Product Fails - That time when a product screwed-up

•

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Slides for the talk delivered at the Agility Today Un-conference 2023, Bengaluru. Stories about product fails and learning.

PRODUCTFA!LS
THAT TIME WHEN A PRODUCT SCREWED-UP
Photo by Mike van Schoonderwalt on Pexels

• I’m obsessively compulsive about
Quality
• I’ve learnt to fail & laugh at my failures,
the hard way
• I genuiely want products & services to
improve
• When I witness mediocrity, my curiosity
calls it out, at times publicly*
*TWITTERBIO:TWEETS MOSTLY CRITIQUES ABOUT MEDIOCRE SERVICES & PRODUCTS
VISHALPRASAD
HEAD OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE @ THOUGHTWORKS INDIA

STORY#1
THE MORE WE FAIL THE BIGGER WE BECOME
Photo by Patrick Benais on Pexels

TATA
FROM SALT TO CARS, IT’S EVERYWHERE!

• That phone number is NOT mine
• The engineer assigned to
f
ix my ticket
changed my phone number to theirs
• Used it to reset my password because the
forgot password feature was “WORKING
ON THEIR SYSTEM”
• The changed password was emailed to me
in clear text
*HOW DO I KNOW THIS?
I’MLAUGHING
BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT WAS DONE*
Photo by Jonathon Burton on Pexels

BecauseIcalledthatnumber
AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone

BecauseIcalledthatnumber
AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone
ItoldhimwhoIwas

BecauseIcalledthatnumber
AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone
ItoldhimwhoIwas
Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber

BecauseIcalledthatnumber
AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone
ItoldhimwhoIwas
Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber
JohnthoughtIwasascammer

AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THIS IS FIXED FOR THE FUTURE?
WHAT’S THE FAULT?

STORY#2
THE MORE WE FIX THE MORE WE BREAK
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

AEGON, TOH TENSION GONE … T&C APPLY
AEGON LIFE

DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH
₹1032 VS ₹998

DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH
₹408 ANNUALLY
₹1032 VS ₹998

DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH
₹408 ANNUALLY
₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS
₹1032 VS ₹998

DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH
₹408 ANNUALLY
₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS
₹21,470 EARNED INTEREST ON A FIXED DEPOSIT
₹1032 VS ₹998

DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH
₹408 ANNUALLY
₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS
₹21,470 EARNED INTEREST ON A FIXED DEPOSIT
₹816 CRORE ADDITIONAL PREMIUM COLLECTED
₹1032 VS ₹998

Photo by Kate Che on Pexels
my tension on

TODAY IS 7TH OF JULY 2023
“WEAREINCONTINUOUSCOORDINATIONWITH
THERELEVANTTEAMSTORESOLVETHEISSUE
COMPLETELY.WEREQUESTYOUTOPROVIDEUS
TILL7THJULY2023TOREVERTTOYOU.”

• Direct Debits fail often, the usual action is
to retry and then it succeeds
• Aegon’s logic reset the premium when the
f
irst Direct Debit failed and on the retry
charged a higher premium
• After the team
f
ixed the above they
introduced the payment due feature
• While
f
ixing the payment due feature, the
team reset the earlier
f
ix for retry
I’MLAUGHING
BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT WAS DONE*
Photo by Jonathon Burton on Pexels
*ALLEGEDLY

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. The current situation doesn't seem any different when it comes to threat to survival. We however deal with not one but two threats; while the primary threat is more direct with regards to a deadly virus, the second threat is seems more inevitable and drastic due to the way humanity has evolved over the years - economics. As more and more governments & healthcare professionals take a stand to fight the virus with temporary lockdowns(flight response), a substantial quanta also takes a stand to revive the economy. Governments & industrialists alike have been working on strategies to not only arise from this situation but also be stronger than before to recover their losses (fight response). Although history hasn't been kind to the tribes with a fight response, our current flight response doesn't seem very bright either. Which brings us to the question, will the new normal ever be the same as the normal we once called, "normal"? In this 15 minute talk I plan to present 3 aspects when it comes to formulating goals that define a business in the new normal: 1) What will the new organisation goals look like? Their possible structure and effects. 2) What will the new product goals look like? The new definition of customer centricity. 3) What will the new individual goals look like? The autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The idea of this talk is to explore the possibilities of the new and embrace the change

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My presentation slides from the Pune UnConference 2018. Here I discuss the value of quality and how dysfunctions may affect it. Every team is focused towards delivering quality, no one wakes up in the morning with an idea to introduce defects, we naturally ideate to solve problems. Unknowingly though, dysfunctions always creep in and identifying a dysfunction is extremely difficult especially when you are a part of the dysfunction. The context of defect severity and how these may create an illusion of quality; how accountability of a single person (e.g.: Product Owner) may result in a "Lack of Commitment" dysfunction; and how cost is not proportional to quality especially when it comes to delivering virtual products and services related to it.

