Reflection – Learning Launch

Challenge

I am the business analyst on a project that is in the initial stages of requirement elicitation and relates to  increasing internal productivity of the organization. However, there are some key stakeholders skeptical  about the real value that will be obtained by doing the project because it is not a new revenue  generating project – it is more of productivity savings for internal users of the organization. So true  value in doing it or not needs to be established.

Selection

I selected Learning Launch approach because it helps to find the truth to confirm or disconfirm the  assumptions that have been made for an idea or project. This approach also helps us to get out of self- biased and cognitive mindset.

Application

Our team applied the Hypothesis creation process, for which the steps are – What’s the idea; Who is  that specific person(s) going to use it; Who has a specific need for it; Whether that idea meets that  need; Better than the current alternatives, we were able to figure out under what circumstances the  product won’t sell.

Especially – Who has a specific need for it helped a lot in the confirmation and disconfirmation of the  truth. We went to the ground zero where we interviewed all the users of existing system to find out the  truth about who will specifically use the new replacement system.

After we established that a group of users have specific need to use the new replacement system, we  sat with most members of those groups individually to ask about the features that the new system is  supposed to have and how far those will resolve their existing problems and difficulties they face today  in doing day to day job. Moreover, they were able to tell us their wish list features also.

Insight

Insight was gained when real specific needs were compared against the assumed needs – it led us find  the truth. Initially we had assumed that there were 4 specific groups that would need the new system  but the truth as it was found that there is only 2 specific group that has the need to use the new system.

Also, it cut down the project’s scope to 50% and helped us find out the Minimum Viable Product also.

This approach helped to find the truth by overcoming cognitive blindness – which helped us consider all  the different perspective and build a wholistic product with only needed and usable features.

Approach

Next time I shall consider applying the same Learning Launch approach to get better – also I would like  to educate my peers and colleagues on the value of having this approach in place so that we all know  what we are doing and going to get out of it and be motivated.

