Co-Making
Great Products
How whole teams work together to find problems,
invent solutions, and deliver great products
Jeff Patton
jeff@comakewith.us
twitter: @jeffpatton
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
This/team/has/delivered/high/quality/working/so?ware/
every/sprint
But,/they’re/frustrated/because/they’re/failing
2
This team thinks about
success
differently
3
s
1. Safety isn’t success
2. Velocity isn’t value
3. The invention game
4. Deliberate discovery
drives delivery
5. Reality bites
4
These three companies are
focused on winning the
software development game
5
Safety isn’t success
6
1
7
JB#Brown
Nordstrom#Innova0on#Lab
Our#everyday#process#requires#
so#much#rigor,#there#wasn’t#really#a#
place#for#innova0on
Traditional sequential
development process is
safe for individuals
8
9
10
11
12
Separation of concerns is
problematic for process
13
14
15
Velocity isn’t value
16
2
17
Eugene#Park
Edmunds.com
We’re#great#at#delivering#
soFware#using#agile#approaches.##
We’ve#just#realized#it#doesn’t#maIer.
We’re not here to build
software
we’re here to change the
world
18
R & D
[requirements & design]
20
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Deciding/what/to/build/is/difficult
Fred#Brooks,#author#of#The#Mythical#Man#Month
21
The
hardest single part
of building a software
system is deciding
precisely what to
build.
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Our/decisions/become/
requirements
Alistair/Cockburn,/author/of/Agile/So?ware/Development:/The/CooperaVve/Game
22
If it’s your
decision to make,
it’s design.
If not, it’s a
requirement.
South#Park#clip,#the#underpants#business:#
hIp://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/151040
The invention game
26
3
Process
27
7
http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/1986/01/the-new-new-product-development-game/ar/1
“Under the rugby approach, the product development
process emerges from the constant interaction of a hand-
picked, multidisciplinary team whose members work
together from start to finish.”
From the 1986 Harvard Business Review paper “The New New Product
Development Game” by Takeuchi and Nonaka
Game
29
Process ≠ Skill
knowing how doesn’t make you good
Roles ≠ Positions
You might primarily do one thing, but you can’t
win by doing only one thing
Finishing On Time ≠ Winning
Keep score, don’t just keep time
30
31
“Design Thinking” is a
learning and invention game
32
It seems like common sense
There
is nothing
more uncommon
than common
sense.
Understand the
problem you’re solving
& focus on specific
problems
Consider lots
of possible
solutions Sco$sh'Mathema-cian'
Thomas'Chalmers
Make sure it’ll
work before
investing big
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/ 33
Different ways of thinking -
NOT process roles, hand-offs,
sequence and phases
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/ 34
Study the world now, imagine and
test the a new future world
Now
Later
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/ 35
Learning happens outside the
building
Now
Later
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
UX/Designers/act/as/experts/and/guides
36
Leah#Buley
www.adapVvepath.com/aboutus/leah.php
“Design isn’t a product
that designers produce,
design is a process that
designers facilitate.”
-- Leah Buley
37
38
Share understanding,
not documents
39
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
O?en/when/we/verbally/discuss/ideas,/we/may/
incorrectly/believe/we/have/the/same/understanding
40
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
RepresenVng/our/ideas/as/models/allows/us/to/
detect/inconsistencies/in/our/understanding
41
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Through/discussion/and/iteraVve/model/building/
we/arrive/at/a/stronger/shared/understanding
42
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Using/that/shared'understanding/we/can/work/
together/to/arrive/at/the/same/future/world
43
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Shared'understanding/is/the/result/of/
successful/collaboraVve/work
44
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Words/and/pictures/help/everyone/build/
shared/understanding
45
GameStorming is a good
manual for effective
collaborative work
46
Having a business meeting without
artifacts and meaningful space is like
meeting blindfolded with your hands
behind your back. Yes, you can do it, but
why would you want to?
