It’s fitting that I’m writing this from the exit row of an MD-80 this evening on the way home from a customer visit. I almost didn’t get the exit row, but I did. I tried for an upgrade to first class, but I was 15th in line – it was […]
Agile / Product Management / Requirements / Software development
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Satisficing Sprints
Satisficing probably makes more sense than perfecting your product. Can? Open. Worms? Everywhere. Are we really saying “don’t make it perfect?” Yup.
Slightly off-topic
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What Impacts Have You Seen From the Financial Crisis?
We all have seen the commentary from economists, speculators, and journalists. The messages vary from gloom-and-doom to best-opportunity-ever. Warren Buffet talks about being afraid when everyone is buying, and buying when everyone panics. Jason Calacanis talks about tightening our belts (but also talks about opportunity). The general message from venture […]
Agile / Prioritization / Product Management / Requirements / ROI / Software development
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Plan Your Next Sprint By Bang For The Buck: Part 2
Planning by ROI. Hmmm. Isn’t that impractical? In an econometric way, yes. But you can still estimate the relative value of the capabilities / stories you’re planning for your scrum sprints. The point is – don’t look only at value – also look at costs. While “ROI” may be a […]
Agile / Prioritization / Product Management / Requirements / ROI / Software development
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Plan Your Next Sprint By ROI: Part 1
You’ve got a giant backlog of user stories and product capabilities. How do you determine which stories to implement right now? By the estimated value of each story? Pick the ones the developers want to build next? How about picking the stories that maximize the ROI of the sprint? To […]
Business Analysis / Business Rules / Communication / Process Flow / Process Improvement / ROI
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The Impact of a Hidden Decision
Business rules are often hidden in processes as hidden decisions. Once you discover that hidden decision, how do you communicate the impact of exposing and managing the decision?
Agile / Ishikawa Diagram / Product Management / Requirements / Requirements Models / Software development
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Agile Product Management: Providing Context
Agile development methodologies succeed because they help development teams be as effective as possible. Development teams do not, however, work in complete isolation. The company they work for has a strategy. The company manages a portfolio of products, and targets a particular product at specific market problems. Within that context, […]
Business Analysis / Business Rules / Process Flow / Process Improvement / Requirements / Requirements gathering
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Hidden Business Rule Example
A business process is not just a sequence of steps. A business process is a series of decisions and actions. Some decisions are obvious and can be actively managed. Some decisions are hidden, and until you discover them, you can’t manage or improve them. Here is a real-world example of […]
Product Management
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Market Segmentation Example
A great product manager is market driven. Part of being market driven is understanding that not everyone in your market cares about the same things, even when apparently solving the same problems. This insight is useful in any product management, but check out the power of market segmentation when applied […]