This is episode is about designing software that enables your vision as an organization to become reality. Although this topic may seem simple, it is a common problem that trips up many projects. Join Andrew and Fahad as they discuss how technology leaders should capture and communicate ideas, approach innovation, and bridge the communication gap that so often exists between engineers and executives.
Show Notes
- How do we turn our ideas into something tangible, into reality into a valuable asset? We know that 68% 0f all software projects fail, and 70% of executives believe their initiatives are doomed from the start.
- How Should Technology Leaders Capture Their Ideas? Know the problem first. Explore the problem space completely and understand why it's a problem, and then what opportunities are there to solve that problem.
- Knowing the problem first opens multiple avenues and affords opportunities to create a less expensive solution that solves a larger problem.
- Only move into the solution space once the problem is understood. Starting in the solution space is easy to do, but doing so may mean that you miss solving for parts of your problem that that was not properly understood at the start.
- Product vs Project Mindset. A good product life cycle is constantly moving between problem space and solution space. Don't index on things, don't make assumptions, solve for what you know are the issues, and then go back and try to discover the other issues as well.
- Should Innovation be Incorporated into the Problem Solving Process? No. When you're in the problem space, you should not be thinking about innovation. Innovation is a byproduct of solving a problem.
- Wayne Gretzky used to say, "skate to where the puck is going to be" and most organizations are not doing that because they are trying to copy what other organizations are doing. Do you try and become SoFi or do you look at where SoFi is going and become that instead?
- Don't copy innovation, decide if you want to be there, or if they're missing the mark, skate to where you think they should be going, you'll be innovative and market-defining.
- Understand context. What market are you in? Are you in a leadership position trying to hold on to users or do you understand the problem and are getting out in front of it?
- What is the best way for technology leaders and executives to communicate ideas? Design and prototypes are powerful because they are quick ways of showing somebody, this is what I interpreted. Now a conversation can take place about what was truly meant.
Resources Mentioned
- SoFi
- Wayne Gretzky
- Apple
- Tesla
- Ford
- Facebook
- Twitter
- myspace
- Uber
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