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Shared/understanding/takes/space
“Make/Space”/is/the/term/
coined/by/the/Stanford/Design/
School/to/describe/effecVve/
collaboraVve/workspace
Space/to/model/and/draw:
! Walls/and/whiteboards/
! Tabletops
Flexible/discussion/&/seaVng/
space
Places/to/store/the/arVfacts/
created/during/discovery/work
47
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Shared/understanding/takes/space
A#large#work#area#in#the#
Stanford#d.school#supports#
many#small#design#teams.
48
“Make/Space”/is/the/term/
coined/by/the/Stanford/Design/
School/to/describe/effecVve/
collaboraVve/workspace
Space/to/model/and/draw:
! Walls/and/whiteboards/
! Tabletops
Flexible/discussion/&/seaVng/
space
Places/to/store/the/arVfacts/
created/during/discovery/work
Virtual Make-Space?
49
Deliberate discovery
drives delivery
50
4
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Discovery/compliments/delivery
51
Discovery Delivery
Use/discovery/to/answer/
big/quesVons
• What#problems#
are#we#solving?
• What#solu0on#do#
people#want?
• Can#people#
effec0vely#use#
our#solu0on?
• Can#we#build#it#in#
the#0me#we#have?
Use/delivery/
to/execute
• Plan#the#details
• Design,#develop,##
and#test
• Measure#
development#speed
• Evaluate#progress
• Evaluate#quality
52
Tom#Illmensee
snagajob.com
Morale#suffers#when#
all#we#do#is#build#soFware.##
#The#thrill#of#building#
something#fast,#measuring#it#well,#
and#deba0ng#the#results#and#planning#
next#steps#make#the#whole#effort#
worthwhile.
©/2009d2011/Jeff/Pa3on,/all/rights/reserved,/www.AgileProductDesign.com
As/you/walk/up/the/stairs/at/Snagdadjob,/you’ll/
see/the/first/evidence/of/company/values
53
©/2009d2011/Jeff/Pa3on,/all/rights/reserved,/www.AgileProductDesign.com
Head/down/the/stairs/and/you’ll/get/an/informal/
reminder/of/the/importance/of/users/of/the/
company’s/product
Caring/about/their/users/is/part/of/their/DNA
54
Discovery teams build shared
understanding of:
• the present problems
• the future world
• the solutions we think
will get us there
55
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Discuss/and/model/to/build/shared/
understanding/of/the/current/and/future/world
Gary Levitt, owner & designer of Mad Mimi
56
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Story/Maps/help/us/build/shared/
understanding/about/the/future/world
Gary Levitt, owner & designer of Mad Mimi
57
details
• smaller steps
• alternative steps
• UI details
• technical details
workflow
(from the user’s
perspective)
backbone
(gives structure to
the map)
product goals
(why build the
product)
users
(what are their goals)
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Simple/lightweight/pragmaVc/personas/
build/shared/understanding/about/users
58
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Building/them/together/helps/us/learn/
what/we/don’t/know
59
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Sharing/and/talking/about/them/with/
whole/teams/builds/shared/understanding
60
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
You’ll/need/face/Vme/with/real/people/to/
understand
61
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
You’ll/need/to/leave/your/office/and/visit/
theirs
62
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Go/where/the/people/you’re/helping/work
63
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Go/where/the/people/you’re/helping/work
64
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Go/where/the/people/you’re/helping/work
65
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Go/where/the/people/you’re/helping/work
66
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Go/where/the/people/you’re/helping/work
67
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Map/what/you/learned/to/build/shared/
understanding/of/today’s/world
68
*/NarraVve/Journey/Map/
courtesy/Duncan/Brown/
of/the/Caplin/Group
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Journey/maps/describe/today’s/world
69
*/NarraVve/Journey/Map/
courtesy/Duncan/Brown/
of/the/Caplin/Group
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Building/a/map/together/helps/us/explore/
the/whole/product
70
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Talking/with/end/users/over/a/story/map/
drives/discussion/they/can/engage/in
71
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Story/maps/put/problems/and/soluVons/
into/context
72
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Words/aren’t/enough
73
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Everyone/parVcipates/in/sketching/
