This document provides 10 ways to ensure failure of a software project, by outlining practices to avoid. These include: not understanding end users; trusting developers over designers for design decisions; hoping for a "silver bullet" design; building for everyone instead of key personas; launching without ongoing support and feedback; failing to define success metrics; avoiding all conflict; believing ideas don't need to be sold; planning for perfection instead of agility; and valuing process over product outcomes. The document advocates focusing intensely on end users and being willing to change based on their feedback.

2. 10 Ways to Ensure RIA Failure How to guarantee the demise of any software project. Lv Chong Project Director Monster Interactive Sdn. Bhd. twitter.com/lvchong livooi.spaces.live.comchonglivooi@hotmail.com

4. 10 Ways to Ensure RIA Failure How to guarantee the demise of any software project.

5. "USERS" Do you recognize this expression?

6. "USERS" How about any of these?

7. "USERS" How do we get from frustrated to engaged?

8. Today, we are going to talk about what NOT to do..

9. RULE No.1 If you are looking to fail… DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE END USER

10. The data backs it up..If you want to fail, do not focus on the user Nearly 70% of all IT projects fail due to a lack of user acceptance

11. Its not your faultwe are conditioned to think that these are our users..

12. ..when these are more like your usersIf not now, they soon will be

13. What was the first MP3 player? ANSWER: Diamond RIO PMP300 (November 1998)

14. After two years, why do most of us have…

15. Why didn’t the Diamond Rio win? It had: Better battery life More storage More formats First to market by 2 years Had more features

16. Why didn’t the Diamond Rio win? The manufacture did not focus on user experience

17. THE NEW GOLDEN RULE FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT:HYPER FOCUS ON THE END USER Every other rule is subservient Every other failure ultimately comes back to ignoring this advise

18. RULE No.2 If you are looking to fail… TRUST DEVELOPERS TO MAKE GOOD DESIGN DECISIONS

19. How did this happen?

20. There are countless examples

21. There are countless examples

22. There are countless examples

23. Developers are encouraged to make really bad design decisions We track their deliverables based on a project plan, the number of completed features and a time table When they are unable to meet deadlines, they tend to pull out features instead of focusing on what the end user really needs.

24. MIND THE GAPHow do we bridge the gap between design & development

25. Trust in your designers Technology platforms are commoditized, your users DO NOT CARE if the application was Flash, Silverlight, AJAX, .NET, Java, PHP… Don’t let politics and silos get in the way of great software Educate your design team on technical challenges you face and they will work with you and not against you A good designer will help you understand the end user and translate their needs into something actionable When in doubt, ask your users

26. RULE No.3 If you are looking to fail… HOPE FOR A SILVER BULLET DESIGN

27. Sometimes small changes, are bigJared Spool, $300 Million Button Register http://www.uie.com/articles/three_hund_million_button

28. Trust in your users… Add the word “EMPATHY” into your job description, and put it into action by talking to your users Be willing to throw out your ideas based on user feedback Do not focus on your portfolio If the user “notices” the UI, you’ve failed

29. Case Study

30. RULE No.4 If you are looking to fail… BUILD FOR EVERYONE

31. If you build for everybody, you wind up building for nobody

32. The iPhone curse Why you should not use the iPhone as an example for design: Huge budgets went into design Full control over integration It is hard to use – not intuitive Marketing budget for familiarity You most likely are not lucky enough to have the budget and time for innovation that Apple does

33. It is easier to think of people like this

34. This is the result of building for everyone Thousands of features that try to accommodate every need

35. Focus your efforts… Add the word “EMPATHY” into your job description, and put it into action by talking to your users. Define a maximum of 3 personas for a project, and then hyper focus on them

36. Think about their circumstances

37. RULE No.5 If you are looking to fail… LAUNCH & FORGET

38. Classic example of launch & forget

39. Measure user behavior

40. Measure for improvement Account for future releases up front Integrate customer a feedback mechanism in the software User testing during development AND post launch Monitor your success metrics

41. RULE No.6 If you are looking to fail… DO NOT DEFINE SUCCESS

42. Defining success can be challenging

43. To define success: Do not discuss features, discuss benefits: Qualitative: Customer has the perception of a fast transaction Customer would recommend the software to a friend Experience must be brand consistent and trustworthy Quantitative Reduce the time it takes to track a shipment by 20% Increase the leads by 50% Decrease customer service calls by half

44. Defining success has conflicts Business Value End User Value VS

45. Finding the right balancethere is a conflict between you and your customers Business Value End User Value

46. RULE No.7 If you are looking to fail… AVOID ALL CONFLICT

47. “There is no progress without conflict” Elias Parker, Account Manager

48. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph” Thomas Paine

49. You want to fail?Then be okay with everybody agreeing with each other

50. RULE No.8 If you are looking to fail… BELIEVE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO SELL YOUR IDEAS

51. To sell your ideas Understand the personalities involved on the project & answer their objections and concerns before they bring them to you Listen to your customers and ensure that your opinions align with theirs – then speak using your customer’s words:(“this is what we heard our customers tell us…”) Be humbly passionate about your ideas Oversell – craft a pitch that will set the bar

52. Good reading:The Sales Bible, by Jeffrey Gitomer

53. RULE No.9 If you are looking to fail… PLAN FOR PERFECTION

55. Just like arrive on time: Catch ALL green lights No traffic Tank is full Do not forget anything Find a miraculous parking space Directions need to be perfect Don’t need to pick up anything along the way No issues with kids No car accident Don’t get any tickets for speeding

56. “The cone of uncertainty” That is why waterfall and fix bidding projects rarely work out

57. RULE No.10 If you are looking to fail… VALUE PROCESS OVER THE PRODUCT

58. Process of Diagrams are a dime a dozen

59. It means nothing if you deliver a crappy product on time!

60. Attempting to apply a strict process will not save you from this undeniable truth: Software projects are predictably unpredictable

61. This is where good ideas come frompeople solve problems in unexpected ways

63. If you don’t follow that 10 ways Sales conversation time reduced by 35% Manufacturing costs dropped by 42% Online revenue grew from: $5 Millions to $85 Millions All this could happen in less than 9 months

64. Q&A THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Lv Chong Project Director Monster Interactive Sdn. Bhd. twitter.com/lvchong livooi.spaces.live.comchonglivooi@hotmail.com

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