using the start-up playbook to reboot a big university website

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Using the startup playbook to reboot a big university websiteRoss FergusonIWMW 2014

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Fuck yeah startups* Problem-solving* Creative* Practical* Disruptive* Replicable

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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What else can be run as a startup?* Dating* Taxi services* Energy* Parliamentary records* Diplomacy

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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GDS is a startup by government* Alphagov* Changed gov.uk* Changing the Civil Service

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Can bath.ac.uk be run as a startup?* What’s the opportunity?* Are the right people in place?* Do the methods transfer?

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Got a problem?* Same old, same old* Usage is meh* Tired tech* Sell, sell, sell* Demotivated teams

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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It’s week 44

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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New goals* Devolve publishing and engagement* Make tasks easier* Make the work meaningful* Be known for delivery

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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New old team* One team, multiple functions* HE vetrans and noobs* Producers, not managers* Trusted to self-facilitate* New governance

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Delivery principles over process1. Put user needs first2. Make decisions based on data3. Release iteratively and often4. Keep things simple and consistent5. Provide ongoing support6. Work in the open

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Products, not pages* Roadmap* Backlogs* Agile delivery

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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The users made me* Self-initiated* User research* No client work

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Tools of the trade* Slack* Trello* Heroku* Foundation* Bamboo* Github

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Fail fast, lower risk* MVP* Show and tell* Weeknotes* Pivots* Retrospectives

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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How’s it working out?

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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The downsides* Agile vs waterfall* Too much product* Burn out* Sprinting alone* Autonomously aligned* Discipline is hard

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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The upsides

* Always be shipping* Meeting everyday needs* Bring us problems* Monitoring performance* On the panels* Seeing ourselves in others

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Is it replicable and scalable?* University of Bath* University of Wherever* Mentality, methods, model

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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We willtransform the model, spin out a product, or fail

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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Try it

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson

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blogs.bath.ac.uk/digital

@rossferg

rf396@bath.uk

IWMW 2014Ross Ferguson