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in a Nutshell
Agile ProductManagement
Produktledardagen Stockholm, 24 Mar 2011
Roman Pichler
Sunny Beach
• Tradi/onal product management tends to focus on an/cipa/ng and forecas/ng: We carry out extensive market research upfront, carefully plan how the product is going to evolve, cra? a business case and a marke/ng strategy
• Adap/ng to change is the excep/on; con/nuity and predictability are the norm
3© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
Stormy Beach
• When change, uncertainty and risk are dominant forces, we can no longer correctly predict upfront what a product must look like and do in detail
• Our best chance to achieve success is employing a probe-‐and-‐learn process: – Build a prototype or product increment– Expose it to our target customers and users – Listen to their feedback– Adapt our plans
5© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Chess Player
• Working as a tradi/onal product manager can be like playing chess: Once the ini/al research is done, it’s largely a solo act that involves lots of thinking and planning
• When the requirements have been handed off to development, tradi/onal product managers have limited contact with customers and users and the development team
7© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Climbing Partner
• Working as an agile product manager is all about teamwork– The product owner works closely with development from visioning to product launch
– The individual collaborates with target customers and users on an on-‐going basis
• The product owner bridges the gap between the market and development– Unites the external / strategic and internal / tac/cal view
9© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Camel
• A camel is a horse designed by commiLee: Tradi/onal product managers are o?en not properly empowered and have to nego/ate compromises
• While these compromises try to please everyone, they may result in a poor, in-‐cohesive product
11© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Lion
• Product owners must be empowered to shape the product vision and to guide the project that builds the product–When no consensus can be achieved, the product owner decides
• This avoids prolonged arguments and weak compromises; it increases the chances of developing a product that customers love
13© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Plan
• Detailed plans provide us with the illusion of control: The investment decision feels safe
• But predica/ng the future is notoriously difficult: The only thing that’s certain about the future is that is uncertain!
• The more innova/ve our product is and the faster the market moves, the harder it is to an/cipate the future correctly; extensive upfront planning becomes wasteful
15© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
17© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Plant
• Rather than trying to correctly predict the product, agile product managers start out with a vision of the future product
• Feedback on early product increments discovers the right requirements and allows the product to grow beau/fully
• Agile product managers embrace uncertainty and leverage it as a compe//ve advantage– Adapt more than an/cipate and predict
The Super Tanker
• Tradi/onal organisa/ons, products and projects tend to be big: Big is beau/ful
• Big ships are efficient: They transport a lot of cargo. They weather the storms by breaking the waves
19© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
The Surfer
• Agile organisa/ons, products and projects are small and nimble: Small is beau/ful
• The surfer is effec/ve and fast. He does not break the waves; he rides them
21© 2011 Pichler Consul@ng Limited
Thank you!
Contact details:
+44 (0) 7974 [email protected]
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