In interacting with companies that don’t sell digital products—but who are investing heavily in digital capabilities—I’ve noticed a pattern. I call the pattern: We’re Trying to Do Product, But We’re Handed an Incredibly Overwhelming List of Prescriptive Projects Disguised as Problem Statements With Overly-Ambitious Business Impact Forecasts
A great snapshot about why these companies also embark in overly ambitious "agile" "transformation" "projects" (I separate the quotation for good reasons) and then they say "agile doesn't work".
You've picked up on a key thing here: that the digital product is just a small part of it. The system is more complex. The digital product sometimes is a hypothesis for increased distribution or a brand new product line, rather than THE product. Yet, it is tethered to the rest of the machine. It requires a lot more physics to work, for the addendum not to become atrophied.
A great snapshot about why these companies also embark in overly ambitious "agile" "transformation" "projects" (I separate the quotation for good reasons) and then they say "agile doesn't work".
Great post. Thanks!
A strategy: could work to let business pitch their business opportunities to digital, and let digital be the judge on what opportunity to persue.
Huge flip of power, so might not be easy to pull off.
It feels like you're speaking directly to me! Thanks so much for this post.
I do feel like I'm banging my head against a wall sometimes. It does take patience.
Where's Part 2?
I can so relate to this. Well written! Did you write a part 2?
Love it! great framing to make the situations interesting challenges
love the reminder that if you're going through this you're not alone, all too easy to forget that amidst the whirlwind.
You've picked up on a key thing here: that the digital product is just a small part of it. The system is more complex. The digital product sometimes is a hypothesis for increased distribution or a brand new product line, rather than THE product. Yet, it is tethered to the rest of the machine. It requires a lot more physics to work, for the addendum not to become atrophied.
Awesome thoughts! I can see how often companies and PMs struggle through this. Look forward to reading part 2!
Great Post John!! Lot of this resonates very well with my situation and you have captured it accurately.