strategy in an agile environment
TRANSCRIPT
Strategy in an Agile Environment
The Product Mentor Season 6
Chris ButlerSenior Product Strategist
TBPP 2016, TPM 4 and 6
Philosophie in NYC
Over 15 years of product and BD
Microsoft, Waze, Horizon Ventures, KAYAK
Started my own company, failed
@chrizbot
What we will talk about today
● Cautionary tale
● Why does agile work?
● What is strategy?
● Why does agile need strategy?
● How do you create a good strategy?
● What can you do to test the strategy?
● How to link it to day-to-day?
The “Quality” Sprint
What is strategy?
What is bad strategy?
● Failure to face the challenge
● Mistaking goals for strategy
● Bad strategic objectives - just a list of things to do
● Fluff
Why is bad strategy bad?
● Doesn’t link high level with day to day action
● Focuses the team on the wrong things
○ Or doesn’t focus the team
● Avoids tough decisions
● Makes the wrong tradeoffs
○ Or assumes that you have to make tradeoffs at all
“No strategy” == each person’s own strategy
How do I create a good strategy?
Strategy kernelA diagnosis: an explanation of the nature of the challenge. A good diagnosis
simplifies the often overwhelming complexity of reality by identifying certain
aspects of the situation as being the critical ones.
A guiding policy: an overall approach chosen to cope with or overcome the
obstacles identified in the diagnosis.
Coherent actions: steps that are coordinated with one another to support the
accomplishment of the guiding policy.
Strategy kernel canvas
What can you do to test the strategy?
Saying ‘no’ exercise
Bizzaro strategy exercise
Common weaknesses audit
Common weaknessesLinked to coherent action plan
Devoid of bias
Balances commitment and flexibility - highest response in McKinsey survey
Group is convicted to act on strategy - 2nd highest response in McKinsey survey
Embraces uncertainty - 2nd lowest response in McKinsey survey
Depends on privileged insights - lowest response in McKinsey survey
Ahead of trends
Granular about where to compete
Taps a true source of advantage
It beats the market
Obeys strategic ‘laws of gravity’ - from Exec McKinsey article
KPIs match strategy - from Exec McKinsey article
Balances growth and risk - from Exec McKinsey article
Anticipates the changing future landscape - from Edge Perspectives
How can product people link strategy to their day-to-day?
What is great strategy?
Remember
● Strategy is key to agile groups’ success.
● Strategy isn’t something that you just create, you iterate
on it.
● Have that conversation about strategy, write it down, and
make it part of your process every day.
