This document discusses an approach to product development that avoids over-engineering or under-engineering. It recommends using the scientific method of idea, test, and conclusion to focus first on the product and user experience, then on viability testing through minimum viable products, and last on technological features. An example is given of Apple's approach.

1. Rocket Powered
Bicycles
Avoiding Over and Under Engineering your
Product

2. Chris Burnor
• GroupTie
• StartupDigest
• LinkedIn
• DataDrivenSafety

3. Outline
• What is a Product?
• A Scientific Approach
• An Unusual Example

4. The Problem

5. Over Engineering

6. Under Engineering

7. Why is this bad?
It always pays to ask the questions no one else is

8. What is a Product?

9. Product connects
business priorities
with user experience

10. Product connects
business priorities
with user experience

11. So why is
over/under
engineering bad
again?
• Fails to realize business priorities
• Fails realize user experience

12. Shouldn’t we plan for
the future?

13. “Ay, there’s the rub”

14. Product is also a
story
• Idea
• Market Validation
• Traction
• Market Dominance
• Useless Patent Wars

15. How to build enough
for the present
but plan for the future

16. Science!

17. Scientific Method
Idea Test Conclusion

18. Idea
• Think about business priorities
• Think about user experience

19. Aside: Empathy
• Desinging a product is
fundamentally empathetic exercise
• Think in your users’ minds
• Don’t let your technical decisions
drive your product
• Let your product drive your
technical decisions

20. Test
• Minimum Viable Product
• Product: Viable Minimum

21. PVM
• Focus on Product first
• Focus on Viability to achieve that
product aim second
• Focus on minimalism last

22. Aside: Scale
• The scale of your tests will vary
• Lack of big tests means no great
growth or ideas
• Lack of small tests means too much
to do at one time
• The measurement of scale is ‘does
this test measure what we’re trying to

23. Conclusion and Re-
evaluate
• Vital!
• Evaluation must drive next step

24. How does this solve
the problem?
• Separates the analytical from the
empathetic
• Focus on next step (Occam’s Razor)
• Don’t lose sight of the vision

25. An Unusal Example:
Apple
• Focus clearly on product first: user
experience, business priorities
• Focus on viability second: It just
works
• Focus on minimalism third: No LTE,
No RFID, no technolgies until ready

26. Questions?
• Ask me now?
• Ask me later?
• @chrisburnor
• chrisburnor.com