4 Q's: Stop Optimizing the Feature Factory

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Quintessential Thought

Too many organizations optimize their processes and planning for output. “Did the thing get shipped?” “What % complete are we?” “When will this thing get done?” Here’s the bad news: it’s possible to deliver output all day without any value. More output does not equal more value. Organizations who try this approach become a “Feature Factory.” ProductPlan has a great image for this:

We need to focus on outcomes, not just delivering what was requested.

The best organizations minimize outputs while maximizing outcomes, delivering the minimum necessary to provide the most value. Shift from a “solutions to implement” mindset to a “problems to solve” mindset.

Quotes

“[Organizations are] almost never organized around achieving outcomes. Instead they’re organized around making stuff.” - Josh Seiden

“Every problem has a solution, although it may not be the outcome that was originally hoped for or expected.” — Alice Hoffman

“If your only tool is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail.” — Abraham Maslow

“The best way to find a solution to a problem is to first understand it.” ― Stephen Covey

Quick Step

If you measure one thing, measure time to learn. This is the time between when an idea is had, to when it is in your customer’s hands and you are actively getting feedback on whether it’s valuable.

Question

When someone hands you a solution to implement, ask the question: “What problem are we trying to solve?”

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