INSPIRED, 2nd Edition

PART IVThe Right Process

We've explored product teams in Part Two, and we described how to decide what each team needs to focus on in Part Three. In Part Four, I explain how product teams do their job. We'll work through the techniques, activities, and best practices used to repeatedly discover and deliver successful products.

Even though this part is titled “The Right Process,” I hope you'll soon realize that the right process is not any single process. Rather, it's more accurately described as a combination of techniques, mindset, and culture.

I mostly emphasize discovery techniques, as our focus is on product managers, and that is their primary responsibility.

The bulk of the product manager's time needs to be focused on working with her product team, with her key stakeholders, and with her customers to discover solutions that her customers love and that work for the business.

Keep in mind, however, that the product manager and product designer do need to ensure that they're available to answer questions from the engineers that arise during delivery activities. Normally, answering these delivery questions is on the order of half an hour to an hour of time per day.