The PM may fulfill the role of the _?
Product owner: defining stories, prioritizing team backlogs, accepting stories, etc.
T or F? PM supports all product aspects
True – Acts as marketing, contact for ales, reviews legal agreements, responses to service requests, manages valuesteam economics
PMs rely on _ for development facing concerns
Product Owners
Four dimensions of product management stakeholders
Business goals, getting it off the shelf (shipped), getting it built and leveraging support
_ _ is an iterative solution development process that promotes a holistic approach to delighting all stakeholders
Design thinking
Desirable, sustainable, feasible and _ are the four areas of design thinking
viable
Driving product strategy and execution, communicating vision, managing program backlog all have to do with what APM area?
Feasible
What are the 2 populations of Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm?
Early adopters and late adopters
What is Design Thinking’s double diamond?
Understand the problem, design the right solution
What are the two steps of Understanding the Problem in Design Thinking?
Discover (diverge), Define (converge)
What the two steps of Designing the right solution in Design thinking?
Develop (diverge), Deliver (Converge)
Focuses on the who, what and why, Determines concepts, opinions and values, assesses value provided and what internal/external customers will pay, influences marketing and sales is what research area?
Market Research
Fuses on the how, observes and evaluates what customers and users do, determines how customers use or will use the product, influences capabilities and features is what research area?
User research
What research area generally aligns to long-term product development planning horizions?
Market research
T or F. Continuous exploration is market research
True
What are the 5 populations of diffusion of innovation?
Innovators, early adopters, early majority, later majority and laggards
What kind of data is: Previously collected and published data, and may or may not address specific questions
Secondary data
What kind of data is: custom designed and implemented to answer specific questions as best as possible?
Primary data
Usage analytics/product telemetry, government data and libraries are all examples of what kind of data?
Secondary data
A/B testing, questionnaires/surveys are examples of what kind of Primary data?
Quantitative
SImple surveys, Gemba, innovation games and trade studies are examples of what kind of Primary Data?
Qualitative
What of these are considered user research: Usage analytics, government data, libraries, syndicated/private data?
syndicated/private data
Which of these are considered market research? Choice modeling, conjoint analysis, questionnaires/surveys or A/B testing?
None – they are all primary market research
Builds customer empathy with team doing the research, creates vivid, concrete language and commitment to solve customers problems, forms the foundation of innovation by letting you explore ‘what you don’t know you don’t know’ are all strengths of what kind of research?
Qualitative research
Is less objective than other market research methods, does not scale to large numbers of people is not statistically significant are all weaknesses of what kind of research?
Qualitative research
Using segmentation or sampling helps in what area of product management?
research, among other areas
__ research is often more obtainable and useful with large complex solutions having: relatively small numbers of customers, a small number of transactions with each customer, transactions costing hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars
Qualitative
A _ _ is a series of questions or data characteristics that are used to determine if a given person meets the desired respondent profile
Respondent screener
If you have __ customers in your qualitative study, you can expect to represent 70-75 percent of market needs
12
If you have __ customers in your qualitative study, you can expect to represent 90 percent of market needs
30
Innovation games are , serious games designed for market and customer research
collaborative, qualitative
Innovation games leverage cognitive psychology and _ _ to create highly actionable results
Organizational behavior
Name one ‘What is minimal valuable product’ game
20-20 vision, buy a feature, prune the product tree
Name one Innovation Game that helps identify what solution customers need?
Product box, give ’em a hot tub, remember the future
Speedboat and spiderweb are innovation games that identify what in the design thinking flow?
What is their problem?
_ __ is the process of dividing a potential market into distinct subsets with common needs or characteristics in order to focus effort on the most attractive segment
Market segmentation
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Identifiable is
We can identify its members
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Measurable is
We can determine its size
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Significant is
It is large enough to be economically feasible
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Homogenous is
Members within a segment are similar
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Heterogenous
Memebers between sgements are distinct
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Reachable is
Contacted through promotion and distribution efforts
Define from a market segmentation perspective, what Compatible is
Aligned with our mission, strengths and ability
A _ _ _ _ is not a product, service or a specific solution; its the higher purpose for which customers buy products, services and solutions
Job to be done
This market segmentation tool helps to create segments of customers facing similar problems, improve the design of operational value streams and customer experiences and creates opportunities for innovation
Job to be done
What key factors play into the value of a market segment?
current and future size of segment, amount customers are willing to pay for your product or service, compeitors, substitutes and compliments
What questions about market segment value inform strategy?
