1.
1
DON’T RELEASE THE KRAKEN
OR
BRINGING CLARITY AND HARMONY TO PRODUCT
RELEASE PLANNING
Saeed Khan
Founder
Transformation Labs
@saeedwkhan
skhan@transformationlabs.io

2.
ON MOUNT OLYMPUS

3.
THE GODS ARE MEETING

4.
ZEUS IS LISTENING…

5.
…TO HADES

6.
HADES CONVINCES ZEUS TO…

7.
RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!

8.
THE FEARLESS HERO

9.
SPRINGS INTO ACTION

10.
AND JUST AS THE KRAKEN IS ABOUT TO…

11.
…HARM THE PEOPLE

12.
THE HERO SAVES THE DAY

13.
AND STOPS THE KRAKEN DEAD IN ITS TRACKS

14.
THE END

15.
AT A MANAGEMENT OFFSITE

16.
THE EXECUTIVES ARE MEETING

17.
THE CEO IS LISTENING…

18.
…TO THE VP SALES

19.
THE VP CONVINCES THE CEO TO…

20.
RELEASE THE PRODUCT!!!

21.
THE FEARLESS PRODUCT MANAGER

22.
SPRINGS INTO ACTION

23.
AND JUST AS THE PRODUCT IS ABOUT TO…

24.
…HARM THE USERS

25.
THE PRODUCT MANAGER SAVES THE DAY

26.
AND STOPS THE RELEASE IN ITS TRACKS

27.
THE END

28.
Politics
Heroics

29.
Politics:
the process or behavior in
human interactions involving
power, influence and authority.

30.
Heroics:
having the attributes of a hero;
being extraordinarily bold,
altruistic, determined etc.

31.
Release
Planning
Analysis &
Development
Launch
Planning
Product
Launch
Post
Launch

32.
Release
Planning
Analysis &
Development
Launch
Planning
Product
Launch
Post
Launch

33.
Release
The actual software
(functionality, features,
binaries etc.) created by
engineering teams.
Launch
The action of making
the software release
available to customers,
users, the public etc.

34.
Maintenance (or Bug Fix) Release
Code to address important issues found in the software.
Typically made available as soon as code is ready.

35.
Minor Feature Release
A small (tactical) feature set of incremental value to the
company and market.
Made available once code is ready or when needed. (Based on
policy or business needs).

36.
Major Functional Release
A large feature set or other improvements requiring large effort
and providing significant value to the company and the market.
Typically made available in alignment with other business
activities.

37.
33%
every 3-6 months
24%
> 6 months apart
How often do you plan major feature releases?
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningSurvey - Survey is still open. Add your voice.

38.
62%
For their team
76%
Across teams
DO NOT have a well understood, clear & consistent
release planning process
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningSurvey - Survey is still open. Add your voice.

39.
46%
DO NOT align release plans with a
well-defined product roadmap
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningSurvey - Survey is still open. Add your voice.

40.
66%
DO NOT have a well understood
prioritization process
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningSurvey - Survey is still open. Add your voice.

41.
55%
DO NOT have a clear way to measure success once
the work is complete
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningSurvey - Survey is still open. Add your voice.

42.
62%
No consistent
release planning
process
66%
No consistent
prioritization
process
46%
Do not align
release plans
with a roadmap
X X =
?

43.
Source: Standish Group

44.
“A problem well stated is
a problem half solved.”
Charles Kettering

45.
Release

46.
Release

47.
Release
Support
Prod Mgmt
Engineering
Marketing
Sales

48.
WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING, YOU WANT THIS…

49.
BUT YOU GET THIS….
RELEASE PLANNING IS SIMILAR

50.
Release
Product RoadmapTime & Goal based articulation
of Product Strategy
Product Strategy“How & Why” to achieve
Product Objectives
Release 2 Release 3
Product ObjectivesWhat the Product
needs to achieve
Product VisionThe aspirational
product goal
Business Vision, Objectives, StrategyThe Framework under
which the business runs

51.
How to measure progress
and success?
When is delivery & What can
derail the plan?
The people involved & who
perform the work
Who are we building for
and what do they need?
Why are we working on this
release?
Release
Metrics
Timelines & Risks
Stakeholders, Skills & Resources
User & Feature Prioritization
Release Objectives

52.
Key Questions to Answer
• Why are we planning this release?
• Who are the key stakeholders?
• When do we need to deliver?
• Who are we building this for?
• What is the required functionality?
• What risks/challenges do we expect?
• How will we know we’ve succeeded?
• What else must be completed?

