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Iterating In the Open
This document discusses open iteration, which involves continually creating and deploying new versions of a product with transparency and user engagement. It outlines different software development methodologies like waterfall, agile, and cowboy coding. It also discusses launch strategies like minimum viable product. Open iteration allows evolving a product based on user feedback through rapid releases. Pros include user-guided priorities, but cons include potential lack of initial business validation and bugs. Takeaways include enabling feedback, driving towards MVP, and having analytics and scalability. Stealth mode is overrated compared to strong execution.
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Iterating In the Open
- 1. Iterating in theOpenDave HodsonJuly 2010dave@davehodson.com/@davehod
- 2. Open Iteration Continually creatingand deploying the next version (iteration) of a product with a high-level of transparency and user engagement
- 3. OverviewSoftware methodologiesLaunch strategiesOptimizefor Best FitOpen IterationPros/Cons/TakeawaysStealth mode?
- 4. BackgroundSerial Entrepreneur iPrint:NASD MessageCast: acquired by MSFTPrincipal at BingStartup advisorOpen source, Java, cloud computing
- 5. Software Methodologies (Theshort version)
- 6. WaterfallAKA “I startwhen you finish”Long cycles/few releasesValuable in very limited scenarios
- 7. Cowboy CodingAKA “Codeand Fix”Ready, Fire, Aim!Potential for very quick iterations/lots of releasesPrototypes
- 8. Agile“The simplest thingthat could possibly work”Quick iterationsContinual feedbackOverloaded term so be careful
- 9.
- 10. Feature ParityParity occurswhen products have equal feature setsLaunch only when parity is achievedLong initial release cycleChasing a moving target
- 11. Required FeaturesPotential forrelatively longer initial release cycleAbility to adjust to changing conditions/feedbackMinimum Viable Product (Eric Ries)
- 12. Minimum FeaturesShort releasecyclesAbility to quickly adjust to changing conditions/feedbackMinimum Desirable Product (Andrew Chen)
- 13.
- 14. Optimize for IterationsInitialLaunchFollow-on Iterations
- 15. What is openiteration?
- 16. Open IterationInitial visionand product roadmapCommunication – set expectationsVisibility and transparencyRapid release cycleProduct functionality additive over timeFeedback helps drive features/prioritiesWarts and all
- 17. “Of course wedon't fault people for making requests. We encourage it ... So what do you do with all these requests that pour in? Just read them and then throw them away.”37 Signal’s “Getting Real”
- 18. ProsThe ability toevolve the product based on reality (i.e. user feedback, actual utilization) Feedback based on hands-on usage instead of looking at mockupsUsers guiding both the features and the priority of the features
- 19. ConsDon’t necessarily havebusiness validationA new visitor to the site may not see value on initial visit and never return (the “is that all there is?” problem) Bugs, bugs, bugs. Must have a staging environment and plenty of automated tests, but when you’re running fast …
- 20. TakeawaysIterating in theopen is a net positive, but users need visibility on updates and bug fixes (blog posts and email are great for this) Enable the site with an open feedback mechanism (e.g. uservoice) Drive towards a Minimum Viable Product - have a strong grasp on metrics and value
- 21. Takeaways (cont)Have internalanalytics as well as external (use Google Analytics) to get a good picture what users are doing and the conversations about your site. Ensure there is a mechanism to scale out quickly and cheaply (EC2/GAE/etc)Automate as much as you can including unit tests, build and deployment scripts, etc. The time savings and reduction in errors pay off quickly.
- 22. What about stealthmode?
- 24. Stealth ModeOverrated, butdon’t embarrass yourself eitherIdeas don’t matter nearly as much as execution does“This is easy, it’s just an execution play”
- 25.
Editor's Notes
- #12 So, the minimum viable product is that product which has just those features (and no more) that allows you to ship a product that resonates with early adopters; some of whom will pay you money or give you feedback.another example of this idea would be to set up a landing page and test for clickthrough rates and signup conversions, to see if there is any interest in the product.
- #13 To build an MDP, you will have to actually deliver the core of a product experience so that your customers can make a full assessment, rather than simply providing a landing page