Is the segment valuable enough? Does it align with our enterprise/portfolio strategy? What would it take for us to win? Could we do it with our current team, offereings go-to-market structures, etc?
_ are finctional characters based upon research – they represent the different people who might use your product or solution in a similar way
personas
What PM tool helps personalize experiences to meet individual customer needs?
Personas
Do you define your segments, then your personas? Or define personas, then segments?
Define your segments, then your personas
T or F. Personas are strategic, longer-lived artifacts that define product direction
True
Normally, when we talk about developing features and benefits we say ‘_ ‘ But in Design Thinking, it often helps to flip the order and talk about ‘ _‘ as this helps promote considering different Features that can provide the desired benefit.
Feature-Benefit, Benefit-Feature
A primary persona does what?
Personas that MUST be satisfied for a successful product driving the design process
A secondary persona does what?
A persona that we will help make accommodations in the primary interface for as long as it doesn’t violate a primary persona
A negative persona does what?
Some we are explicitly NOT designing for
How many primary personas are there typically?
1-4
How many secondary personas are there typically?
1-3
What are some strategies for B2B personas?
Even though they are not end-users you can create personas to capture their role, authority and journey – reveal insights about how they make decisions (attitudes, concerns and criteria) in choosing our solution. They can also help drive what matters in terms of ROI, economic modeling, service and support.
What are some typical artifacts that are used to create personas?
case studies, macro-economic trends, product vision, market segments, win/loss
T or F Personas are essentially roles
F. A persona can have multiple roles
Where else can a persona be leveraged in SAFe?
Iteration planning, program backlog needs that align?, Solution context, PI objectives
Building empathy primarily happens through what three ways?
Empathy interviews, innovation games, and structured interview techniques such as laddering
Empathy Maps are a tool that PMs use to do what?
Help the team develop deep, shared understanding and empathy for other people helping to design better experiences and value streams
Which are shorter-lived artifacts: Persona or Empathy maps?
Empathy Maps
What are some good empathy interview guidelines?
Fact to face is best, build rapport before asking questions, keep questions short, ask only one question at a time, encourage stories
What did Sinek’s Golden Circle findings summarize?
Inspiring products and services always start with Why (instead of How or what)
A _ is a description of the future state of the product
vision
Indsutry analysts, mega trends, government regulation, customer feedback all feed the product _
Vision
What are some tools for developing a vision?
Postcard from the future, Vision box (designing packaging for their future product)
What’s the best method of communicating vision?
A vision video
A _ helps to provide context to create more effective solutions and business models and evolces over time as we learn more about our customers
Value proposition canvas
A _ provides a shared language to describe and visualize the current and potential future business models
business model canvas
What other SAFe canvas’ could inform and evolve with the Business Model Canvas?
Value stream canvas, portfolio canvas
A _ __ illustrates the users experience engaging with a company through products, online experiences and services
Customer journey map
What PM tool may document users desires, activities, feelings, questions, pain points and identify gaps and opportunities for new products or capabilities?
Customer journey maps
Research, graphical representation, a focus on customer goals and emotions and an understanding of your brand promise are all inputs to what PM tool?
Customer journey maps
What four areas make up whole-product thinking?
Generic product, expected product, augmented product, potential product
In whole product thinking generic product represents what?
Minimum product to satisfy customer
In whole product thinking expected product represents what?
Features typically found in this type of product
In whole product thinking augmented product represents what?
Features that differentiate this specific product from competitive or alternative products
In whole product thinking potential product represents what?
Our vision of future capabilities that keep customers
Competitors product capabilities and customers overlapping needs means what for your product?
You lose because you can’t perform there!
Competitors product capabilities and customers overlapping needs overlapping with your product capabilities means what for your product?
