how product managers can help stop companies from screwing up technology - product tank 15th june...
TRANSCRIPT
How to avoid screwing
up technology (and how product managers
can help)
Paul Lomax, CTO, Dennis Publishing
@PaulLomax
Me
Felix Dennis (1947-2014)
www.heartofenglandforest.com
So, how do you do tech if you’re
not a tech company?
JFDI!
The problem with technology is
people.
Buy, build or rent?“If it flies, floats or fornicates,
always rent it.. It's cheaper in the long run.”
– Felix Dennis (1947-2014)
Enterprise
Problem people #1: Developers
Writing code should be a last
resort.
"We'll just build our own..."
How much work your developers think is involved.
Stuff they haven't thought of.
Pragmatism
(Your job is to stop this!)
“You’re not here to write beautiful code. You’re here to create
business value.”Me, to developers
Technical debt
WUser story What was shipped
The vicious circle of technical debt
Record all borrowings
Agree a repayment plan
Problem people #2: Customers &
Stakeholders
“I’ll know what I want when I see it…”
Problem people #3: Product managers
Solution people! Product
managers
Product Managers
Requirements
re·quire·ment
n.
1. Something that is required; a necessity.
2. Something obligatory; a prerequisite.
RequirementsDiscovery
Ban ‘requirements’! Everything is negotiable
As an Account HolderI want to withdraw cash from an ATMSo that I can get money when the bank is closed Scenario 1: Account has sufficient fundsGiven the account balance is \$100 And the card is valid And the machine contains enough moneyWhen the Account Holder requests \$20Then the ATM should dispense \$20 And the account balance should be \$80 And the card should be returned
Story: Account Holder withdraws cash Scenario 2: Account has insufficient fundsGiven the account balance is \$10 And the card is valid And the machine contains enough moneyWhen the Account Holder requests \$20Then the ATM should not dispense any money And the ATM should say there are insufficient funds And the account balance should be \$20 And the card should be returned Scenario 3: Card has been disabled...
Behaviour Driven Development
(BDD)
http://dannorth.net/whats-in-a-story/
Be lean & agile.
Beware half-arsed agile
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
Whilst the items on the left sound nice in theory, we’re an enterprise company, and there’s no way
we’re letting go of the items on the right.
www.halfarsedagilemanifesto.org
1. Eliminate waste2. Amplify learning3. Decide as late as possible4. Deliver as fast as possible5. Empower the team6. Build integrity in7. See the whole
Adopt lean principles
https://twitter.com/jopas
● Ban 'requirements'. Focus on objectives.
● Address technical debt & a repayment plan.
● Communicate business value through BDD.
● Wield a pragmatism stick:beat developers and stakeholders
with it.● Help developers spot the icebergs.● Avoid waste, prototype, spike, test &
learn. ● Control scope, focus on a quality MVP.● Kanban! Kanban! Kanban!
Picture creditsMen's Fitness: http://www.mensfitness.co.uk/Silicon Way: https://www.flickr.com/photos/iamadonut Code: https://www.flickr.com/photos/110751683@N02/ Donuts: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/ Post-it notes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/roxocubes Ship-wreck: https://www.flickr.com/photos/102537907@N03/ WTFs/min: http://www.osnews.com/story/19266/WTFs_mTech debt matrix: http://philippe.kruchten.com/ Kanban: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jeff.lasovski XKCD on Arbitrary Condiments: http://xkcd.com/974/Mastercard: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shuttercat7
Technical Debthttps://twitter.com/khellangProduct Management Venn diagram: http://www.mindtheproduct.com/Iceberg: http://ralphclevenger.com/portfolios/earth/I'll Know What I Want When I See It: http://sharpsuits.net/HomeBaby Squirrels: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_crazysanman/2391480258/Lean Startup: http://lean.st/Agile Manifesto: http://blog.theworkinggroup.ca/Dilbert on Requirements: http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2006-01-29/ MVP: https://twitter.com/jopas