What’s wrong with the traditional approach to requirements definition and how a more proactive, collaborative, prototype and visualization driven approach generates better results.

1. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
S TO P G AT H E R I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S
S TA R T D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S

2. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
R E Q U I R E M E N T S A R E N E V E R
“ G AT H E R E D”
https://twitter.com/jeckman/status/719852834947248129

3. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

4. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

5. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

6. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

7. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

8. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV7u1VBhWCE

9. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
R E Q U I R E M E N T S A R E N ’ T G AT H E R E D
• They don’t exist yet
• People don’t know what
they want until they see it
• Some don’t know what
they want until they see
enough of “not it”
• Your job is to help them
understand what could
be, not take orders
http://bizarro.com/comics/february-7-2015/

10. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
“ B U Y E R S A R E L I A R S ”

11. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
“ B U Y E R S A R E L I A R S ”

12. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
“Scope definition is a full-contact sport”
- J O H N E C K M A N
https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/05/13/toronto_maple_leafs_defenceman_jake_gardiner_goes_from_healthy_scratch_to_difference_maker_vs_boston_bruins_cox.html

13. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
http://www.productmanagerclub.com/2016/04/27/show-dont-ask/#prettyPhoto

14. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast

15. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast
We have no evidence that
Ford ever said those words.

16. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
https://hbr.org/2011/08/henry-ford-never-said-the-fast
We have no evidence that
Ford ever said those words.
“his tone-deafness to customers’
needs . . . had a very costly and
negative impact”

17. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
I N S T E A D, D E F I N E
S U C C E S S

18. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S
What?
For Whom?
Why?

19. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S

20. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S

21. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
D E F I N I N G S U C C E S S

22. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
S H OW D O N ’ T T E L L
• Sketch, Prototype, Iterate
• Test - with real users
• Measure and define baselines against which to track
improvement

23. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

24. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

25. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto

26. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wctohttp://www.tamingdata.com/2010/07/08/the-project-management-tree-swing-cartoon-past-and-present/

27. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
K E E P O P T I O N S O P E N
• Don’t get locked in to “over-specified” requirements
• Differentiate between goals and tactics, make sure
requests are aligned
• Requirements will change (they should!)
• Plan far enough in advance, (but no farther)

28. John Eckman • @jeckman • #wcto
C O N T R AC T S
• How can you do contracts in the absence of detailed
requirements?
• Discovery as a paid effort, based on high level definition
• Scope to budget
• BRD as a fetish object - gives us the impression of
control (not the reality)

29. john@10up.com
@jeckman
johneckman.com
openparenthesis.org
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