You have to fight for those customers!
Your product capabilities and customers overlapping needs means what for your product?
You win!
The PM may fulfill the role of the _?
Product owner: defining stories, prioritizing team backlogs, accepting stories, etc.
T or F? PM supports all product aspects
True – Acts as marketing, contact for ales, reviews legal agreements, responses to service requests, manages valuesteam economics
PMs rely on _ for development facing concerns
Product Owners
Four dimensions of product management stakeholders
Business goals, getting it off the shelf (shipped), getting it built and leveraging support
_ _ is an iterative solution development process that promotes a holistic approach to delighting all stakeholders
Design thinking
Desirable, sustainable, feasible and _ are the four areas of design thinking
viable
Driving product strategy and execution, communicating vision, managing program backlog all have to do with what APM area?
Feasible
What are the 2 populations of Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm?
Early adopters and late adopters
What is Design Thinking’s double diamond?
Understand the problem, design the right solution
What are the two steps of Understanding the Problem in Design Thinking?
Discover (diverge), Define (converge)
What the two steps of Designing the right solution in Design thinking?
Develop (diverge), Deliver (Converge)
Focuses on the who, what and why, Determines concepts, opinions and values, assesses value provided and what internal/external customers will pay, influences marketing and sales is what research area?
Market Research
Fuses on the how, observes and evaluates what customers and users do, determines how customers use or will use the product, influences capabilities and features is what research area?
User research
What research area generally aligns to long-term product development planning horizions?
Market research
T or F. Continuous exploration is market research
True
What determines when a Feature is ready to move to the next column in the Program Kanban?
Policies
Work in process (WIP) limits
Definition of done
Definition of ready
Policies
Which two sources are most likely to help when creating a compelling product Vision? (Choose two.)
Agile Teams
Customer feedback
Competitor analysis
Stakeholder analysis
Team Backlogs
Agile Teams
Customer feedback
Which aspect of whole-product thinking captures a Customer’s price sensitivity?
Augmented product
Expected product
Potential product
Generic product
Augmented product
To foster alignment during the PI execution, the Product Manager may often be asked to facilitate which event in the closed loop system?
PO sync
Scrum of Scrums
System Demo
Inspect & Adapt
PO sync
What are the key elements of the Solution Intent?
Specifications, designs, and tests
Strategic Themes and nonfunctional requirements
Epics, Features, and Stories
Customer segments and product Vision
Specifications, designs, and tests
Which horizon describes the desired state as stable solutions that deliver high value with minimal new investment?
Horizon 1
Horizon 0
Horizon 2
Horizon 3
Horizon 1
What are two outputs of a PI Planning event? (Choose two.)
Top 10 Features
PI retrospective action items
Committed PI Objectives
Program Board with Dependencies
10-15% allocation to the Architectural Runway
Committed PI Objectives
Program Board with Dependencies
What does the Solution Context describe?
The behavior of the Solution
The type of Solution the Customer will use
The environment in which the Solution operates
The Customer segment for the Solution
The environment in which the Solution operates
Who are the three main stakeholders involved in calculating a Feature’s weighted shortest job first values? (Choose three.)
Release Train Engineer
Product Manager
System Architects
Scrum Master
System Team
Business Owners
Release Train Engineer
Which ceremony tracks the ART’s progress towards meeting the Program Increment objectives?
ART sync
Participatory budgeting
Portfolio minimum viable product reviews
Weighted shortest job first prioritization
ART sync
Under what circumstance would a team create a Story map?
When stories for a single Feature spans multiple teams
When stories are dependent on one another
When stories impact more than one Customer persona
When stories work together to support a workflow
When stories work together to support a workflow
Which three sources can Product Managers leverage for innovation ideas? (Choose three.)
Code reviews
Strategic Themes
DevOps
Agile Teams
The Lean-Agile Center of Excellence
Suppliers
Strategic Themes
Agile Teams
Suppliers
What happens when an Epic benefit hypothesis is proven false?
