How do you know that yourproduct works?
Consultant
www.crisp.se

Colombo Agile Conf, June 2014

Henrik Kniberg

Fatherhenrik.kniberg@crisp.se@HenrikKniberg

Agile & Lean coachAuthor

Todo

Henrik Kniberg?
DoingDoneWhere’s myproduct?
Todo

Doing

Code
committed

I’m done!

Henrik Kniberg

Developer

User

Where’s myproduct?
Code
Testedcommitted

We’re Done!

Henrik Kniberg

Developer

User

In
Code
Testedcommitted
production

We’re Done!
100% completed requirements
No reported defects

Henrik Kniberg

Wait... is anyone
actually using it?

In
CodeTested
committed
productionPeopleactually
use itNOW we’resurely done!

100% completed requirements
No reported defects

Henrik Kniberg

Aren’t we?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWTtcOQjOXIHenrik Kniberg

Code
Testedcommitted

PeopleInproduction actually

100% completed requirements
No reported defects

Henrik Kniberg

use itCode
Testedcommitted

PeopleInproduction actually

100% completed requirements
No reported defects

Henrik Kniberg

use itSolves theuser’s
problemHenrik Kniberg

Value ofyour solution

Henrik Kniberg

Value of
Value of old
your solution solution

Relative gain

Henrik Kniberg

Value of
Value of oldyour solution solution

Relative
Relative
Pain/Cost
Gain
Henrik Kniberg

Code
Testedcommitted

Inproduction

Peopleactually
use itRelative
Relative
Pain/Cost
Gain
Henrik Kniberg

Solves theuser’s
problem... in a waythat isbetter than
beforeCode
Testedcommitted

Inproduction

Peopleactually
use itSolves theuser’s
problem... in a waythat isbetter than
beforePeople use it
willingly

Relative
Relative
Pain/Cost
Gain
Henrik Kniberg... andrecommend it
to others

All products start with a Great Idea!

Henrik Kniberg

Risk

Business risk

Technical riskSocial risk
Cost & schedule risk
Henrik Kniberg

GoogleBuzz

Henrik Kniberg

GoogleWaveGoogleAnswers

Assume you are building the WRONG thing!
Suppose we’rebuilding the wrong
thing....
How can we find out
as quickly aspossible?

• List your hypotheses• Build an MVP to validate/invalidate it• ”Minimum Viable Product” – the fastest & cheapest thing
you can build to field-test your hypothesis
Henrik Kniberg

Example:Hypotheses
1. File sync is aproblem for people

2. Our product willsolve the problem

3. People will wantto use our productHenrik Kniberg

Demo video

Henrik Kniberg

Dropbox MVP

Henrik Kniberg

Dropbox MVP

It drove hundreds of thousands ofpeople to the website.
Our beta waiting list went from
5,000 people to 75,000
people literally overnight.

Henrik Kniberg

Drew

It totally blew usaway.

Paper Prototyping = Lo-tech MVP

Credit: Ariel Waldman, on Interaction Design/ Rachel Ilan
http://chiefdisruptionofficer.com/helpful-rapid-prototyping-methods-and-tools-to-bring-digital-ideas-to-life-fast/AARRR!

Pirate metrics

Do peoplecome?

Aquisition
Activation
Retention
ReferralRevenue
Henrik Kniberg

Do they use theproduct?
Do they comeback?
Do they recommend
it to others?
Do they pay?

Big Bang = Big Risk

Cumulative
RISK Value
Henrik Kniberg

Big Projects usually fail. Regardless of process.
”The secret to project success is to strongly
recommend and enforce limits on sizeand complexity.””These two factors trump all other factors.”< $1 million

Henrik Kniberg> $1 million

Agile = Iterative + Incremental
Don’t try to get it all rightfrom the beginning

costRISK

Henrik Kniberg

Don’t build it all at oncevalue

costvalue

Release must be REALLY easy!

Release = Drama!
Release!

Req

ReleaseseldomCodeReleaseis big

Test

Releaseis hardRelease = Routine

Releaseoften
Henrik Kniberg

Release issmall

Release issimple

Fastest learner wins!

Delivery frequency = Speed of learning
Stakeholders, Users

Feedback,
Requests,
Data

Demos,
Releases

Development teamHenrik Kniberg

Improving the Value CurveRISK
Big Bang

Big increments

Value

Henrik Kniberg

EffortSmall increments

Highest value firstNot like this....

1

243

Like this!

1

Henrik Kniberg

2345

Maximize Value, not OutputHigh Output

High Value

Henrik Kniberg

Don’t focus on
maximizing
speedFocus on
Minimizing
distanceMVP

Henrik Kniberg

Idea/Problem“Radio youcan save!”

Narrative &Prototypes &Metrics“Follow yourfavorite artist”

A/B stats

Build MVP
DeployTweak
Analyze data
Henrik Kniberg

ProductUserFeedback

Henrik Kniberg

ensureHow do you know that your product works?
Who are thestakeholders?

1. Understand theproblem

What need do they have,that we want to solve?
How will we know
when we’ve solvedit?
How will we know if we’removing in the right direction?

2. Iterate until
you’ve solved it
Henrik Kniberg

Minimize the distance to MVP
Deliver, measure, adjustcontinuously