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Product Fails - That time when a product screwed-up

1. PRODUCTFA!LS THAT TIME WHEN A PRODUCT SCREWED-UP Photo by Mike van Schoonderwalt on Pexels

2. Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels

3. • I’m obsessively compulsive about Quality • I’ve learnt to fail & laugh at my failures, the hard way • I genuiely want products & services to improve • When I witness mediocrity, my curiosity calls it out, at times publicly* *TWITTERBIO:TWEETS MOSTLY CRITIQUES ABOUT MEDIOCRE SERVICES & PRODUCTS VISHALPRASAD HEAD OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE @ THOUGHTWORKS INDIA

5. STORY#1 THE MORE WE FAIL THE BIGGER WE BECOME Photo by Patrick Benais on Pexels

6. TATA FROM SALT TO CARS, IT’S EVERYWHERE!

7. TATA

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15. Photo by Afrika ufundi on Pexels

16. Photo by Afrika ufundi on Pexels

17. Photo by Afrika ufundi on Pexels

18. WHATARETHENOTABLE FAILURES?

19. • That phone number is NOT mine • The engineer assigned to f ix my ticket changed my phone number to theirs • Used it to reset my password because the forgot password feature was “WORKING ON THEIR SYSTEM” • The changed password was emailed to me in clear text *HOW DO I KNOW THIS? I’MLAUGHING BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT WAS DONE* Photo by Jonathon Burton on Pexels

20. BecauseIcalledthatnumber

21. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone

22. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas

23. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber

24. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber JohnthoughtIwasascammer

25. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber JohnthoughtIwasascammer ThenIaskedhimifhedidwhatI’mguessinghedid

26. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber JohnthoughtIwasascammer ThenIaskedhimifhedidwhatI’mguessinghedid Andhesaidyes!

27. BecauseIcalledthatnumber AndJohn(Alias)answeredthephone ItoldhimwhoIwas Andhecouldn’tunderstandhowIgothisnumber JohnthoughtIwasascammer ThenIaskedhimifhedidwhatI’mguessinghedid Andhesaidyes! JohnisaBackendEngineeratTCS!

28. AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THIS IS FIXED FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT’S THE FAULT?

29. STORY#2 THE MORE WE FIX THE MORE WE BREAK Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

30. AEGON, TOH TENSION GONE … T&C APPLY AEGON LIFE

31. DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH ₹1032 VS ₹998

32. DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH ₹408 ANNUALLY ₹1032 VS ₹998

33. DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH ₹408 ANNUALLY ₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS ₹1032 VS ₹998

34. DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH ₹408 ANNUALLY ₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS ₹21,470 EARNED INTEREST ON A FIXED DEPOSIT ₹1032 VS ₹998

35. DIRECT DEBITS TO SAVE ₹34 EVERY MONTH ₹408 ANNUALLY ₹8160 OVER 20 YEARS ₹21,470 EARNED INTEREST ON A FIXED DEPOSIT ₹816 CRORE ADDITIONAL PREMIUM COLLECTED ₹1032 VS ₹998

36. Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels

37. Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

38. Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

39. Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels

40.

41.

42.

43. WHATDIDYOUDO!

44. Photo by Kate Che on Pexels my tension on

45. TODAY IS 7TH OF JULY 2023 “WEAREINCONTINUOUSCOORDINATIONWITH THERELEVANTTEAMSTORESOLVETHEISSUE COMPLETELY.WEREQUESTYOUTOPROVIDEUS TILL7THJULY2023TOREVERTTOYOU.”

46. WHATARETHENOTABLE FAILURES?

47. • Direct Debits fail often, the usual action is to retry and then it succeeds • Aegon’s logic reset the premium when the f irst Direct Debit failed and on the retry charged a higher premium • After the team f ixed the above they introduced the payment due feature • While f ixing the payment due feature, the team reset the earlier f ix for retry I’MLAUGHING BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT WAS DONE* Photo by Jonathon Burton on Pexels *ALLEGEDLY

48. AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THIS IS FIXED FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT’S THE FAULT?

49. CONNECTWITHME @VishalPrasadIN

Product Fails - That time when a product screwed-up

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