The Epic is discarded and no more work will be done on that initiative
Stop working on the Epic; a new Epic and hypothesis must be created and approved for work to continue
Update the hypothesis and continue working on the Epic
The Solution Management team determines if work on the Epic will continue
Stop working on the Epic; a new Epic and hypothesis must be created and approved for work to continue
A Product Manager has developed a hypothesis about a potential new Feature. They have released this Feature to a subset of their target market. Which kind of data could the Product Manager use to determine if the Feature should be released to all users?
Libraries
Government data
Product telemetry data
Competitor analysis
Product telemetry data
What is a key role of Product Management when preparing for PI Planning?
Socialize the prioritized backlog with stakeholders
Create a program board showing critical dependencies
Adjust market rhythms to align with PI boundaries – ???
Develop plans for improvements found in Inspect & Adapt
Socialize the prioritized backlog with stakeholders
Which two criteria must be satisfied before a Feature flows from analysis into the Program Backlog on a Program Kanban? (Choose two.)
The Feature is approved by the Product Manager
The benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria are defined
The Feature is decomposed into Stories
Teams define the build and test Solution
The Feature is integrated and deployed
The Feature is approved by the Product Manager
The benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria are defined
Empathy maps should include which two items? (Choose two.)
What do the Customers think and feel?
What do the Customers see?
Where can the Customers obtain additional information?
When do the Customers want the product to launch?
How do Customers want the product to be priced?
What do the Customers think and feel?
What do the Customers see?
Which two Innovation Games help in creating user/buyer personas? (Choose two.)
Jobs To Be Done
Emotional Timeline
Net Promoter Score
Me and My Shadow
Product Box
Me and My Shadow
Product Box
In SAFe, what is required before working on an Epic?
A list of Enabler Features needed to implement the Epic
A clearly defined minimum viable product (MVP)
A detailed cost estimate
A Roadmap showing when it will be finished
A clearly defined minimum viable product (MVP)
Enterprise Architects typically own what type of Epic?
Customer Epic
Business Epic
Enabler Epic
Program Epic
Enabler Epic
How do Story maps address backlog challenges?
By helping to visualize the Roadmap implementation
By helping to understand work in process (WIP) limits
By acting as an alternative tool to weighted shortest job first for prioritization
By helping to understand the work flow
By helping to understand the work flow
Why are Agile Roadmaps a valuable tool for Product and Solution Managers?
They help analyze product usage data
They help balance near-term and long-term planning
They determine compliance requirements
They help create the business model canvas
They help balance near-term and long-term planning
What is the most important planning question for primary research?
Who will be asked?
How many people will be asked?
What research medium will be used?
What will be asked?
Who will be asked?
Which is an example of gathering data through user research?
Product telemetry
Syndicated data
Trend analysis
Trade studies
Product telemetry
Which factor creates ‘intangible’ value for a product?
Past market segmentation
Values driven from leadership and team
Customers who believe in the values of the company
The trust factor among the organization’s employees
Customers who believe in the values of the company
How does a Product or Solution Manager ensure they have identified all stakeholders and collaborators for a product or Solution?
Invite Product Owners and design teams who will reach out to any others who need to be involved
Copy what other Product Managers in the organization have done
Look at an organization chart and choose someone in each column
Seek representation across four categories: meet business goals, get it off the shelf, get it built, and leverage support
Seek representation across four categories: meet business goals, get it off the shelf, get it built, and leverage support
What is a possible API strategy?
Identify the Solution Context
Charge for each data transfer invocation
Refine the architecture investments
Define the platform architecture
Define the platform architecture
How does a portfolio canvas provide business context?
It describes how a Solution fits into the overall strategy
It links the ART canvases
It determines the allocations for investment horizons
It provides a common taxonomy
It describes how a Solution fits into the overall strategy
When dealing with a complex product, a secondary persona could be best defined as what?
A persona that must be satisfied for the product such that the goals should drive the design process
Someone the product is explicitly not going to satisfy
Another user of the primary interface who can be accommodated as long as the targeted persona’s experience is not compromised
The consumer that can heavily influence all other persona types and should be understood to drive the requirements of the product development process
Another user of the primary interface who can be accommodated as long as the targeted persona’s experience is not compromised
Which statement is true about personas?
