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Open Iteration
Continually creating and deploying the next version (iteration) of a product with a high-level of transparency and user engagement
Overview
• Software methodologies• Launch strategies• Optimize for Best Fit• Open Iteration– Pros/Cons/Takeaways
• Stealth mode?
Background
• Serial Entrepreneur iPrint: NASD MessageCast: acquired by MSFT
• Principal at Bing• Startup advisor• Open source, Java, cloud computing
SOFTWARE METHODOLOGIES (THE SHORT VERSION)
Waterfall
Analysis
Design
Implementation
Test
Deploy
• AKA “I start when you finish”
• Long cycles/few releases
• Valuable in very limited scenarios
Cowboy Coding
• AKA “Code and Fix”• Ready, Fire, Aim!• Potential for very quick
iterations/lots of releases
• Prototypes
Code
Deploy
Test
Agile
Implement
Test
DeployAnalysis
Design
• “The simplest thing that could possibly work”
• Quick iterations• Continual feedback• Overloaded term so be
careful
LAUNCH STRATEGIES
Feature ParityFeature Us Them
HTML 5 • Contextual • • Blue Buttons • Localization • • XMPP support • • Auto-suggest •
• Parity occurs when products have equal feature sets
• Launch only when parity is achieved
• Long initial release cycle• Chasing a moving target
Required FeaturesFeature v1 v2
HTML 5 • Contextual • Blue Buttons • Localization • XMPP support • Auto-suggest •
• Potential for relatively longer initial release cycle
• Ability to adjust to changing conditions/feedback
• Minimum Viable Product (Eric Ries)
Minimum FeaturesFeature v1 v2 v3
HTML 5 • Contextual • Blue Buttons • Localization
XMPP support • Auto-suggest •
• Short release cycles• Ability to quickly adjust
to changing conditions/feedback
• Minimum Desirable Product (Andrew Chen)
OPTIMIZE FOR BEST FIT
Optimize for Iterations
Initial Launch Follow-on Iterations
Required Features
Feature Parity
Minimum Features
AgileCowboyWaterfall
Required Features
Feature Parity
Minimum Features
AgileCowboyWaterfall
WHAT IS OPEN ITERATION?
Open Iteration
• Initial vision and product roadmap• Communication – set expectations• Visibility and transparency• Rapid release cycle• Product functionality additive over time• Feedback helps drive features/priorities• Warts and all
“Of course we don'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”
Pros
• The ability to evolve the product based on reality (i.e. user feedback, actual utilization)
• Feedback based on hands-on usage instead of looking at mockups
• Users guiding both the features and the priority of the features
Cons
• Don’t necessarily have business validation• A 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 …
Takeaways
• Iterating in the open 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
Takeaways (cont)
• Have internal analytics 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.
WHAT ABOUT STEALTH MODE?
Stealth Mode
• Overrated, but don’t embarrass yourself either• Ideas don’t matter nearly as much as
execution does• “This is easy, it’s just an execution play”
Questions?