The key to the successful use of the Product Success Deck is to remember that it is a tool and guide. It is not a book and set of rules.
Tool
These ideas were published as a deck of cards rather than as a book so that they can be used a tool. They can be as simple as carrying around a single card in your pocket as an inspiration or reminder of a key philosophy you want to follow. Or, you can expand your horizons by turning the cards into a complex management tool. The methods for using the cards are endless. Below you’ll find a handful of helpful suggestions.
Guide
While most of the best practices detailed in the cards are right for all companies, some may not be appropriate for yours. But be honest: make sure you’re not avoiding something that is difficult to execute. In addition, a practice that is right today may no longer be appropriate in the future. Not only can these cards help you plan an upcoming product launch but they can help you evaluate your past launches and even objectively examine your competitors’ launches. Lastly, nothing is written in stone. Take the time to discover your own best practices.
How to Use the Cards:
Method 1: Divide and Conquer
- To begin, separate the cards face-up into two piles. One pile should represent the best practices you’re already following and the other should reflect the ones requiring work.
- The former pile of cards can be put away while the latter should be broken down into two new piles.
- Place the cards with best practices that can be easily implemented in one pile and place the others that are more challenging in the other.
- Next, assign a manager to the practices that can easily be implemented—it will be his or her responsibility to ensure that they are.
- You’ll also need to assign a manager to oversee the more challenging practices—it will be his or her job to prioritize them and champion the necessary organizational change to integrate them into your development and launch system.
- Be patient. It may take several product development cycles before all of them are fully incorporated.
Method 2: Rapid Fire (Team exercise)
A card is read. Team members are asked to quickly state a product launch that relates to that card (your company’s, a competitor’s or other industry launch). As soon as a launch is mentioned, the next card is read. At the conclusion of this rapid process, the team chooses three products that were named. Discussion should center on what these products did well and lessons that can be applied in-house.
Method 3: Project Management Timeline (Individual or team exercise)
After reading through the cards, place them in chronological order as they relate to the current product launch. This timeline can be used proactively at the beginning of a project or to assist with mid-course corrections.
Method 4: Find the owner (Team exercise)
Gather together important members of your team. Randomly deal out cards so each person has the same number of cards. Next, each team member assigns one card to each of the other team members based upon their perceived strengths and/or responsibilities. Finally, each person reveals their cards and comments on how the principles relate to the current product development process. That person is then responsible for championing the best practices on the cards they hold.
Method 5: Done, Will Do, Don’t Care, Better Learn (Individual exercise)
Read each card and put them into one of four categories:
- Something you have completed
- Something you plan to complete
- Something that does not fit with your development plans
- Something you haven’t thought about but should!
Method 6: Personal inspiration (Individual exercise)
Look through the cards and select the one principle that you think will make the most impact on your company or product this year. Tape that card to your bathroom mirror. Every morning when look at the card think of what you can do that day to try to help implement the idea.
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