They should be used to convey the problems of a typical Customer
They should only include information clearly linked to selling the product
They should be focused on the buyer of the product if the user and buyer are different
They should be created prior to choosing a market segment
They should be used to convey the problems of a typical Customer
In which value exchange model is the actual price often defined as a percentage of the magnitude of the value created?
Revenue obtained/cost saved
Data/digital goods
Service
Transaction
Revenue obtained/cost saved
What is a key factor in determining the value of a market segment?
Cost of investment outweighs potential revenue margin
Where the products and services will be sold
The amount customers are willing to pay for products or services
Availability of materials and people in sufficient quantities
The amount customers are willing to pay for products or services
Based on the ‘Golden Circle,’ what should be the primary consideration in effectively communicating the strategic purpose of a product?
How the product will work
Who will buy the product
What market segments the product will serve
Why the product is being created
Why the product is being created
Which key job function differentiates a Solution Manager from a Product Manager?
A Solution Manager coordinates multiple trains within a Solution Train
A Solution Manager attends PI Planning to present the upcoming Features and help teams create their individual plans
A Solution Manager is the deciding vote in weighted shortest job first at the program-level
A Solution Manager defines the Solution content’s architecture
A Solution Manager coordinates multiple trains within a Solution Train
An optimal market window correlates with which two weighted shortest job first calculations? (Choose two.)
Time criticality
Cost of delay
Job size
Business value
Risk reduction/opportunity enablement
Cost of delay
Job size
When does the most flexibility with pricing occur in the product life cycle?
Value gap
Maturing and stabilizing
Early stages
Market dominating
Early stages
Which type of canvas is used for insights around execution details of a product?
Value proposition canvas
Portfolio canvas
Business value canvas
Development Value Stream canvas
Development Value Stream canvas
What activity primarily drives product strategy?
Focusing on product requirements
Observing what people do with the product
Reviewing long-term Architectural Runway Enablers
Evaluating opinions and values
Evaluating opinions and values
What informs whole-product thinking?
Job descriptions for people who match the user personas
Financial analyst reports
Industry analyst market growth predictions
Operational Value Stream map or Customer journey map
Operational Value Stream map or Customer journey map
A Product Manager in a business-to-business market wants to disrupt a competitor by changing the work processes of a complex industrial process. Which Design Thinking tool will most likely help in redesigning the work processes?
Journey maps
Buy a Feature
Buyer personas
Value proposition canvas
Buyer personas
Which aspect of customer-centric financial modeling is often ignored by Product Managers?
ART costs
Sales and marketing costs
Product support costs
Total cost of ownership (TCO)
Total cost of ownership (TCO)
Analyzing a new technology from a build, buy, or partner perspective is a way of understanding if the proposed technology is what?
Viable, feasible, and sustainable
Improving cohort analysis
Distributable via open source
Aligned with Strategic Themes
Viable, feasible, and sustainable
Which factor must be included when building a model of market segment value?
Number of product distributors
Number of product configurations that will be offered
Number of servers it will take to deliver the value
Number of potential customers
Number of potential customers
What is one of the key considerations when evaluating the fit of a particular market segment for a business?
External support areas to service the market segment
Uniqueness of the market segment
Size and scope of the market segment
Alignment of market segment with the Enterprise’s mission
Alignment of market segment with the Enterprise’s mission
A Product Manager is preparing for the next PI Planning meeting. What action will help the Product Manager finalize preparations?
Conduct a launch retrospective
Update sales presentations to prepare for the next release
Use Continuous Exploration to gain insights on Feature priorities
Initiate a pricing discount analysis
Use Continuous Exploration to gain insights on Feature priorities
What two characteristics are essential parts of market segmentation? (Choose two.)
Exploring competition within the segment
Determining if the organization already has strong sales within the segment
Identifying the segment members
Validating the segment is valuable enough to be economically feasible
Evaluating if segment members view the organization positively
Identifying the segment members
Validating the segment is valuable enough to be economically feasible
What are two reasons that Product Managers concern themselves with in-licensing options? (Choose two.)
