How to align software development along lean startup framework. Feedback as first currency, eliminating waste in software development, getting to the MVP, addressing the right audience and delivering value every step of the way.

1. We build
products, not
projects.

2. The first rule of any technology used
in a business is that automation
applied to an efficient operation will
magnify the efficiency. The second
is that automation applied to an
inefficient operation will magnify the
inefficiency.
- Bill Gates

3. Often
13%
Feature Use in Four Internal-Use Products
Sometimes
16%
Always
7%
Never
45%
Rarely
19%
Source: Jim Johnson, Chairman of The
Standish Group, Keynote “ROI, It’s Your Job”,
Third International Conference on Extreme
Programming, Alghero, Italy, May, 26-29, 2002

5. User Type Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards
Number 2,5% 13,5% 34% 34% 16%
Key facts
Look for new
ways of doing
things
Test new tech
and comment
Active on SM
Willing to give
feedback
Opinion
leadership
Easy churn
Experiment with
new technologies
Discover
usability by
themselves
Require great
onboarding
Require
customer
success support
Change driver
based on
successful
implementations
Willing to switch
current solution
for a better one if
proven
Skeptical
Adopt
technology
because it
became a new
standard
Stay with
current solution
as long as it’s
possible
Reasoning
might be in
huge
investments
Most loyal
When to focus Verify vision
Problem-Solution
Fit
Product-Market
Fit
Scaling
Moving up the
market
Key characteristics by user type

6. Geoffrey Moore’s ‘Crossing the Chasm’ diagram
1991
The Big Scary
Chasm
in Question
Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards

7. Split Tests
Customer Interviews
Customer Development
Five Whys Root Cause
Analysis
Customer Advisory Board
Falsifiable Hypotheses
Product Owner Accountability
Custom Archetypes
Cross-functional Teams
Smoke Tests
Unit Tests
Usability Tests
Continuous Integration
Incremental Deployment
Free & Open-Source
Components
Cloud Computing
Cluster Immune System
Just-in-time Scalability
Refactoring
Developer Sandbox
Split Tests
Clear Product Owner
Continuous Deployment
Usability Tests
Real-time Monitoring
Custom Liaison
Split Tests
Clear Product Owner
Continuous Deployment
Usability Tests
Real-time Monitoring
Custom Liaison

9. 5 steps to succeed with innovation
1. Focus on the right user group at each
step of product development
2. Deliver value with every user interaction
3. Eliminate waste (every step that’s not
building the value)
4. Gather real feed-back and improve on it
5. Don’t take shortcuts

10. What user group to focus on
Designs, PoCs
Prototype
MVP
FFP
Experts, journalists,
influencers, innovators
Innovators, Early
Adopters
Early-adopters, Early
Majority
Late Majority,
Laggards
Feedback from interviews
Case studies
Traction
Profit

11. Action What can give What you can get
Interviews
Share market research, early free access, free
consultancy
Expert opinion, problem
understanding, use cases
Product testing Free access, premium onboarding
Bugs, improvements, usage
metrics, observations, use cases,
problem understanding
Bug hunt Various rewards Bug reports, improvements
User acquisition
Advices, eBooks, checklists, webinars, event
tickets
First revenue, testimonials, case
studies
User retention
Onboarding, success advisory, early access to new
features
Up-sells, Case studies,
recommendations
Delivering value

12. Eliminating waste
Waste source What can you do about it
Partially Done
Work
Definition of done, Goal-Question-Measurement, Requirements engineering
Extra Features Shipping early, Testing with end-users, Delivering incrementally
Relearning Feasibility studies, common learning platform with lessons-learned, competition analysis
Handoffs Documentation, Code quality, Design patterns
Delays Prioritisation, Parallel Tasks, Re-usable components
Task switching One project per person, one project per day, do-not-disturb day
Defects Automated testing, CI/CD flows, microservices architecture

15. Gathering the real feedback

16. Avoiding shortcuts
1. Feedback is your first currency
2. Engage with experts, journalists, influencers, professional
associations before writing a single line of code
3. If you don’t measure, you’re just another man with opinion
4. Get problem-solution fit before focusing on customer
acquisition
5. Do not scale before you find a sustainable way of
customer acquisition and retention

17. Mateusz Kurleto
Founder&CEO @Neoteric
LI: Matt Kurleto
TW: @mkurleto
mkurleto@neoteric.eu
REACH OUT