Category Archives: leadership

Why the MVP method is hard – YOU

Over the last few posts, I’ve discussed how the MVP method is very frequently referenced but rarely used, and there is a good reason for this. It’s not easy. There are many tall obstacles to applying it successfully. My previous post described how the organisational structure can challenge the process. This post is about an obstacle that may be easier to change, but sometimes more difficult to recognise: You.

You want to be a visionary

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Filed under agile, leadership, Minimum Viable Product, Uncategorized

Why the MVP method is hard – Organizational challenges

In my previous post I talked about how the MVP method is very frequently referenced but rarely used. Organizations usually use the word Minimum Viable Product when they develop what I refer to as the Maximum Possible Product, where the features for the product are defined up front and then as many of those features as possible are delivered before a deadline or within a budget. They do this because the MVP method that Eric Ries describes is not as easy as it sounds.

Probably the most difficult obstacle to the MVP method is the structure, values and history of the organization itself. Certain very common characteristics can make it next to impossible to execute a project that emphasizes testing, learning and changing direction based on feedback. Let’s talk about three of these characteristics.

The most common organizational barrier I see is focusing on avoiding project failure, sometimes referred to as “front loading.” For example Continue reading


Filed under leadership, Minimum Viable Product

Why leadership loves agile in theory but sometimes hates it in practice

One of the most common myths about Agile and Scrum is that it’s something that only affects the developers. People, in particular executives and directors, believe that undertaking an Agile transformation means project teams change the way they work together and the rest of the organization just reaps the benefits. While this may be true in the short term, it’s often leadership and management that have to make the biggest changes for Scrum to be successful.

I was inspired to write this post after a chat with a friend who works in an organization that has been using Scrum for a few years. He told me that it didn’t take long for the weaker leaders to struggle as the organization adopted Scrum. He also said that the changes to how teams worked and were led created natural leaders who stepped forward and took the reins, sometimes even people no one expected.

I’m going to explain this with a rather facile example. Continue reading

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Filed under agile, collaboration, leadership