They sometimes present possibilities to deliver value faster
In-licensing costs cannot be passed on to the consumer
Developers may choose a technology that is good but too expensive
They often impose constraints on the product via cost, schedule, or Capabilities
Outsourced development resources never deliver on time
Developers may choose a technology that is good but too expensive
They often impose constraints on the product via cost, schedule, or Capabilities
When considering innovation and investment horizons, which area will typically consume the bulk of the Value Stream’s budget?
Horizon 2 (emerging)
Horizon 3 (evaluating)
Horizon 1 (investing and extracting)
Horizon 0 (retiring)
Horizon 1 (investing and extracting)
How might a Product Manager use Strategic Themes when considering the results of a market segmentation study?
Expand the existing strategy to cover all segments
Begin crafting a product Vision for a segment
Create an initial elevator pitch for the segment
Focus on the right segment
Focus on the right segment
During backlog refinement a new Feature is being discussed. One Business Owner claims that the Feature will serve existing customers best as an add-on.
Another Business Owner claims that the Feature will allow the product to be sold into an adjacent market segment. In which two categories should this Feature be placed? (Choose two.)
Operational Efficiency
Retainment
New Business
Market Research
Up Sell
New Business
Up Sell
What is an example of a measurement that can be used to help drive Value Stream innovation and improvements?
Iteration velocity measured on a quarterly basis
Percentage of customers activating the product
Number of customers added during the quarter
Average customer acquisition costs
Percentage of customers activating the product
What is the primary purpose of Product Manager interactions with Lean Portfolio Management?
Meeting the business goals
Providing effective operational support
Getting the product built
Selling the product
Providing effective operational support
Enforcement of a business-to-business product’s licensing has been on the honor system. Evidence from tech support indicates usage beyond what is reported during annual contract renewal.
What should be done before revising the licensing model and implementing a more formal compliance process?
Audit existing usage to determine if there are potential compliance issues
Migrate license compliance and enforcement to implementation partners
Consult with Sales to find an easy-to-sell model
Delay a more formal compliance process for as long as possible
Audit existing usage to determine if there are potential compliance issues
In what two situations would Innovation Games be an effective research technique? (Choose two.)
Determining the sales strategy for a new product launch
Determining Customer needs in a new market segment
Helping a diverse group of Customers prioritize enhancement requests
Understanding the primary competitor’s market strategy
Raising management’s confidence in unit forecasts of a new product
Determining Customer needs in a new market segment
Helping a diverse group of Customers prioritize enhancement requests
An organization wants to develop a complex new product targeted at 10 or fewer big customers. What research technique is most likely to provide meaningful data?
Reviewing census data
Random sampling
A/B testing
Focus groups
Focus groups
Which option helps determine appropriate hypotheses to fuel Continuous Exploration efforts?
Data we already know how to gather
Product quality issues reported by users
Where the Solution fits in a market lifecycle model
Stakeholder feedback for weighted shortest job first prioritization
Data we already know how to gather
Which two activities are most likely performed when conducting market research? (Choose two.)
Define requirements for the product
Consult a Solution Architect on creating a sustainable product
Ask people what they would buy
Examine Solution options for development
Visit Customers and talk about their problems
Ask people what they would buy
Visit Customers and talk about their problems
A company that typically markets to small companies has a growth strategy to sell to larger organizations. The Product Manager is in charge of a new application and must recommend which of the following segments to address first.
Segment 1: Top 1,000 very large companies (over 25,000 employees); dominated by large Enterprise application vendors who sell the app as an add-on module but is not well integrated into their other applications. Customer anecdotes indicate low satisfaction.Segment 2: 5.8 million US-based small businesses (under 500 employees); tasks often done in spreadsheets. Competitors are small privately-owned software companies offering desktop-based solutions. The company already has good market share in this segment.What should be the recommendation for the next 12 months?
Choose segment 1
Find another segment
Choose segment 2
Choose both
Choose both
Which two techniques help build empathy for users and Customers? (Choose two.)
