1. Research
2. Develop over several months
3. Deliver something
4. Learn if the big guess was correct

Communicate with non-technical users of the product

Removes implementation from the discussion

Objective-focused deliverables

A diagram of a project that tells the story of the people and systems involved in a process.

Detail is added as we learn more about the project

The map can be built for an existing application or a new application.

Anyone who knows the process ... Not Just Developers

At least one knowledgeable person from each group of stakeholders

• When you have questions
• Before You begin development

• Build shared understanding
• Encourage full discovery before prototyping
• Prioritize work to be done as a group

*Lowers problems with estimates and feature creep

A large, clear wall or whiteboard.

A place central to the team, at least in the beginning.

• painter's tape
• markers
• post-its (many colors & sizes)

Use a familiar process that is not your project

List five tasks you do in order to get to work. Put each one on a post-it provided.

Pick 3 things that you did today that are different from your normal work routine.

• Risk
• Assumptions
• Uncertainty

If you cannot elaborate, mark it and revisit

• What could we learn to replace risk with REAL information?
• Do we really know what has been mapped, or did we fill in assumptions?
• Are you sure about the story you're telling?

1. Frame the idea
2. Understand Customers and Users

1. Frame the idea
2. Understand Customers and Users
3. Envision your solution
4. Minimize the plan

• What is the smallest thing you could build to prove/disprove an assumption?
• Sketch & prototype to test viability of the solution
• Aim for less than minimum, get feedback, and iterate often
• When you give prototype to development partners you can include metrics to see what they actually do

Focus on releasing valuable features every time.

Sometimes we plan features in a chronological order

Or we divide the project into components

• When the number of features is too large, you can cut a slice across that gives you the minimum end-to-end functionality;
• It doesn’t solve all user’s stories, but it affects the largest number of stories.
• With this product, they can have test data, begin testing it for load, and see how it will work

• fill in and round out features
• support optional steps
• implement tough business rules
• continue testing the product usability

• refine: make it look more polished and efficient
• it’s here that you’ll have feedback from users that can be applied.

• A tool you can use with non-technical subject matter experts, customers, etc
• A visual guide for managing your workload
• Focus on objectives when you prioritize
• Plan to deliver a usable product at each deliverable