Collaboration in Product Development: Design Thinking, Lean, and Agile
A lot has changed in the world of product development since 2017, but one ongoing discussion remains: the best approaches for product development. This article revisits insights from Product Leader Jonny Schneider on integrating Design Thinking, Lean, and Agile methodologies.
Design Thinking focuses on exploring and solving problems. Lean provides a framework for testing beliefs and learning to achieve the right outcomes. Agile helps us adapt to changing conditions in software development. Combining these three mindsets can lead to better product development outcomes.
Too often, the debate is whether to use Lean or Agile, but the answer is to use all three: Design Thinking, Lean, and Agile. Jonny offers several lessons on effectively applying these methodologies.
Purpose, Alignment, and Autonomy
Building a product is similar to a combat mission. A skilled team operates in uncertain conditions, guided by clear outcomes and principles. Flexibility and discipline are essential, as is practice.
Measure What Matters
Knowing what to measure is crucial. Vanity metrics like total page views or new customers aren’t useful. Instead, focus on metrics that help you make decisions and measure meaningful outcomes.
Learning for Better Decisions
Learning helps us make better decisions. Many solutions fail because they don’t address meaningful problems. It’s important to avoid bias and approach learning in a way that informs decision-making. You don’t need to be a scientist to gain useful insights.
Team Collaboration
The most important aspect is working together as a team. Learning and collaboration are key to moving forward. There is no single correct way or mindset; instead, integrating elements of each approach helps achieve the best results.
For more detailed insights, read Jonny Schneider’s full guide or explore other articles in the Sunday Rewind series.