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App Product Planning

What is the most efficient method for building effective software solutions?

Great products have intuitive processes that deliver valuable outcomes.

Shape Up​

Expect to be done.

Break achievement goals into six week cycles.

Commitment​

Find Product Market Fit through having a laser focus on delivering outcomes of provable value.

  • Disagree then commit on quarterly objectives
  • Identify signs that indicate failure
  • Identify the most valuable problem/hardest challenge and attack that
  • Two cycles to a quarter's strategic mission
  • Six week mark is chance to tweak mission and review tactics

Overview​

The gap between intents and outcomes, start with a clear picture of successful outcomes in mind, then work back to map a critical path.

  • Appreciate Value
  • Set a clear Purpose
  • Cultivate Teamwork
  • Interpret Perspectives
  • Understand Driving Forces
  • Set Constraints and Expectations
  • Practice Good Habits
  • Ask Better Questions

See job to be done analysis.

Demand​

  • Key Questions:
    • Does retention exceed industry benchmarks?
    • How would users feel if they could no longer use the product?
  • Methods:
    • Qualitative interviews
    • Quantitative user data analysis
    • Focusing on retention metrics
  • Output:
    • A fully functional product
    • Simple go-to-market strategy

Napkin Sketch​

  • Time Required: About a minute.
  • Key Questions:
    • What is the idea?
    • What problem does it solve?
    • Are there any obvious fatal flaws?
  • Methods:
    • Feedback from peers
    • Initial customer interviews
  • Output:
    • A basic sketch or idea with core assumptions listed.

Mock-up​

  • Time Required: One to two days.
  • Key Questions:
    • Does this solve the customer's problem?
    • Can an AI product with average performance solve this problem?
  • Methods:
    • In-depth qualitative interviews targeting specific customer segments.
  • Output:
    • A prototype of a single major use case.

Market Research​

  • Time Required: Three to four days.
  • Key Questions:
    • How big can this market be?
    • What is the history of the problem space?
  • Methods:
    • Estimation for market sizing
    • Bottom-up analysis
    • Research on competitors
  • Output:
    • Defensible rhetoric to answer to "Why now?"

See market research for detailed playbook.

Production​

  • Time Required: Variable (weeks to months).
  • Key Questions:
    • Are there any unseen fatal flaws?
    • Does projected revenue still exceed costs significantly?
  • Methods:
    • Writing end-to-end code
    • Revising cost estimates,
    • Addressing technical challenges.
  • Output:
    • Clean code for major use cases, a working prototype.

Tangential:

Success Metrics​

Balance Sheet

  • Quantitative: Standard KPIs
  • Qualitative: User wellbeing
  • Ethical: Societal impact

Reviews​

Did outcome meet expectations? How have you improved the Job to be Done?

Team Alignment

  • Start meetings with mindfulness moment
  • Create psychological safety
  • Encourage authentic feedback

Quality Checks

  • Does it serve genuine needs?
  • Is it ethically sound?
  • Does it promote user wellbeing?

Test Assumptions:

  • At each stage, the focus is on identifying and testing assumptions to reduce risk.
  • The investment in an idea should increase as the risk of assumptions decreases.

Iterative Process:

  • The process is iterative, with ideas being tested and refined continuously.
  • The framework encourages a dynamic approach, allowing for adjustments based on new information.

Focus on Retention:

  • Retention is a critical metric for early-stage products.
  • High retention indicates a strong product-market fit and customer satisfaction.

Historical and Competitive Context:

  • Understanding the decisions made by competitors and the historical context of the problem space is crucial.
  • This helps in navigating the market and making informed decisions.

Stress plus rest creates growth: Judge your challenges to manage oscillations for flow of peak performance over time.

Toolkit and Resources​

Persuasion assets to build trust and credibility.