A lot of distributed companies use Lean Startup techniques for product development. But it's challenging to successfully run customer development and cross-functional experiments with remote colleagues. William Donnell, lead design and UX specialist at Sodium Halogen, teaches the creative techniques his team uses for very effective Lean Startup approaches on a virtual team.

1. USE LEAN STARTUP TECHNIQUES
on a Remote Team
William Donnell
@sodiumhalogen
#leanremote

2. I had a PROBLEM

3. Lots of design thinking
sketches, post-its, sharpies, whiteboards - 2D stuff

4. How could we make Lean work for
remote teams?

5. 7 people : 4 time zones
KY
TN
CA
ID

6. We do UX, UI and branding
for clients all over US *
*Austrailia & Brazil too

7. THINGS WE BELIEVE
1. Ideas come from everywhere
(accounting, HR – cross-disciplinary teams)
2. Don’t have to be in same room to create those ideas
(collaborate, share ideas, create awesome products and experiences)

8. How could we make Lean work for
our remote team?

9. You can make LEAN work
with REMOTE TEAMS,
but you have to be
INTENTIONAL.

10. TOOLS, METHODS & CULTURE

11. TOOLS
METHODS
CULTURE

12. We use lots of tools
to collaborate

13. VIDEO CHAT is best way to
collaborate remotely

14. With DISTRIBUTED TEAMS,
it’s not just about
COMMUNICATION,
but COMMUNITY.

15. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance

16. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Email Chat
Phone Video

17. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Email Chat
Phone Video

18. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Email Chat Phone
Video

19. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Email Chat Phone Video

20. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Email Chat Phone Video
sweetspot!

21. Perceived Distance Theory
remove senses – increase perceived distance
Conference Call Email Chat Phone Video
tear!

22. #IRL

23. #IRL

24. not just
COMMUNICATION,
but COMMUNITY.

25. VIDEO is the sweet spot!
*
*Awesome!

26. The BEST TOOLS for video chat
are the ones you ALREADY HAVE.

27. The basic setup
+
Two laptops and video software

28. How can we make it
BETTER?

29. Bring the camera
to the wall

30. Advanced setup
+
add a second camera

31. Two camera Hangout hack
one camera for faces. one for ideas.

32. Two camera Hangout hack
one camera for faces. one for ideas.
iPhone on tripod
laptop cam

33. Two camera Hangout hack
iPhone on tripod
experiment hangout

34. Two camera Hangout hack
experiment hangout

35. Set up TWO CAMERAS
at EACH location
+ +

36. Set up TWO CAMERAS
at EACH location
+ +
+

37. Set up TWO CAMERAS
at EACH location
+ +
+ + +

38. We tried VIRTUAL tools,
but came back to PEN & PAPER
google docs
screenshot
virtual
stickies
screenshot

39. Improvise

40. Improvise
#MacGyver

41. OTHER TEAM COMMUNICATION?

42. CHAT APPS

43. WHERE ARE WE?

44. PROJECT HUBS

45. PROJECT HUBS

46. PROJECT HUBS
github.com/bradfrost/project-hub

47. TOOLS
METHODS
CULTURE

48. Daily Standup

49. Daily Standup

50. Virtual Lunch

51. Virtual Lunch
#FAIL

52. Virtual Conference Room

53. Hold your sketch up to the camera
or share a phone pic

54. How can we SHARE
sketches faster?
live sketching

55. a BETTER second camera
meet iPevo

56. a BETTER second camera
get the ideas out of your head and on to paper

57. live sketching

58. How can we SHARE
whiteboard work faster?

59. STREAMING WHITEBOARD
iPhone
streams online
rocketboard.it

60. How can we SHARE user
testing and user feedback?

61. USER TESTING
iPhone screencast

62. How can we REDUCE LAG
in the feedback loop?

63. Explain your ideas
with screencasts

64. Screencasts for teams in
VERY different timezones.

65. How can we build TRUST
and team CAMARADERIE?

66. in CA
in TN
in DC
CAMP POPVOX

67. TOOLS
METHODS
CULTURE

68. CULTURE is what holds
a team TOGETHER, & allows them to
CREATE something AWESOME.

69. CONSIDER OTHERS
truly care about your team members

70. We all admire
SELFLESSNESS.

71. try being SELFLESS

72. HUMOR

73. tell stories, laugh, be humans

74. HUMOR
‘stache

75. meow
HUMOR

76. HUMOR
yup, a
puppet
april fool’s
day

78. WRITE SONGS?
bit.ly/iloveluxr

79. HUMOR

80. onboarding?

81. I’m in the wrong
hangout.

82. A PROBLEM
solved
being solved

83. You can make LEAN work
with REMOTE TEAMS,
but you have to be
INTENTIONAL.

84. Make LEAN work
with your REMOTE TEAM.
these tips & more:
SodiumHalogen.com/leanremote
WILLIAM DONNELL
wm@sodiumhalogen.com
@sodiumhalogen #leanremote