We used this manifesto as an organizational operating system, a new realm of possibility for innovation and competitive advantage. A novel aspect of it is that, unlike other documents of its kind (US constitution, the Communist Manifesto, or the agile manifesto), it has an expiration date. The members are due retrospect on its effectiveness every three months, and re-write it as they see it fit. Thus the organization itself, and not just the product, is constructed to best address market needs--on an ongoing basis. The Innovation Manifesto relies on agile/scrum, and comprises the entire "product-to-market fit" organization: software developers, product owners, product strategy, scrum masters, product support, HR, Finance, among others.
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Innovation Manifesto
1. INNOVATION MANIFESTO:
Organizational Operating System
Effective: immediately
Published: Friday January 17
Sprint:quarterly (June 1)
TBD: to resolve ASAP
PREAMBLE
Our purpose is to bring intelligence to advertising
We achieve sustainable competitive advantage
Every one is empowered to make it so: individuals, teams,
departments, subsidiaries, company
We are accountable for maximizing value release
We maximize value release by periodic retrospection
Financial compensation is a strong function of the removal of
impediments
We hold FAILURE TO PERFORM to be the gateway to SUCCESS.
Reference implementation: “We Retrospect, Therefore We
Innovate” http://pablohearsay.quora.com/We-RetrospectTherefore-We-Innovate
We act transparently
ARTICLE I: Accountability
Section 1: One Organization
The software organization consists of everyone contributing to
product-to-market fit, whereby teams operate autonomously,
enabling Exponential to build a sustainable and profitable business.
o Go to market team:
 Product Strategy—accountable for delivering
milestonesto market that satisfy customers, aligning
sprint goals accordingly. Metric:Retaining customers
while growing their spend
 Scrum Team:
Product Owner: accountable for building the right
software. Metric:milestonesand sprints goals.
Product Director mentors product owners.
2. Developer: accountablebuilding the software
right. Metric:quality, sprint goals, production
support. Fellows are accountable for mentoring
developerssuch that every team’s software skill
exceeds the technical problem it’s accountable to
solve.
Scrum Master: accountable for building things
fast, via a maturing of our scrum
implementation.Metric:sprint goal.Agile coach is
accountable for mentoring scrum masters.
 Product Operations: accountable for business
communication, product support,and reporting.
Metric:Total Value of epics (relative), anticipated vs.
released
o HR: accountable for any employee inquiry excluding the above
areas. Metric:Rate of unwanted attrition
o Talent acquisition: accountable for sourcing new employees.
Metric:Hiring rate
o Shared responsibilities: Recruiting, Promotions
o Innovation: strategic management of all above, including
changes in organization,budget. Approves job openings and
promotions. Members: <Names>; led by Pablo Rodriguez
Bertorello; guided by HR/Finance.Metrics:every metric
mentioned above.
Section 2: Agile Framework
We fulfill our vision via agile implementation of scrum
Every one is always present to our product direction (6 month
stability), and all our key execution metrics
Throughout ongoing tradeoff of scope/timeline, we uphold quality as
non-negotiable
We focus towards concrete outcomes in every time increment: sprint
goals
The biggest impediment(s) are identified for removal: quarterly
goals. The biggest Q1 impediment for the software organization:
sub-par quality experienced by our users
ARTICLE II: Mastery
3. Section 1: Definition of Success
We seek mastery, and define SUCCESS as the timely performance to
one’s role accountability
Success--and failures to perform--will be recorded only when
attributable to the individual/team in question (externalities won’t
count).
Section 2: Compensation
Every function above will have grade levels: title with compensation
bands. It is our commitment to pay 100% of market rate for each
specific individual. Team members will have no bonus target (e.g. old
bonus pool now built into distributed base)
Grade level promotions will be issued on the basis of agile
standardsspecific to each role (TBD: i.e. architects scalable systems in
manner consistent with senior agilist). Each team member will be
matched to a grade level they are performing at, biased by the
removal of our main impediment(s).
The merit title-compensation promotion committee will consist of
the Innovation Team. HR will facilitate the conversations.
Promotions will be evaluated quarterly, for the most successful
teams. There will be a budgeted quota of quarterly promotions.
The teams will also self-evaluate: objectively (i.e. maturity indicators
such as Nokia test) and subjectively (retrospect to improve in the
coming year). Self-evaluation will have no bearing on pay raises.
Only whereappropriate, evaluations will be posted in Workday. No
360/standard process (a tool other than workday may be more
suitable).
Section 3: Management of Performance
Belonging to a function is a privilege, not a right or circumstance.
Every one is free to apply for a new position or role within the
software team
Everyone is invited to participate in the Management &Leadership
Program. It is required for Scrum Masters, role changes, and to take
on functional leadership roles
FAILURE TO PERFORM is having the same failure modethree
increments in a row:
o Strategy: three milestones that do not fit market, or three
sprints with goals misaligned to milestone promises
4. o Product Owners: three sprints with failed sprint
goals/milestones.
o Developers: three sprints with production critical
issues/missed sprint goals.
o Scrum Master: three sprints with missed sprint goals
o …
Upon failure to perform, the respective team must re-deploy one
team member for one increment of time
If the success metric does not work, then we replace the metric.