“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”

Project Management Institute

The evidence that projects have been around for a long time is not hard to find. One of the most recognizable shapes on the planet, the Great Pyramid of Giza shown above was a massive project, and when one considers the basic technology in use at the time, over 4500 years ago, even more remarkable.

There is however a difference between achieving a feat, however difficult, and the body of knowledge that constitutes Project Management. Like much of our modern business knowledge…

Pattern Summary

All projects and initiatives are different, however you will recognise four distinct phases in each. Consider the seasons: Summer, Autumn (or Fall), Spring and Winter. In some countries these are reasonably distinct, in others the transition from season to season is more blurred. Yet in all countries understanding the seasons and the weather they bring is helpful. So it is with initiatives and projects: these phases are not imposed on a project, rather they are a natural part of all projects, in fact if you look closely you will observe this pattern in all tasks, both big and small. …

Pattern Summary

A company bet in the context of this pattern is a potential project. The language comes from the world of gambling, where players will make bets, for example on the outcome of a sporting event, or a hand of poker. Implicit in the language of bets is the language of uncertainty and risk. For example when a bet is placed on a sporting event the bet is placed against set odds. The higher the risk the higher the potential pay-out — and of course the greater the chance you will lose your money.

This language is a good fit for…

The Pattern

The most effective way to develop a new product or make a significant improvement to an existing product is to plan and execute a project. This project needs to have:

• An end objective. What is the project seeking to achieve?
• Optionally, phases. A large project can be divided into a few defined phases. This is helpful to increase clarity and focus.
• Milestones. Milestones are clear, agreed and significant points within a phase

To use a mountaineering analogy, in climbing a large mountain there are natural places to rest and regroup, known as camps. These are analogous to project phases.

Pattern Summary

A product roadmap gives clarity and focus to the team executing the roadmap. The roadmap is a high level plan for realizing the desired product objective. The roadmap is a living document, adapting to discoveries made during the course of development.

Example

References

One Product, One Team (Chris Lennon)

Product Vision and Strategy (Chris Lennon)

Pattern Summary

Software teams need a strong Product Manager with a passion for the product and the skills and connections to help the team bring the product to market. The Product Manager acts as CEO of the product and is accountable for the product mission, vision and strategy.

Alternative Patterns / Anti-patterns

Product Manager and Product Owner (anti-pattern)

This pattern describes a role, as in a hat that is worn. In some companies the role of Product Manager is known as ‘Product Owner’. The point is that this role should be filled by a single person. Having both a Product Manager and a Product Owner for a single team is an anti-pattern…

Pattern Summary

An articulated vision is essential for products of all shapes and sizes, as is an agreed and clear strategy.

• A product mission is the product North Star, this describes what makes the product special. It speaks to the ‘why’ of the product
• A product vision carries the product mission and begins to translate it into a series of steps
• A product strategy outlines, at a high level the approach that will take a team towards the product vision. It speaks to the ‘how’ of the product

These are living artifacts; the product vision may stay reasonably constant throughout the lifetime…

From the author

This is the first in what may become quite a few pattern blogs. These are short summaries of a useful patterns in modern software product development. The idea is that they start off a bit ‘rough around the edges’ but are refined over time as I discover more and respond to feedback. The patterns will build on and compliment each other

Some of these patterns I have quite a lot of confidence in, others are still emerging in my thinking.

Pattern Summary

The most effective way of developing software is to define logical products and assign a dedicated self-managing team who own…