Interview the people who tested the code
Do the job to gain direct experience
Launch an online survey
Read online forum comments from users of a similar application
Direct observation of someone doing the task
Interview the people who tested the code
Direct observation of someone doing the task
Solution management coordinates multiple trains within a Solution Train.
Dimensions of Product Management stakeholders / Pm Stakeholders
ART Agile Release Train
PDCA Plan, Do, Check, Adjust
BO Business Owner
PI Program Increment
BV Business Value
BVIR Big Visual Information Radiator
PO/PM Product Owner/Product Manager
CFD Cumulative Flow Diagram
CapEx Capital Expenses
ROAM Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated
CD Continuous Delivery
RR Risk Reduction
CE Continuous Exploration
CI Continuous Integration
RTE Release Train Engineer
S4T SAFe® for Teams
CoD Cost of Delay
SAFe® Scaled Agile Framework
CoP Community of Practice
SA SAFe® Agilist
DoD Definition of Done
SBD Set-Based Design
DSU Daily Stand-up
SM Scrum Master
EA Enterprise Architect
SoS Scrum of Scrums
EO Epic Owner
SP SAFe® Practitioner
FW Firmware
SPC SAFe® Program Consultant
HW Hardware /SW Software
STE Solution Train Engineer
I&A Inspect and Adapt
IP Innovation and Planning (iteration)
UX User Experience
LPM Lean Portfolio Management
VS Value Stream
MMF Minimum Marketable Feature
WIP Work in Process
MBSE Model-Based Systems Engineering
WSJF Weighted Shortest Job First
MVP Minimum Viable Product
XP Extreme Programming
NFR Non-functional Requirements
OE Opportunity Enablement
OpEx Operating Expenses
Lesson 1: Analyzing your role as a PM in the Lean Enterprise
Lesson2: Continuously Exploring Markets and users
Lesson3: Driving Strategy with MArket Segmentation
Lesson4:Using Empathy to Drive Design
Lesson5: Defining Product Strategy and Vision
Lesson6: Creating Roadmaps to Build Solutions
Lesson7: Delivering Value
Lesson8: Managing Value Stream Economics
Lesson9: Creating Innovation in the Value Stream
Design Thinking is a continuous Process
Market Research – Understand the problem
Market Research – Design the right solution
Two broad motivations for market research (Understand & Design)
Research aligns on Planning Horizons (continuous exploration)
Market context and growth stage influence questions
New Product questions (help understanding if you’re solving the right problem)
-do customers recognize that they have a problem you’re trying to solve?
-what are they doing to try to solve it now?
-if there was a solution, would they buy it?
-Would they buy it from us?
-Can we build a solution for that problem?
How can we differentiate our value stream?
Growth Phase Questions (customers within the same market segment have different expectations as products move up the s-curve)
-how should our product change to meet changing expectations?
-are we facing or are we in a ‘chasm’? if yes what do we do to cross it?
-has our success changed the macro-environment? How are competitors responding?
Mature Solutions (may be ripe for extracting profit or may be opportunity for renewal & future innovations, they help determine strategy choices)
-Is the segment still attractive?
-How can we further extract profit from superior operations?
-Have we lost sight of the core challenges facing our customers?
-Is it time to exit this product/segment and invest elsewhere?
Primary Data – Customer designed and implemented to answer specific questions as best as possible.
Secondary Data – Typically previously collected and published data, may or may not address questions
Free or inexpensive (user research): usage analytics, government data, libraries
Strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research
Strengths: Use in-person techniques to generate deeper understanding through contextual, multifaceted, verbal/non verbal communication.
-Can strengthen customer relationships, especially in BSB and B2P markets.
-Builds customer empathy within teams doing the research.
-Creates vivd, concrete language and commitment to solve customers’ problems.
-Forms the foundation of innovation by letting you explore “what you don’t know you don’t know”
Weaknesses: Is less objective than other market research methods. (We account for this in innovation games by using facilitators, multiple observers, and post processing results as a team.)
-Does not scale to large numbers of people.
-Is not statistically significant. However statistical significance is often not needed in B2B markets.
-Is relatively costly on a ‘per customer’ cost basis (but often relatively cheap on ‘actionable results’ basis).
