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QUESTION & ANSWER

Start Software Project without Product Manager

The absence of a product manager does not mean that it cannot be started, but it must be clear who will make the business priority and acceptance decisions on an ongoing basis. Interviews, needs analysis, prototypes and version planning can be facilitated by external product consultants or delivery teams, and there is still a need to identify a business leader within the enterprise to confirm the rules.

Answer the question.

First, give conclusions that can be used for decision-making

The start-up phase should result in problem definition, target user, core process, business rules, prototype, initial scope and acceptance calibration. External product roles can be used to perform methodological and documentation work, but they cannot be a substitute for an enterprise's judgement of its client, price, process and risk.

DECISION FACTORS

What conditions need to be identified before judgement is made?

The same question may have different answers under different business, data and project phases. It is suggested that the following conditions be checked and that the common findings on the web be incorporated into their own projects.

Who knows best about business and has the authority to make final decisions?Participation of target users in interviews and prototype testingBusiness and technical assumptions that must be validated in the first phaseWho will rank the subsequent change in demand and accept the cost
ACTION STEPS

Suggested order of advance

01

First, we'll be clear about the target and the border.

Designate internal operations managers and assess the rhythm.

02

Validation Key Dependence

Interview users and organize tasks, pain points and existing alternatives.

03

Development of assessable outcomes

Production of low-cost prototypes to validate core processes and rules.

04

Make sure you decide the next step with the real results.

The first freeze, the acceptance criteria, is then developed in an iterative manner.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE

How do you understand it in the actual business?

Example used to illustrate the method of judgement

The entrepreneur has a service appointment idea, but no job. He or she is interviewed first for 10 target users, drawing appointment, payment, and compliance processes, using a clickable prototype to validate them, and developing a minimum closed loop; and he or she is responsible for business trade-offs, with an external team responsible for product analysis and engineering delivery.

COMMON RISKS

The easiest pit to step on.

Make UI design the same as product design.

There's no one in the house who's making decisions.

The prototype is developed without validation to develop a large number of backstage and edge functions

ACCEPTANCE

How should we end up receiving and confirming?

After the start-up, the team should have consistent records of users, problems, core processes, initial scope, suspension of development items and acceptance standards.

When preparing to communicate with suppliers or internal teams, it is recommended that current processes, representative samples, existing systems, planning time and budget levels be brought. First, the unknown items are clearly marked, and then the decision is made to use diagnostics, PoC, fixed-range projects or ongoing research and development, which is usually more reliable than a direct demand for a price and duration without borders.

Your project conditions are different from the examples above?

Operational objectives, existing systems, sample and planned time could be collated before consultants could make preliminary judgements in relation to actual boundaries.

Associate project consultants