The document describes the process implemented by a startup team within an acquired company to improve productivity. It discusses how the lack of process was leading to blocking and distraction. The solution involved the product manager creating a multi-month product plan and roadmap, working with designers on upcoming features, and establishing a process to groom features and plan sprints, including epics, planning, demos, and signoff. This provided visibility and progress checks to help ship features.

1. Hassan Khajeh Hosseini
AbarCloud.com
May 2017, Productory
Product to Production

2. - Company started and product launched with no process
- Acquired by RightScale (200 person company with $60 Million VC)
- ‘Startup within a company’ setup
- Somewhat autonomous
- Team grew to 15 engineers over 2 teams
Setup - our first company

3. Problem
- Product manager was in line with engineering
- Design was in line with product
- Lack of future direction
- Distracting 15 engineers deciding what to work on next
- Blocking a lot, specifically around design
- Needed some process to ‘oil the machine’

4. What needed to happen
- Get the PM looking at the next 3-6 months
- Get the designer to look at the next 2 months
- Set process of how work should enter sprints
- Design 2 sprints
- Lock 1 sprint

5. Solution
PM used Product Plan to create a multi month view - OPEN TO EVERYONE

6. Solution
PM define specs, and work with designer to design the next box

7. Solution
Process from product to sprints
- Backlog grooming: PM, Scrum Master & Architect discuss each feature on
roadmap (weekly)
- The closer ones get a detailed writeup from PM
- Kick off meeting: everyone to get a heads up of what’s coming with more
details from PM
- Epic planning: Features spanning 2 sprints or more
- Highlights order of stories coming into sprints. Gives investigation time.
- Sprint planning: PM & designer need to be available for any questions
- Usually 1 day per 2 week sprint
- End of sprint demos (work in progress is ok)
- Everyone in the team. Both for backend and frontend demos

8. Solution
Process from product to sprints
- Feature signoff:
- Demo to designer, PM and anyone else who wants to see it in action
- PM to report back usage and user feedback to close the loop
Visibility for everyone
Progress checks & demos
SHIP IT!

9. Contact
Twitter / Insta:
@hassankhosseini
hassan@AbarCloud.com