February 9

Iterating Products

Iterating on your product does not mean that you’re entering into the software development version of Groundhog Day. There’s value to iteration, but only if you gather feedback from each iteration and learn from that feedback in your next iteration. Read on for some suggestions on how to iterate without falling into an endless cycle of the same sprint over and over again.

Why digital products should be created iteratively. Today, many companies have adopted iterative software development practices. They use agile approaches and ship new versions of their software more frequently instead of one big annual release. On the surface, it seems they are now working iteratively… but they are not. Jens-Fabian Goetzmann explains that to truly develop products iteratively, you have to start earlier.

(via @mrjefago)

How iteration helps GitLab build their product and improve their work lives. At GitLab, iteration is simply what they do – with everything. Iteration is one of GitLab’s six core values, and you don’t have to look too closely to see how it steers Their product development. Perhaps where iteration shines brightest at GitLab is at the individual level where the ability to take small steps frees employees to take risks and be creative. Valerie Silverthorne asked six team members to explain the impact of iteration on their work lives. Here’s what they had to say.

(via @gitlab)

Do It Again: The iterative design thinking process. Thomas Edison created thousands of light bulb prototypes before he made the one that would eventually be used en masse by the public. Why did he do this? The power of iteration. It’s a secret many business processes now recognize and adopt: failing fast to create lasting innovation. Kriti Krishan explains what iteration is and explores who iterates, why you should iterate, and how to know when to stop.

(via @zeuxinnovation)

Radical product thinking: how to iterate less and build more.  We’re in the middle of an iteration epidemic. The wholesale adoption of Lean Startup has many Product Teams to be constantly iterating and losing focus on what’s important. In her talk at Leading the Product in 2019, Radhika Dutt challenged the universal truths that we’ve learned as product leaders and shared her experiences on how to avoid common product diseases to build more successful products.

(via @LTP_AUS)

Are you iterating your product into success or into the ground? When you’ve just launched a new mobile application and haven’t gotten the adoption you expected, should you immediately start iterating on your product? It’s tempting to think so given how much has been written about product analytics, metrics, and incremental iterations of the product toward achieving desired outcomes for those metrics. Tom Evans explains that the right time to start iterating really depends on your context, strategy, and what phase of the product lifecycle you’re in.

(via @the280group)

Kent J McDonald

About the author

Kent J McDonald writes about and practices software product management. He has product development experience in a variety of industries including financial services, health insurance, nonprofit, and automotive. Kent practices his craft with a variety of product teams and provides just in time resources for product people at KBP.media and Product Collective. When not writing or product managing, Kent is his family’s #ubersherpa, listens to jazz and podcasts (but not necessarily podcasts about jazz), and collects national parks.


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