Qualitative research fuels innovation
How Many people should you ask? As many as it takes to get the answer
Quantitative- use a sample size calculator based on the level of confidence you need
Qualitative- If you have the right people, 12 customers can be expected to represent 70 to 75% of market needs and 30 customers can be expected to represent 90% of market needs.
Exercises used to elicit requirements from product owners, users, and stakeholders
collaborative, serious games designed for qualitative market and customer research
-12 different games each designed to help answer a different set of questions.
-A single game (forum) is designed for 4 to 8 participants to maximize collaboration
-Multiple forums are used to identify patterns of larger groups of people.
-Games can be in person or online
-Provides relaxed, less rigid environment
-each game leverages research from cognitive psychology and organizational behavior to create highly actionable results
-most games are available both in-person and online, providing opportunities for both intimacy and scale
-some let participants create “artwork” which can be retained and shared with others, further increasing empathy and understanding
Match innovation games to questions needing answers
To better understand…..
Customer needs: Prune the product tree, Remember the future, Product box, Start your day, Me and my shadow, Give them a hot tub, 20/20 vision, Speedboat
Solution Requirements: Remember the future, Spider Web, Product box, Buy a Feature, Show and Tell, Give them a hot tub, Speedboat
Solution Usage: Spider Web, Start your day, Show and Tell, Me and my shadow, The Apprentice, Speedboat
Future Solutions: Prune the product tree, Remember the future, Spider Web, Product box, Give them a hot tub, 20/20 vision
Innovation Games map into design thinking
What is their problem? —>(speedboat, spiderweb)
What solution do they need? —> (Remember the future, give them a hot tub, product box)
What is the MVP? —> ( prune the product tree, 20/20 vision, buy a feature)
Segments are:
Identifiable – We can identify its members
Measurable– we can determine its size
Significant- it’s large enough to be economically feasible
Homogenous– members within a segment are similar
Heterogenous– members between segments are distinct
Reachable– contacted through promotion and distribution efforts
Compatible- aligned with out mission, strengths and ability
Attributes depend on market type
Markey Value determined by key factors:
-Current and future size of segment
-Amount customers are willing to pay for your products/services
-Competitors, substitutes, and compliments
Market value informs strategy questions:
-Is segment valuable enough?
-Is it aligned to our enterprise and/ or portfolio strategy?
-What would it take for us to win? Can we do this given our current team, our current offerings, our go-to-market structures, and so forth?
Personas are fictional characters based upon your research. They represent the different people who might use your product or solution in a similar way.
Convey the problems they’re facing in context (e.g. their work environment) and key triggers for using the product
Capture rich, concise information (photographs, family stories, jobs etc..) that inspire great products without unnecessary details
Primary– The personas that must be satisfied for a successful products. Their goals drive the design process. There are typically 1-4 primary personas.
Secondary- Another user of the primary interface, one for whom we will make accommodations so long as the primary persona’s experience is not compromised. That are typically 1-3 secondary personas.
Negative: Someone for whom you’re explicitly not going to satisfy. This helps you make tough choices about product feature and is used rarely. Focus on your primary and secondary personas.
Buyer Personas for B2B Markets
-buyer personas capture their role, authority and buying pourney
-reveal insights about buyers’ decisions – the specific attitudes, concerns, and criteria that drive prospective customers to choose our Solution, a competitor, or the status quo
help drive often overlooked aspects of the products: buyers care about ROI, economic modeling, service and support
Communicate the Vision Differently
The Vision is a description of the future state of the product
Breakdown of Value Proposition Canvas
Customer- Who are we discussing, which customer or segment?
Customer Jobs- What tasks do the perform? How do they do them? How do they feel about them?
Pains- What makes their tasks annoying? What causes negative emotions?
Gains- What benefits do they expect? What would delight them? Consider Capabilities beyond just eliminating the pains?
Products and services- What Solution option can we provide that addresses these concerns?
Pain Relievers- How does the solution alleviate the pains?
Gain Creators- How does the Solution create the gains?
Understand Customer Journey Maps
Create Journey Maps to promote design thinking
Journey Mapping is design thinking for operational value streams