 What is an MVP? Preface Minimum Viable Product • A minimal version of a proposed solution • Learn from customers by measuring a product’s performance • Ensures a solution meets a need • Used to repeat the process and continually improve the product (both for the business and for the customers)
5. 5 The Lean “Cycle” Preface THINK CHECK MAKE
6. 6 What is a Proof of Concept? Preface Usually a concept or prototype meant to demonstrate feasibility including: • Functional requirements • Development estimates • Initial designs (to get the “go-ahead” to build out the full-fledged product) • Performance projections (usually financial)
7. 7 Mash them up and you get... Preface Minimum Viable Proof Of Concept* *Please don’t really use this term.
8. 8 Initiation - How do we begin? Initiation Project goals: • Proof of Concept • Product Roadmap • Validated Product
9. 9 How do we get ready? Initiation 1. Get buy-in 2. Put the right team together 3. Establish the process
10. 10 How do we address potential risks? Initiation In large, established organizations: • We work within organizational constraints • We don’t risk relationships & reputation • We don’t affect existing products or sales • We work within the available budget
11. 11 What are the rewards? Initiation • Customer-validated concept • More informed roadmap • Less Risk • Better understanding of customers • Repeatable process
12. 12 Who are the players? Initiation • Business • Stakeholder • Product Owner • Domain Expert • Design • Development • Customer(s)
13. 13 Initiation How do we do this? Discovery - Understand the business and the customers Ideation - Create concepts to meet the goals of both Validation - Make sure the needs are real and you can really meet them Iteration - Repeat (three times, ideally) to validate and refine
14. 14 Entering the cycle Initiation THINK CHECK MAKE LOOK Discover Id eate Validate Iterat e
15. 15 Discovery - Where are we now? Discovery Look and Think: • Understand the business • Understand the customers • Understand how the product serves both
16. 16 Where are we starting? Discovery • Understand the business domain • Understand existing products and services • Establish goals • Understand existing (or previous) strategy • Define and/or analyze metrics
17. 17 Who are our customers? Discovery Represent our understanding of the customer • Proto-persona • Presumed life-cycle • Research* • Generative Research • Historical Analysis * Do what your budget allows
18. 18 How might this relationship work? Discovery Synthesize all you’ve found to depict the customer’s journey • Awareness • Evaluation • Acquisition • Support • Retention
19. 19 Ideation - What might we do? Ideation Think and make: • Design Studio • Create concepts • Involve customers
20. 20 Why design studio? Ideation • Brings together all the players • Generates LOTS of ideas • Evolves the team’s understanding
21. 21 Adapt to what you’re seeing Ideation • Discuss and modify the characters and scenarios. • Have a group discussion during a break to talk about what we’ve learned. • Get the customers talking, especially to each other, in the presence of the product team.
22. 22 Validation - Are we on the right track? Validation Make and Check: • Identify the assumptions • Business • Customer • Create an experiment • Hypotheses • Prototype • Test
23. 23 Identify Assumptions Validation • Problem statement • Business assumptions • Customer assumptions
24. 24 What’s our problem? Validation • Our business was created to achieve these goals... • We have observed that our service isn’t meeting these goals... • Which is causing these adverse effects to our business... • How might we improve our service so that we are more successful based on these measurable criteria...
25. 25 How will our business succeed? Validation • What is the match between customer needs and business capabilities? • How do we generate revenue? • Who is our primary competition? • What are our biggest risks?
26. 26 How will we serve our customers? Validation • What do we know about our customers? • How does our business meet their needs? • What are the most valuable features? • How should our products be designed?
27. 27 Formulate Hypotheses Validation Convert assumptions into: • We believe ... • These features/functions • For these customers/personas • Will achieve these outcomes • We’ll know where right (or wrong) when ... • We see this measurable result
28. 28 Create a Prototype Validation Work from hypotheses and sub-hypotheses to determine: • Which feature • For which target persona • Will acheive the expected outcome Then build nly what’s needed to test the hypotheses
29. 29 Conduct a Test Validation • Recruit properly • Record thoroughly • Repeat (and prepare to repeat)
30. 30 Iteration - Why three times? Iteration Check and Think (x3): 1. First opportunity to test your assumptions with real customers 2. First opportunity to react to real feedback (pivot?) 3. Either test your pivot or refine your concept
31. 31 What have we done? Conclusion • Validated our product idea • Created a team-wide understanding about • The product • The customers • The fit • Established the methodology
32. 32 What comes next? Conclusion • Establish product metrics • Scope the initial release • Repeat!
33. 33 The End. Thank you! Ray DeLaPena Director of Strategy, Catalyst Thank You