53.
Objectives
Why
Stakeholders
Who
(Internal)
Milestones/Dates
When
(do we expect…)
Personas
Who
(Customer/Market)
Epics/Functionality
What
(will be delivered)
Challenges/Risks
What
(are the uncertainties)
Metrics
How
(do we know we succeeded)
Other Activities
What
(else is there)

54.
A (mostly) real example
Vision – the easiest way for retirement
homes to schedule resident activities
and share that information with
residents and families.

55.
Key Personas
• Retirement home management
• Retirement home staff
• Residents
• Family Members
• Application Administrator

56.
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018

57.
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.

58.
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)

59.
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target launch in 5 months
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018

60.
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target launch in 5 months
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Retirement Home Staff
- Resident
- Family Members
Management & Admin needs to be
addressed in future releases.

61.
- Retirement Home Staff
- Resident
- Family Members
Management & Admin needs to be
addressed in future releases.
- Simple Resident Profile (E221)
- Activity Setup (single event, simple recurring event) (E224)
- Activity registration by staff only (E237)
- Full visibility of overall activity calendar, and resident calendar (E231, E232)
- View-only access for residents’ family members (E241)
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target release 5 months

62.
- Retirement Home Staff
- Resident
- Family Members
Management & Admin needs to be
addressed in future releases.
- Simple Resident Profile (E221)
- Activity Setup (single event, simple recurring event) (E224)
- Activity registration by staff only (E237)
- Full visibility of overall activity calendar, and resident calendar (E231, E232)
- View-only access for residents’ family members (E241)
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target release 5 months
- Angular/React ramp up for team
- Must close 2 open headcount on team
- Unclear who will participate in Beta.

63.
- Retirement Home Staff
- Resident
- Family Members
Management & Admin needs to be
addressed in future releases.
- Simple Resident Profile (E221)
- Activity Setup (single event, simple recurring event) (E224)
- Activity registration by staff only (E237)
- Full visibility of overall activity calendar, and resident calendar (E231, E232)
- View-only access for residents’ family members (E241)
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target release 5 months
- Angular/React ramp up for team
- Must close 2 open headcount on team
- Unclear who will participate in Beta.
- % Story completion
- % Defects deferred
- % Automated test coverage
- New stories created during sprints
- Beta customer conversions

64.
- Focus on individual retirement home needs. Not groups.
- Web support for desktop & tablet. No App in this version.
- Simple to understand and quick time to value capabilities.
- Keep v1 focused and easy to use.
- Sam W (PM)
- Cate B (PMM/Mktg)
- Liam H (Eng)
- Russel C (Sales)
- Margot R (Support)
- Team up-to-speed in month 1
- 4 month dev cycle
- Beta starts in month 3
- Target launch in 5 months
- Retirement Home Staff
- Resident
- Family Members
Management & Admin needs to be
addressed in future releases.
- Simple Resident Profile (E221)
- Activity Setup (single event, simple recurring event) (E224)
- Activity registration by staff only (E237)
- Full visibility of overall activity calendar, and resident calendar (E231, E232)
- View-only access for residents’ family members (E241)
- Angular/React ramp up for team
- Must close 2 open headcount on team
- Unclear who will participate in Beta.
- % Story completion
- % Defects deferred
- % Automated test coverage
- New stories created during sprints
- Beta customer conversions
- Beta recruiting must begin early
- Create training class for home staff
- Investigate import tool for home resident
information
ActiveLife v1.0 18/10/2018

65.
Release

66.
Release

67.
ELIMINATE THE POLITICS IN RELEASE PLANNING

68.
REMOVE THE NEED FOR LAST-MINUTE HEROICS

69.
One more thing…

70.
Your thoughts on the talk?
3 questions, 30 seconds.
http://bit.ly/ltpkraken
Want to download the Release
Planning Canvas?
http://bit.ly/ReleasePlanningCanvas

71.
75
DON’T RELEASE THE KRAKEN
OR
BRINGING CLARITY AND HARMONY TO PRODUCT
RELEASE PLANNING
Saeed Khan
Founder
Transformation Labs
@saeedwkhan
skhan@transformationlabs.io