soluVon/idea
74
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Take/a/li3le/quiet/Vme/and/sketch/
independently
75
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Share/back/ideas/with/the/everyone
76
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Words/and/pictures/help/everyone/build/
shared/understanding
77
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Globo.com/doesn’t/stop/with/words
78
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Use/storyboards/to/imagine/user/
experience/“later”
Snag[a[Job#lo[fi#
storyboard
79
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Don’t/just/imagine/experience,/test/it
80
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Tell/your/product’s/story/over/and/over
81
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Edmunds/shares/the/product’s/story/for/
all/teams/in/an/internal/“trade/show”
82
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Edmunds/shares/the/product’s/story/for/
all/teams/in/an/internal/“trade/show”
83
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Edmunds/shares/the/product’s/story/for/
all/teams/in/an/internal/“trade/show”
84
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Edmunds/shares/the/product’s/story/for/
all/teams/in/an/internal/“trade/show”
85
92
Nothing#leaves#the#board#un0l#
there’s#been#a#discussion#on#
what#we’ve#learned
Snag[a[Job’s#board#courtesy#of#David#BiIenbender
Explicit#release#step
Explicit#measure#step#&#metrics
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Nordstrom/InnovaVon/Lab’s/Learning/Loop
93
hIp://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2011/10/case[study[nordstrom[innova0on[lab.html
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Nordstrom/InnovaVon/Lab’s/Learning/Loop
94
hIp://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2011/10/case[study[nordstrom[innova0on[lab.html
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Nordstrom/InnovaVon/Lab’s/Learning/Loop
95
hIp://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2011/10/case[study[nordstrom[innova0on[lab.html
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Nordstrom/InnovaVon/Lab’s/Learning/Loop
96
hIp://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2011/10/case[study[nordstrom[innova0on[lab.html
Reality bites
97
5
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Your/guesses/about/the/future/are/
probably/wrong
Typically/about/
50%/to/80%/of/all/
so?ware/we/ship/fails/to/
accomplish/it’s/
objecVves.
People/like/Marty/say/this/stuff/is/hard
(Marty#Cagan,#author#of#Inspired,#How#to#Create#Products#Customers#Love)#
98
99
We’re#probably#
right#about#2#0mes#out#of#10
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Is/it/as/simple/as/building/only/the/
features/people/will/use?
It#seemed#like#a#
good#idea#at#the#
0me....##
“Clippy”#[#Booed#
off#the#MicrosoF#
Office#stage#as#
seldom[used#and#
oFen#despised.
100
“There were plenty of weak
spots that led to Microsoft's
disastrous December quarter,
but one that didn't get much
attention Thursday was how
badly the Zune did.”
--Ina Fried, CNet News,
January 2009
opportunity:#
integrated#music#
management#and#
portable#music#
player
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
It’s/only/a?er/delivery/that/we/really/
understand/value
101
If you think writing code is
hard, try making product
decisions
102
103
Scene/from/The/Matrix/©/1999/Warner/Bros/Pictures
www.comakewith.us,/Jeff/Pa3on,/jeff@comakewith.us/
Everyone’s/focused/on/winning/now/Snagd
adJob/can/actually/keep/score
104
Snagajob’s been trying to crack the
same tough problem for close to a
year now
Most of Nordstrom’s weekly
experiments don’t result in rolling
out a new product
Edmunds.com has built, tried, and
thrown away dozens of ideas
105
What team members
say is telling
106
What#we’re#doing#
really#maIers
Everyone’s#
working#directly#with#our#
clients#now
We’ve#found#
simple#ideas#that#now#
generate#millions#in#
revenue#every#year
When#there’s#
problems,#teams#dig#in,#and#
figure#out#a#schedule#to#stay#and#
solve#problems.##No#one#asks#
them#to.
The#new#site#
generates#the#same#revenue#
with#a#frac0on#of#the#features#
and#code#[#and#our#customers#
like#it#beIer
People#are#just#
happier
“It’s not easy. We’ve got lots
of problems.
But there’s no going back.”
107
Co-Making
Great Products
How whole teams work together to find problems,
invent solutions, and deliver great products
Jeff Patton
jeff@comakewith.us
twitter: @jeffpatton
Questions?

Co-making Great Products