This is a talk I did for a group of product managers, outlining my lessons learned from developing a new content ingestion system for 7digital, an online music business.

1. My lessons learnt from
developing “JESTER”
My lessons learned from product managing
“Jester”, a new content ingestion platform for
7digital
Marc Abraham - former Lead Product Manager at 7digital
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2. Outline
Some challenges
Some great moments
Some not so great moments
... and my actions / learnings
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3. Setting the stage
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4. My biggest challenge (1)
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5. My biggest challenge (2)
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6. Forget about features!
(for a moment anyway)
Vision: a fully-automated and
transparent content ingestion
platform
Key KPI: average end-to-end
ingestion time, reduce from 5
days to 1
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7. Learnings & actions
What is your (biggest) problem!?
I’m NOT Father Christmas
Move away from “START-STOPDO SOMETHING ELSE-STARTSTOP ...”
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8. The team
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9. Learnings & actions
Stress the scope, priorities (+
rationale), timings and behaviour
The CEO isn’t always right (and
nor am I)
Feisty debates are good!
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10. The greatest clash
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11. Learnings & actions
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12. Biggest sweaty armpit moment
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13. Learnings & actions
Keep working in streams
Try to combine things
Provide options
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14. Proudest moment
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15. Outcomes
Current end-to-end ingestion
time: 2 days
Accurate metadata (“DDEX”)
More transparency and
automation
Clarity on next steps
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16. What would I change?
Get the UX person involved earlier
Focus on “value” more
Collaborate more with other dev
teams
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17. Related links
http:/
/www.svpg.com/the-end-of-requirements/
http:/
/www.slideshare.net/EpicenterUSA/dtal-template-empathymap-and-problem-statement
http:/
/practicetrumpstheory.com/2012/02/why-lean-canvas/
http:/
/www.agileproductdesign.com/blog/the_new_backlog.html
http:/
/marcabraham.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/book-review-leananalytics/
http:/
/www.jeffgothelf.com/blog/building-in-house-innovationteams-small-collocated-dedicated-self-sufficient/
http:/
/marcabraham.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/book-review-leanux/
http:/
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9hqu3-HmkM
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18. Thanks!
marcabrahamlondon@gmail.com
@MAA1 and http:/
/marcabraham.wordpress.com/
Friday, 8 November 13