The good, the bad and the ugly - Product Development - AUG Nairobi

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Product

DevelopmentBy Claudio Cossio

This is just a glimpse of the Product Development Process

House Keeping

Working on building products @Nearsoft LABS

Claudio Cossio - @ccossio

Building a product is hard

It’s not just code

● Understand the problem● Build a desirable solution for it

Corporate Innovation has some key challenges

Continuous innovation & core business

3 Horizons

➔ Mature business

➔ Rapidly growing business

➔ Emerging business

Focus Management Tools Goals

Implementing them requires

Mature Business

Improve current businesses

Investment budget & detailed business plans

Rapid Growing Business

Build new businesses

Building strategy, investment budget, detailed business plans & new ventures

Emerging Business

Build new businesses

New ventures plans & research

➔ New opportunities

➔ Pattern recognition & in-house experimentation

➔ Business Model Innovation

Focused in extending an existing business

Search & Execution

It is not about the product, it is about the JOB it does for the USER

The Good

➔ People are always happy to lend a hand

➔ Personal touches go a long way

➔ A humble approach is the key to “all” doors.

The Bad

➔ Everyone is super busy

➔ You will occasionally create SPAM

➔ Fine line between intrusion/permission

The Ugly

➔ You will get blocked or not allowed in groups

➔ A sorry might not work

➔ People can take legal action

Opportunities

Considerations

➔ Is it an original idea?

➔ Is it a pain reliever?

➔ Which industry are you focusing?

➔ Doable in a set time?

Agenda

➔ Problem assumption

➔ Identify personas

➔ User interviews

Let’s Start

IDENTIFY PERSONAS USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION

IDENTIFY PERSONAS USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION

Describe the problem

10 min

➔ Customer needs

➔ Customer desires

➔ The problem you are solving

Provisional Personas

20 to 30 min

IDENTIFY PERSONAS USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION

➔ Facts

➔ Problems

➔ Behaviours

➔ Needs & Goals

Facts

● Professional○ Marketing.○ Development.○ Management position (number of people he

collaborates with).○ Describe his role in the workplace.○ Remote or distributed.○ Languages.

● Technical○ Heavy tech user.○ Mobile or desktop.○ Number of hours in front of the computer.○ Tech stack or platforms she prefers

● Gender○ Male / Female / LGBT.

● Age● Scholar Degree

● Physical● Organizational● Communication● Cultural● Trends● Financial● Etc

Problems

They are descriptions of the person’s daily activities

that resonate with your proposed solution.

● Interaction with other areas.● They way they communicate with their peers.● Perception of value.● Situations that frustrate them.● What motivates them to take action.

Behaviours

Needs.● Make his daily activities efficient/fun/collaborative.● Is essential to his work/life.● Lacks results from current product or services.

Goals.● Individual and/or Group.● Organizational and/or Department.● Professional and/or Personal.

Needs & Goals

White paper or board

User Interviews

15 to 20 min

USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION IDENTIFY PERSONAS

➔ Determine user➔ Channels & Influencers➔ Goals & Purchase intent➔ User/Product fit➔ Context of use➔ Future use

USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION IDENTIFY PERSONAS

Customer Archetype● Know them deeply● Understand their “day”● Their interests & interactions

Get a complete view● How can your product improve their activities● Is it a nice to have or GOT to have

Determine the User

Channels● How they find information ● Natural mediums to the industry

Influencers● Who is a reference in their perspective● Decision maker - yes/no

Channels & Influencers

Goals● The need your product meets● Value from a user’s perspective● Type of benefit: Time/Money/Social/Performance

Purchase● Identify sales cycle● Requirements to make a purchase

Goals & Purchase intent

Behaviours● Determine if they will use your solution● Hypotheses (guesses) vs Facts● Data -> what does it mean?

Insights● Discover other opportunities● Sizing the opportunity & market● Existing market or New market

User/Product fit

USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION IDENTIFY PERSONAS

No competition = No Customers

Assumptions● How they do their job● User’s share your same problem assumption● Ask questions to match your assumptions● Routines● How a customer spends his day● Identify their pain points

Context of use

Changes in the product & problem● Use of it during a period of time● Life expectancy for the solution● Potential to be a platform● Missing opportunities

Future Use

USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION IDENTIFY PERSONAS

Confirm that the USER has a real problem

USER INTERVIEWS CONCLUSIONPROBLEM ASSUMPTION IDENTIFY PERSONAS

Generate Data & Insights

Conclusion

● This is just the beginning● You need to prepare for it● Less than 10 people is just a

focus group● You need to talk to 5-10 people

each week● Understanding the problem and

the customer● Prioritize the features based on

customer needs