As a vendor, we may have some flaws in our process with our customers. This presentation is focusing on how we should improve our interactions with customers based on Agile principles.

1. CUSTOMER-VENDOR ANTI-PATTERN
Soroosh Khodami

2. AGILE MANIFESTO
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Responding to change over following a plan
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

3. 1ST PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE MANIFESTO
“Our highest priority is to satisfy the
customer through early and continuous
delivery of valuable software.”
Which often leads to what Jeff Patton calls the
customer-vendor anti-pattern.

4. Product Owner in Large Organizations
Mostly he understands his role as a representative of customers and
submits requirements to the Development Team for implementation.
Understanding customers and their needs is important, But it is not
the only one aspect to make a product successful !

5. CUSTOMER-VENDOR ANTI-PATTERN
this pattern is characterized by a clear separation between the customer
who wants something and the vendor who is to deliver it within the
agreed parameters of cost, time and quality. This pattern leads to a lot
of energy flowing into the agreement and negotiation and, In case of
problems, into the search for the culprit.

6. WHAT DO WE ALL WANT ?
We all want a Successful Product

7. “
”
WE SEE OUR CUSTOMERS AS INVITED GUESTS TO
A PARTY, AND WE ARE THE HOSTS. IT’S OUR JOB EVERY
DAY TO MAKE EVERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO

8. What are the aspects of a Successful Product ?
• Valuable: providing connection between the business model and strategy of the
surrounding organization, Something that customers will choose to use.
• Useful: Easy to figure out how to bring the value to the organization.
• Feasible: means for the Product Owner to understand the many technical,
organizational and other constraints that limit the potential solutions. And this
includes technical debt, IT security, performance, scaling and many other
technical aspects.

9. HOW WE SHOULD REACH TO A
SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT
DISCUSSION TIME

10. THE AGILE MANIFESTO ANSWER IS
MORE EFFICIENT COLLABORATION
BETWEEN CUSTOMER AND VENDOR

11. DONT’s:
× PO Should not be the mastermind
× PO Should not be lonesome decision-maker
× PO Should not be unilaterally (one-sided) associated with the business
× PO Should not be considered as a representative of the business side
× PO may no longer feel like a customer (who does not care about the technological
constraints and who only wants as much as possible as early as possible)
× Dev Team must not feel as a vendor (who is annoyed by poorly specified requirements
and constant changes).
DO’s:
• PO must be the leader of a team of experts who together take responsibility for the
sustainable development of a successful product.
• technical experts and developers must work together on a daily basis.
• PO must have the ability to collaborate and lead a product team because he will need
experts for all the aspects in order to find compromises and make decisions jointly.
• Customer and Vendor should take joint responsibility for the best possible next steps
towards product success.

12. References
• http://agilemanifesto.org/iso/en/manifesto.html
• The Customer-Vendor Anti-Pattern | Führung erfahren (fuehrung-erfahren.de)
• https://www.smartsheet.com/comprehensive-guide-values-principles-agile-manifesto
• https://www.mindtheproduct.com/product-is-hard-by-marty-cagan/

13. THANK YOU