Example reflection : Mind Mapping tool    Challenge    I took assignment as product Manager for a B2B industrial manufacturing company within a  small newly created business unit aiming at launching new products in a more innovative way  compared to the legacy products of the company. These products were for B2C or B2B2C. My  task was to launch a new residential battery for homeowners.     We have gathered a great deal of data from market analysts, homeowners willing to be more  independent in their use of electricity, and equipment installers. In addition, I also discussed  extensively with our internal stakeholders which are mainly R&D, Manufacturing and supply  chain, Marketing, Sales, and the management, and I discovered that even though all agreed  on the opportunity at stake to launch a new offering in the market, all had divergent views on  the job to be done by the product. Intense debates to align the vision among the stakeholders  only led to more time wasted in endless meetings.    Selection and application    I needed a tool which would unequivocally transform the data we had into clear insights and  solid patterns so that all stakeholders could align on the features of the product to be  launched. Mind mapping sounded like the adequate tool because it looks for patterns and  insights in a large quantity of data that are collected during the exploration of what the  current reality is. The goal is to establish criteria for the what-if idea generation phase. In  addition, mind mapping is an engaging tool as it allows for all to visualize what is happening  in the mind of the customers, and the stakeholders as well. It forces the participants to explain  with images, not just words, how they see the features of the product meeting the  unarticulated needs of the customers.       Insights    Each stakeholder drew the ecosystem in an A3 clipboard in which our product will evolve from  the development phase to the manufacturing, to the launch, to the installation at homeowner  site, to the broad ways of which the user will consume the product. Then all the A3 posters  would be displayed at the walls of a large meeting rooms, allowing for all the participants to  walk see and reflect on the minds of their peers. A lot of “aha” moments occurred during this  phase as misunderstandings and misinterpretations of someone else thinking was not  possible anymore. I was surprised about how building blocks fell in place, and how easy now  it was possible to identify and agree upon the insights and their consequences in the design  and manufacturing of the product.  For instance, the installers drew our attention to the fact that they wanted a product that  could be installed with one or maximum two person and within 2 hours. What was important  to them was the need to have minimum installation costs and the avoidance of too much  qualified technicians for the installation as it increased the costs. This insight had a direct  impact in the way we would design and manufacture the product.   Looking at customers’ expectations, we also realized that their needs were not static but  evolutive. Whatever product we’d provide should be upgradable in term of capacity of

electricity storage to cater for growing electricity consumption (e.g when the family grows in  number) and in term of power delivered (e.g when the family purchase an electric vehicle and  wants to charge the car using the home battery at night).    I wish I had a design thinking mindset from the beginning of my journey in the launch of this  product. I would have wasted less time convincing stakeholders about a common vision. Most  importantly, using the other tools at my disposal I would have probably designed a better  product and have enjoyed all the launching phases as I enjoyed the mind mapping phase.


Example reflection : Mind Mapping tool Challenge I took assignment as product Manager for a B2B industrial manufacturing company within a small newly created business unit aiming at launching new products in a more innovative way compared to the legacy products of the company . These products were for B2C or B2B2C. My task was to launch a new residential battery for homeowners . We have gathered a great deal of data from market analysts , homeowners willing to be more independent in their use of electricity , and equipment installers . In addition , I also discussed extensively with our internal stakeholders which are mainly R&D , Manufacturing and supply chain , Marketing , Sales , and the management , and I discovered that even though all agreed on the opportunity at stake to launch a new offering in the market , all had divergent views on the job to be done by the product . Intense debates to align the vision among the stakeholders only led to more time wasted in endless meetings . Selection and application I needed a tool which would unequivocally transform the data we had into clear insights and solid patterns so that all stakeholders could align on the features of the product to be launched . Mind mapping sounded like the adequate tool because it looks for patterns and insights in a large quantity of data that are collected during the exploration of what the current reality is . The goal is to establish criteria for the what - if idea generation phase . In addition , mind mapping is an engaging tool as it allows for all to visualize what is happening in the mind of the customers , and the stakeholders as well . It forces the participants to explain with images , not just words , how they see the features of the product meeting the unarticulated needs of the customers . Insights Each stakeholder drew the ecosystem in an A3 clipboard in which our product will evolve from the development phase to the manufacturing , to the launch , to the installation at homeowner site , to the broad ways of which the user will consume the product . Then all the A3 posters would be displayed at the walls of a large meeting rooms , allowing for all the participants to walk see and reflect on the minds of their peers . A lot of “ aha ” moments occurred during this phase as misunderstandings and misinterpretations of someone else thinking was not possible anymore . I was surprised about how building blocks fell in place , and how easy now it was possible to identify and agree upon the insights and their consequences in the design and manufacturing of the product . For instance , the installers drew our attention to the fact that they wanted a product that could be installed with one or maximum two person and within 2 hours . What was important to them was the need to have minimum installation costs and the avoidance of too much qualified technicians for the installation as it increased the costs . This insight had a direct impact in the way we would design and manufacture the product . Looking at customers ’ expectations , we also realized that their needs were not static but evolutive . Whatever product we ’d provide should be upgradable in term of capacity of electricity storage to cater for growing electricity consumption ( e.g when the family grows in number ) and in term of power delivered ( e.g when the family purchase an electric vehicle and wants to charge the car using the home battery at night ) . I wish I had a design thinking mindset from the beginning of my journey in the launch of this product . I would have wasted less time convincing stakeholders about a common vision . Most importantly , using the other tools at my disposal I would have probably designed a better product and have enjoyed all the launching phases as I enjoyed the mind mapping phase .