The document outlines a case study on how a telecom company saved millions by invalidating an ineffective product idea amidst challenges with stakeholders and technical constraints. It describes the discovery and validation processes used to address customer needs and improve user experience, ultimately leading to a more successful solution. The importance of teamwork, empathy, and customer feedback in product management is emphasized throughout the narrative.

1. © Copyright 2017 Pivotal Software, Inc. All rights Reserved. Version 1.0
Amjad Sidqi
Associate Director Product Management
The story of how we saved a Telco millions of
dollars by invalidating an idea

2. What to expect from this session
○ A story that brings to life a challenging product initiative
○ How we handled tough stakeholders
○ The art of steering to the right thing
○ Why invalidating solutions is good

3. Who is this going to appeal to?
Fixed deadline
Multiple competing
stakeholders/goals
Prescribed solutions

4. Problem Statement
Provide a differentiated solution for Business Customers of this Telco
that would entice them to sign up and create a sticky factor to
recontract.
● The solution had to be on a new tech stack
● The solution had to be part of an existing platform for another set of customers
● It had to replace the existing offering - Office 365 for Business
● It had to be available for the new iPhone launch - 1st week of September

5. How might we have?

6. Many Goals
The tech stack was not ready, the existing platform was not
accessible to our target customers and we had a non-negotiable
deadline. HMWH handled this situation
a. Solve for everything
b. Look for an alternative
c. Prioritise goals

7. Getting started - Lean double diamond
Discovery - The “Why?”
During Discovery we work together to explore the
problem space, empathise with the early adopter
persona, understand the business case and derisk the
product through one on one user interviews and other
research activities.
Framing - The “How?”
Following discovery, we will validate the product by
creating and testing prototypes, value propositions and
running lean experiments to test the product-market fit.
By the end of the D&F, we will have a product that we
are sure is desirable to users, viable to the business and
technically feasible.

8. Low uptake
Poor experience
Sent on day 5
“As part of your new My Business
Mobile Plan, we will call you within 7
business days to setup your Microsoft
business apps. More info @
link”
The existing experience
App Marketplace
Software not
redeemed but
Telco is paying for
license

9. Why was the offer not doing well?
● The content did not address the following
○ What is Office 365?
○ How will this help me?
● Cold call creates mistrust
○ Name
○ Date of Birth
○ ABN
● SMS sent to inactive SIMs - 40% of customers are not aware of the offer
● Poor experience on current landing page - no CTA
● Complicated process to download software after taking up offer
● No possibility to transfer license

10. The dilemma
The client perception of the customer The reality

11. How might we have?

12. Wrong sponsor
Business team had handed over the project to a technical
department and had not engaged in the kick off. HMWH responded...
a. Continue to work with the Technical department
b. Pause the project
c. Find our sponsor

13. Tough conversations
● Our sponsor wasn’t the easiest
personality
● He was used to working with
vendors
● He wanted upfront plans and
deliverables based on his
direction
● He was aggressive & demanded
us to stop wasting time with
talking to customers and start
building what he wanted

14. Staying calm
Build empathy
Make sure you are getting to
the root cause
Get a ‘that’s right’
Solve together

15. How might we have?

16. Tough start
Our sponsor wanted us to start building something we hadn’t
validated. The conversation was challenging. HMWH proceeded?
a. Trust the sponsor and just build what was asked for
b. Pause the project
c. Validate our assumptions

17. What are users saying
"Oh cool, they will have all
my detail because we have
MS Office"
"What is 365? Can I bring
my current Office over to
this?"
I got MS Office when I
bought a new laptop
“Will I get locked into a
contract, what about my
documents” Customer interview; view from behind the 2-way mirror

18. The simplest solution for now
● Launched a service that sent an SMS to eligible customers with a
link to a landing page
● A landing page displaying the value prop and CTA
● A call scheduler with customer’s availability
● It was ready for the iPhone Launch

19. We are all consultants even if we don't
work for consultancies

20. Can’t blame bad luck or circumstance,
teams are responsible

21. Make note of areas where things can be
improved - be tactical and work together as
a team when you are doing that

22. You are what you tolerate - accepting bad
practice (something core to our principles) brings the
whole team down

23. Stay away from the opinion battle with
stakeholders and use what you have
learned from customers

24. Don’t be afraid to invalidate ideas, it could
save you millions