BUILDING OPERATIONS FOR A STARTUP - SHOW 11: THE AGILEAN DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS - WILLIAM EASTMAN

 Last week we covered how to solicit, organize, and validate customer information. We also covered how to find willing partners for providing input during the process and a potential first sale. All of that begs the question - how to use the information and build your first offer - remember all startups are experiments.

EPISODE 37: SETTING UP THE PROJECT TEAM
For the most part this is standard 101 for creating temporary project teams working on a specific issue. The goal is to perform a brain transplant of everything you know and the importance of the project.
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Groups can become either a gaggle of individuals or synergy producing team and most of that lies on your shoulders. Here is a process we have used for years to increase the probability of having a high performing team.

Topics:

1. ​Vision for the New Offer
2. Reason for the Team
3. How this Team Supports the Business
4. 3 Key Results the Team Must Accomplish
5. Team Member Roles
6. Rules for Problem Solving & Decision Making
7. Rules for Dealing with Conflict
8. Time Demands for Team Members
9. Principles of Agile Projects and Sprints

EPSIODE 38: PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES
We have used this analogy in previous shows but still applies - go slow early to go fast later.  We have collaboratively created the purpose and ground rules for group functioning. Now is the time to shift the focus to the details of the project.

Topics:

1. Goals are the customer's, objectives are the team's - what is the big picture (goal) then break it into required activities (objectives).
   1. Requirements Matrix
   2. Design Matrix
   3. Offer Characteristics Matrix
2. Avoid details until the latest possible moment - focus on estimating time and topics.
3. Based on the topics break everything down into the smallest pieces possible - the Sprints.
4. Create a Road Map of how the project will evolve over time - what question/problem/issue is each Sprint solving.
5. Sprint Planning based on the Agile Cycle - include resource requirements.

EPISODE 39: THE 3 SCRUMS & 4 SPRINTS
A SCRUM: it is a project management process that relies on incremental improvements and is based on 1 to 4 week sprints.

The Sprints are short-term, time boxed to accomplish a segment of work. The output of a Sprint provides the basis of the next Sprint; each is an incremental accomplishment to reach an end result.

Topics:

1. SCRUM 1: Exploration - goal is to go from problems (opportunities) to solutions.
   1. Define: create user story
   2. Explore: identify all of the root causes / drivers
   3. Validate: test root cause / drivers to select highest probability solutions
   4. Iterate: test each solution to isolate the 1
2. SCRUM 2: Testing - goal is to develop the right solution right.
   1. Explore: research market leaders, best in class providers for a building a first version; process or offer.
   2. Update - upgrade solution from SCRUM 1 and build first process or offer.
   3. Validate - use it internally (1.0 or alpha version) to determine if (1) produces expected results, (2) how user friendly is consumption.
   4. Iterate - based on 1.0 test, upgrade the process or offer
3. SCRUM 3: Development - goal is generate new business
   1. Explore: prepare client test (2.0 or beta version), control the controllables
   2. Update: with install team, fix issues as it arises to meet results and use expectations.
   3. Validate: review the client results and compare against storyboard - adjust as necessary.
   4. Iterate: prepare the release offer (version 3.0)

EPISODE 40: MANAGEMENT CONTROLS
​Given the Agilean process, it provides the manager/leader with 6 options for controlling the process and end result of the project.  We will discuss how to use each effectively to raise the probabilities of a successful first offer.

Topics:

1. Control of Inputs: select only customers that fit your brand and skill sets, QFD (Requirements, Design, and Offer Characteristics Matrices).
2. Control of Throughput: Project and Sprint processes 
3. Control of Output: Offer Characteristics
4. Direct Supervision: SCRUM Master or Owner/Facilitator on Timeboxing and accountability.
5. Cultural Boundaries: reduce variation by creating a set of behavioral boundaries.
6. Standardization of Skills: technical competence, industry competence, teamwork competence.

​Next Show: Agilean Production Process - The Prototype

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