User stories can make requirements management a lot easier. They shift some of the communication from up-front documentation to ongoing dialog. That’s the main reason they work so well for agile teams. And agile teams focus on “what’s next?” instead of an ever-changing “what’s everything?” The problem is, when those […]
Agile / Process Improvement / Product Management / Software development
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Agile Maturity Model – What’s Next?
The maturity model approach to describing organizations and processes comes and goes out of fashion. It is a repeating framework de jour. In the game of agile jargon whack-a-mole, the agile maturity model is poking its head up again.
Business Analysis / Interaction design / Interface Design / Prioritization / Product Management / Requirements / Software development / UX
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User Goals and Corporate Goals
When defining requirements, you always start in the context of a goal – either a user goal or a corporate goal. You need to be aware of both. Having a positive user experience is important, and requires a user-centered understanding. Achieving your corporate goals might be in conflict with some […]
Project Management / Software development
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Advanced PERT Estimation
Creating a PERT estimate for a single task is both easy and straightforward. Creating an estimate for a set of tasks is still easy, but requires a little bit of math. Combining PERT estimates for tasks is easy, but not as obvious. Roll up your sleeves and dive in.
Business Analysis / Product Management / ProductCamp
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ProductCamps and Class Diagrams
For you product managers out there – here are a couple upcoming productcamp unconferences. For you business analysts, here’s an excuse to do a little domain modeling and practice your UML class diagram skills.
Business Analysis / Foundation series
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Foundation Series: Price Elasticity
When prices go up, demand goes down. But how much does it go down? Price elasticity of demand is the term economists use for the math that describes this behavior.
Book Reviews / Business Analysis / Communication / Product Management / Reviews / Writing
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Pictures and Ideas for Powerful Whitepapers
Pictures can convey messages much more powerfully than words. In a recent discussion about writing whitepapers, I suggested combining the idea-creation advice from Made To Stick with the image-creation advice from Back of The Napkin. Check out this article to see some concrete examples.
Book Reviews / Communication / Marketing / Prioritization / Product Management / Requirements / Reviews / Software development / UX
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Personas Make Blue Ocean Strategy Proactive
Blue Ocean Strategy provides an interesting reactive analysis of companies and markets. Personas are used to understand your customer’s needs. Combining the two provides powerful proactive insights when positioning your product for market success.
Business Analysis / Product Management / Requirements
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You Must Not Write “The System Shall…”
A lot of books and blogs and experts tell us to use “The System shall…” when writing requirements. Read on to find out why that’s not a very good idea.